Make Prayer a Habit (3)

“God has surely listened and heard my…prayer.” Ps 66:19 NIV

The Psalmist wrote, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my…prayer” (vv. 18-19). The character flaws you are working on, and your tendency to stumble from time to time, don’t disqualify you from God’s blessing. The sin you “cherish” does that! In prayer the first thing God will want to talk to you about is usually the last thing you want to talk to Him about—namely, the sin you don’t want to let go of. It will actually keep you from the place of prayer. When Adam sinned he hid from God, saying, “I heard Your voice…and I was afraid because I was naked” (Ge 3:10 NKJV). Billy Graham said: “The Christian should have an appetite for prayer. He should want to pray. One does not have to force food upon a healthy child. Exercise, good circulation, health and labor demand food for sustenance. So it is with those who are spiritually healthy. They have an appetite for the Word of God and for prayer. A little girl committed a certain offence and when her mother discovered it, she began to question her daughter. Immediately the child lost her smile and a cloud darkened her face as she said, ‘Mother, I don’t feel like talking.’ So it is with us, when our fellowship with God is broken by sin in our lives. We do not feel like talking to Him.” So, if you don’t feel like praying today, it’s probably a good indication that you need to.

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