Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
This passage of scripture provides confirmation that every sincere prayer that is made to God, in accordance with His revealed will, is going to be answered. Whenever all of the stipulated conditions are fulfilled, God will hear and answer the prayers of individuals and nations. There is absolutely no such thing as an unanswered prayer, if all of the Biblical parameters are in place. God may say yes, He may say no, or He may say wait, but one thing is certain, He will hear and answer our prayers, if we pray along scriptural lines. But some may be questioning the validity of this promise in the wake of the continuing violence and bloodshed across the land, since many politicians, and pastors, and televangelists have now banded together to seek the Lord in prayer, with the hope that an answer, and a favorable outcome would be the result.
But before we can expect any answers from God, we must first examine ourselves, both individually and nationally to see if there is any activity we are involved with, or any cherished sin we may be harboring, that may be preventing our petitions from reaching the roof. And in this work of soul-searching, it will be necessary to consult the word of God, to see what are the stipulated conditions required, for God to hear and answer our prayers. For starters, let's turn to the book of psalms, in which David lays out in the clearest terms, one of the main reasons why God does not hear or even consider the prayers of some. Let's read:
Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
This simple passage is as clear as it gets, for it tells us plainly that iniquity, or cherished sin will certainly prevent our prayers from reaching the audience chamber of The Most High God. For instance, when the children of Israel had departed from God to follow the gods of the heathen, their national security interests became jeopardized because of the signal removal of God's protection. And just as it is in our situation today, they cried unto The Lord in their troubles, and looked for a favorable answer, but the response from God, was for them to ask the gods whom they had been worshiping for deliverance, for whilst they were in idolatry their expectation of an answer from God was a figment of their imagination, and would never materialize while sin was still being practiced and cherished in the camp. Let's read:
Joshua 10:6 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the Lord, and served not him. 8 And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel"... 10 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, saying, We have sinned against thee, both because we have forsaken our God, and also served Baalim. 11 And the Lord said unto the children of Israel"... 14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation.
The takeaway for us today is that the same God of yesterday, is the same God of today, and the very same stipulations given for answered prayer in days gone by, are the same which still exist in our time. Therefore, unless we search out the evils which have brought us into such a volatile environment, unless we identify the sins and call them by their right name, and unless we confess, repent of, and forsake these evils, praying to the God of heaven will be the equivalent of speaking to a stone wall, for no answers will be forth-coming until the scriptural stipulations are in place.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which shows us clearly what needs to be done, and it is the will of God that urgent repentance and change be our experience, lest satan, and the billions of demons who are just waiting in the wings, drive the nation into the abyss, to irretrievable ruin, which could have otherwise been avoided. Let's read:
2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!