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When prayer is wrong. (When unsaved trash do it.)
In this godly article posted in the Newnan, GA local newspaper John Crotts
jcrotts@FaithBibleChurch.us of the Faith Bible Church gets it 100% right.
Make sure to give his books good reviews, my fellow Christians!
Pastor Crotts tells it exactly like it is. Not all people's prayers are equal. In James 5:16, God tells us that the prayer of the righteous man avails much!.
Jesus tells us that God doesn't like the prayers of heathens. Matthew 6:7
God also says He doesn't listen to sinners. John 9:31
But their good intentions get tricky, however, because the "thoughts and prayers" bit is so general, that many people who listen and may actually pray won't have their prayers count towards God's final answer. I'm suggesting that everyone's well-meaning thoughts and their well-meaning prayers are not equally good!
Amen!! Pastor Crotts goes on to explain that our God is angry and vengeful. If you want your prayer answered, don't ask unsaved trash to help.
Friends, I believe we have a modern day Jonathan Edwards in our midst.
jcrotts@FaithBibleChurch.us of the Faith Bible Church gets it 100% right.
Make sure to give his books good reviews, my fellow Christians!
Recently, I preached a message which stirred some of the listeners up. The message included a section about praying in accordance with God's will. The Bible assures us that when we pray according to God's will our prayers are heard and answered (1 John 5:14, 15).
The controversy began when I brought up well-meaning people on the radio and TV that say things like, "Let's remember so-and-so in our thoughts and prayers." I suggested that that might not be good advice to just pass out to everyone listening. Let me walk you through my thought process before you decide if you agree with me.
The controversy began when I brought up well-meaning people on the radio and TV that say things like, "Let's remember so-and-so in our thoughts and prayers." I suggested that that might not be good advice to just pass out to everyone listening. Let me walk you through my thought process before you decide if you agree with me.
Jesus tells us that God doesn't like the prayers of heathens. Matthew 6:7
God also says He doesn't listen to sinners. John 9:31
But their good intentions get tricky, however, because the "thoughts and prayers" bit is so general, that many people who listen and may actually pray won't have their prayers count towards God's final answer. I'm suggesting that everyone's well-meaning thoughts and their well-meaning prayers are not equally good!
Most would agree that it is important to pray to the right God. In John 14:6, Jesus is very clear that he is the only way to God the Father. You can have another opinion, but you must realize that your opinion is different than what Jesus taught. "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." So anyone who is praying to another god is not connecting with the God of the Bible in those prayers.
But what about those who basically believe that the God of the Bible is true, but they just don't care about him except during a big crisis? Should we encourage people like that to remember miners trapped in a shaft to be rescued, for example?
Perhaps some of their prayers would be like, "God, I haven't paid you much attention. I don't love you or even want to. I don't care about obeying your commands. I'm pretty happy just doing my own thing. But, uh, will you rescue the trapped minors?"
If I was a well-known rebel in a country with a fierce dictator and was actively rejecting his rule, how would it go if I showed up in his throne room dressed in my "I hate the dictator" T-shirt, and then asked for a big favor? I might be executed before I even finished making my request.
The big reason why I think it might not be such a good thing to tell everyone everywhere to prance into God's presence and flip him up a prayer request is that God is a fiercely holy being. He hates sin and rebellion. His wrath is boiling right now against all of those thoughtlessly living only for themselves. There is a reason he made hell. It was not an afterthought.
But what about those who basically believe that the God of the Bible is true, but they just don't care about him except during a big crisis? Should we encourage people like that to remember miners trapped in a shaft to be rescued, for example?
Perhaps some of their prayers would be like, "God, I haven't paid you much attention. I don't love you or even want to. I don't care about obeying your commands. I'm pretty happy just doing my own thing. But, uh, will you rescue the trapped minors?"
If I was a well-known rebel in a country with a fierce dictator and was actively rejecting his rule, how would it go if I showed up in his throne room dressed in my "I hate the dictator" T-shirt, and then asked for a big favor? I might be executed before I even finished making my request.
The big reason why I think it might not be such a good thing to tell everyone everywhere to prance into God's presence and flip him up a prayer request is that God is a fiercely holy being. He hates sin and rebellion. His wrath is boiling right now against all of those thoughtlessly living only for themselves. There is a reason he made hell. It was not an afterthought.
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