Don't Pray
One of the great resources God gives His people is prayer. God has invited us to pray about everything because He is able to do anything through prayer. Here are of few of the many benefits of prayer.
God is honored by your words of thanksgiving (Psalm 50:23).
God grants you peace for anxiety (Philippians 4:6–7).
God grants you wisdom to navigate your trials (James 1:2–5).
God helps you understand and be fully assured in His will (Psalm 143:10; Colossians 4:12; 1 John 5:11–12).
God gives mercy and grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
God can guard you against falling into temptation (Matthew 26:41).
God can open doors, instill courage, and help you be clear in gospel conversations (Colossians 4:3–4; Ephesians 6:19).
God can grow a discerning love and the fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:9–11).
God can do His work of saving grace in the lives of unbelievers (Romans 10:1).
BUT as great as prayer is, there are times when God doesn’t want to hear your prayers. Three times God told His prophet Jeremiah these stunning words: “do not pray” for My people (Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14; 14:11–12). Why? They don’t want to give up their sin. Here is how God puts it: “This wicked people, who refuse to listen to My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their hearts and have gone after other gods to serve them and to bow down to them…” (Jer. 13:10).
You and I can forfeit the benefit of prayer if we refuse to give up our sin. God doesn’t even want to hear from us. I can’t think of anything more disastrous for a believer. Let these words haunt you as a warning: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear” (Isaiah 59:1–2). We should never deceive ourselves into thinking we can sin with impunity and come unrepentantly before His throne of grace.
But praise the Lord as David did when he said, “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You” (Psalm 86:5). He will listen IF we truly come and “confess our sins," and "He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
So do pray, first addressing your sins with a humble and honest heart of repentance, and remember these enriching words of truth and grace: “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion” (Proverbs 28:13).
Pastor Jeff