Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: 19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
This passage of scripture begins by making an unequivocal statement about the relationship of cherished sin to unanswered prayer, a very direct link that should be clearly understood by every member of the human family. The word "Regard" implies that the sin cherished is known to the individual, and even though it is wrong, the individual has made a conscious decision not to let it go. In such instances we cannot reasonably expect answers from God to our prayers, for there is a known stumbling block in the way which we refuse to let go of. This is one of the main reasons why many prayers go unanswered, for on the one hand we desire God's mercies and guidance, while in other areas of our lives He is excluded when we resent Him interfering with our pet sins and evil practices.
The Bible describes our hearts as the domain where The Holy Spirit dwells, hence the reason why Christ is pictured as standing at the door and knocking. Now, if we let Him in, it must not be with any restrictions whatsoever, for the only way He will stay is if He is given free access to every compartment of our lives. He must be invited into our spiritual living rooms as well as our closets, where many skeletons often try to hide, hence the reason why the Psalmist says in the passage above, that if we regard iniquity in our hearts, The Lord will not hear us. Take for instance, if the skeleton of adultery or pornography is held and treasured by us, whether in phantom form or apparently, our prayers will not reach higher than the roof, for if God were to now answer our prayers whilst we were harboring known sins, He would thereby be literally confirming us in a wrong course of action, something that He will never ever do.
In one instance the children of Israel had prayed to God for counsel pertaining to going to war with the tribe of Benjamin, on account of some pretty serious violations that had occurred, and the Lord gave them leave to go, but they were smitten before their enemies, and twenty two thousand of them lost their lives. The second time they again prayed and the Lord again gave them the all-clear, yet eighteen thousand of them were slain at the hands of Benjamin. The reason for this is that there were cherished sins amongst the tribes that had not been repented of nor forsaken, and so it seemed to all appearances that their prayers were falling on deaf ears. But after a period of deep soul searching, and fasting and prayer, they confessed their sins to God, then He was now ready to answer them according to their request, and the next time they engaged in battle, the tribe of Benjamin was signally defeated. Let's read:
Judges 20:26 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the Lord, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. 27 And the children of Israel enquired of the Lord, (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days, 28 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the Lord said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand. 35 And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel: and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and an hundred men: all these drew the sword.
In our own personal experiences, similar instances may be taking place, for like the children of Israel we may have sought God in prayer for direction or deliverance, and it may seem as if we our prayers were in vain, or either were not heard or answered. It may be that the reason lies in some cherished sin in our closets that we are secretly harboring, and have not repented of nor forsaken, and if this is the case, then the first remedial action that is necessary, is to confess our faults to God, asking Him to cleanse us, and to bring us into a right relationship with Himself. When this is done in sincerity and in truth, God will hear and answer us according to His good pleasure.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which confirms this sacred truth, and if at all we are harboring iniquity in our hearts, let us then make speedy work of repentance first, and God will respond to the requests that are made with a clear conscience. Let's read:
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!