'John gives the reason for answered prayer in the passage previously quoted: "And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." 1Jn_3:22
Seeing that the keeping of God's commandments is here set forth as the reason why He answers prayer, it is to be reasonably assumed that we can keep God's commandments, can do those things which are pleasing to Him. Would God make the keeping of His commandments a condition of effectual prayer, think you, if He knew we could not keep His statutes? Surely, surely not!
Obedience can ask with boldness at the Throne of grace, and those who exercise it are the only ones who can ask, after that fashion. The disobedient folk are timid in their approach and hesitant in their supplication. They are halted by reason of their wrongdoing. The requesting yet obedient child comes into the presence of his father with confidence and boldness. His very consciousness of obedience gives him courage and frees him from the dread born of disobedience.'
Quoted from- 'THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER By E.M. BOUNDS' (Excerpt 52)
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Yet as I read the above I can't help but continue to think of my constant failure to keep God's commandments. They are SO much more than rigorous duties. They are so much more than the mere keeping from thievery, from the taking of another's life, from the letter of the law so to speak. Jesus came and revealed that the intents of hearts are the truth of God's commandments. Our thoughts, those we dwell upon and feed, are just as evil as the act committed. Refraining from physical adultery while indulging in mental adultery is evil. Fantasizing about murder is just as bad as murder. No sin should be entertained, not even in our thoughts.
Thoughts do creep in that we would rather not have and they must immediately be thrust out, not indulged! Even if they continue to come back over and over we have to fight against them, it is a spiritual war!
So when I read the above I really can't help but think on the constant fight I'm battling and oftentimes failing at. It's a FOREVER need of FORGIVENESS, something I don't think we can ever forget. To say we obey the commandments of God and therefore can come with confidence to Him in prayer, is truth. I didn't write this…
"And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." 1Jn_3:22
E.M. Bounds did not write that. GOD wrote that! Our actions matter! Our obedience matters! How can we divorce the two? We kneel at the throne of grace and we seek to obey, we don't kneel at the throne of grace and then go our way and sin willfully! We struggle, we war, we fight against all that would keep us from obeying our God. And when I say we struggle, we war, we fight I mean we do so, spiritually we are at war! No, we aren't to physically war with others that would keep us from obeying, but spiritually war against all that would stop us from keeping God's commandments and doing that which is pleasing in HIS SIGHT.
We must obey and the commandments tell us to love and all that means! We are to love GOD, and love each other and when we disobey this and fail in our love towards God or our fellow man then we need to seek forgiveness and that is obeying. We need to repent- to give up doing that wrong, truly give it up even if that means giving it up every single day as we war. We cannot hold onto any sin - we cannot hold onto any failure to love God or our fellow man- we must seek forgiveness and find love and forgiveness through our Savior. Even if we must pray for forgiveness for loving- cherishing any sin- for loving sin, we need to repent and pray for it, pray to come to despise the sinful thing we love.
Satan has warped us in many, many ways and will not stop his work upon us. Thank God, Jesus Christ has the victory over him and that victory is ours!
Please, LORD, keep us in You. Forgive us, help us as we seek to keep Your commandments and do those things which are please in Your sight.
All in YOUR LOVE!
Seeing that the keeping of God's commandments is here set forth as the reason why He answers prayer, it is to be reasonably assumed that we can keep God's commandments, can do those things which are pleasing to Him. Would God make the keeping of His commandments a condition of effectual prayer, think you, if He knew we could not keep His statutes? Surely, surely not!
Obedience can ask with boldness at the Throne of grace, and those who exercise it are the only ones who can ask, after that fashion. The disobedient folk are timid in their approach and hesitant in their supplication. They are halted by reason of their wrongdoing. The requesting yet obedient child comes into the presence of his father with confidence and boldness. His very consciousness of obedience gives him courage and frees him from the dread born of disobedience.'
Quoted from- 'THE NECESSITY OF PRAYER By E.M. BOUNDS' (Excerpt 52)
*******
Yet as I read the above I can't help but continue to think of my constant failure to keep God's commandments. They are SO much more than rigorous duties. They are so much more than the mere keeping from thievery, from the taking of another's life, from the letter of the law so to speak. Jesus came and revealed that the intents of hearts are the truth of God's commandments. Our thoughts, those we dwell upon and feed, are just as evil as the act committed. Refraining from physical adultery while indulging in mental adultery is evil. Fantasizing about murder is just as bad as murder. No sin should be entertained, not even in our thoughts.
Thoughts do creep in that we would rather not have and they must immediately be thrust out, not indulged! Even if they continue to come back over and over we have to fight against them, it is a spiritual war!
So when I read the above I really can't help but think on the constant fight I'm battling and oftentimes failing at. It's a FOREVER need of FORGIVENESS, something I don't think we can ever forget. To say we obey the commandments of God and therefore can come with confidence to Him in prayer, is truth. I didn't write this…
"And whatsoever we ask we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." 1Jn_3:22
E.M. Bounds did not write that. GOD wrote that! Our actions matter! Our obedience matters! How can we divorce the two? We kneel at the throne of grace and we seek to obey, we don't kneel at the throne of grace and then go our way and sin willfully! We struggle, we war, we fight against all that would keep us from obeying our God. And when I say we struggle, we war, we fight I mean we do so, spiritually we are at war! No, we aren't to physically war with others that would keep us from obeying, but spiritually war against all that would stop us from keeping God's commandments and doing that which is pleasing in HIS SIGHT.
We must obey and the commandments tell us to love and all that means! We are to love GOD, and love each other and when we disobey this and fail in our love towards God or our fellow man then we need to seek forgiveness and that is obeying. We need to repent- to give up doing that wrong, truly give it up even if that means giving it up every single day as we war. We cannot hold onto any sin - we cannot hold onto any failure to love God or our fellow man- we must seek forgiveness and find love and forgiveness through our Savior. Even if we must pray for forgiveness for loving- cherishing any sin- for loving sin, we need to repent and pray for it, pray to come to despise the sinful thing we love.
Satan has warped us in many, many ways and will not stop his work upon us. Thank God, Jesus Christ has the victory over him and that victory is ours!
Please, LORD, keep us in You. Forgive us, help us as we seek to keep Your commandments and do those things which are please in Your sight.
All in YOUR LOVE!
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