Let Our Faith Be More Than Anthems

In light of recent tragedy that has yet again struck our nation, there has been a lot of debate on prayer vs action. People seem to be overtaken with feelings of anger, unfairness, bitterness and ultimately, unbelief. To some, the tragedy in Charleston was an act of an angry and unconcerned god- too preoccupied with the affairs of other groups of people than to be bothered by the slaughtering in South Carolina. One Facebook quote, which received a multitude of "likes" stated:

"I say how about we stop praying all together and start doing...it's time for change and none of that peaceful [stuff]...We pray, we get beaten. We pray, we get robbed. We pray...we get shot up in our own churches with our heads bowed...action is what is needed, not more prayer".

To read such statements is shocking, to say the least, but what is more absurd is that people, collectively, seem to agree and commend this mindset. I realize, not to belittle anyone's experience, frustrations or sorrows, that people are suffering, but we cannot become so blinded to our own hurts that we fail to realize that others all over the world are suffering too. It is the situational circumstance of sin that ushers in the pain and sorrow that we so heavily feel, and the only victor of sin and death, is God, through Christ alone. If we stop praying, then where is our victory? If we stop seeking the face of God, then we will surely be overtaken.


"The worse thing we could ever do is stop our communication with God"~ Brittany Crenshaw, Pearls of Hope.

Prayer is a tool that God uses to access our hearts. When our hearts change, our outlooks change and when our outlooks change, our action changes. The issues that are among us, whether Black, or White, Middle Eastern or Asian, is not what we can see with our own two eyes, but rather what is working invisibly against us, which can only be combated through prayer. Yet people will insist, "Prayer doesn't work. I've tried praying and nothing ever happens".  My response to this argument is this: When we pray, we must first recognize that God is not a genie to grant our every wish. There are certain criteria, based on scripture, that give us access to this Supreme God, and anything less than what He requires will result in unanswered prayer.
In this article, let's take a look, through God's on Word, on what institutes effective prayer and what we need to do in order to see results from Heaven.

1) First, before we can expect to hear from God, we need to realize that it is a relationship with Christ that turns His ear and gains His attention. We cannot ask of someone who does not know us and then be shocked when their response is not what we seek. That's like me asking your father for $20. He might have it, but he doesn't know me, so why should he give it to me? When we pray, we must humble ourselves and offer our hearts to God, acknowledging our need for Him and receiving His love for us. So the first step in answered prayer is developing an honest relationship with God (John 15:7).

2) Next, we must live a life of obedience, which Christ tells us is synonymous with Love. "Jesus replied,"Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them (John 14:23)". Loving Jesus means more than pretty words on bended knees, or making promises to get out of a jam. It's a true life commitment and service- a courageous act of following His ways, no matter the cost. When we live a life of obedience and love, God's Spirit grows strong within us and the requests of our hearts are heard (Proverbs 28:9; 1 John 3:22).

3) In alignment with living in obedience, we have to be sure that we are confessing all sin and turning away from what is evil. God is light and light cannot entertain the darkness. Yes, we sin every day, but cherished sin- sin that is purposefully practiced and repeated out of enjoyment, excuses or lust, lays up a wall between our prayers and God's answers. Sin cuts us off from The Lord; but obedience opens the door (Psalm 66:18; 1 John 1:7-9).

4) When we have examined our hearts, we can pray with confidence to a God who loves and cares for us. It is not His desire that we suffer alone. Jesus said, “In this life you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)". Pain, suffering and issues are automatic with life. It's the effects of sin- which is a sickness of the soul as well as of the human experience. We live in an ungodly and evil world, yet we do not need to fear, because Christ has already won the victory and given it to those who bear His name in obedience! When we pray, we can trust that God hears us if we are living according to His word. And if He hears us, he will answer us; so we can pray with boldness and confidence, not doubting, but believing with great expectation! (1 John 5:14-15).

5) The last criteria for answered prayer is to be sure that when we do pray, we are without grudge or unforgiveness towards anyone. This one is so detrimental, because we often overlook the significance of our forgiveness towards others. If we ask of God to forgive us and pardon our mistakes, how dare we with-hold the same opportunity from someone of whom we are just as guilty as? Remember, we are all sinners and full of fault. It is by God's grace that we can access a freedom through our sin. It is not our right to deny the same gift that we have been given. In so doing, we block ourselves and our prayers from God, who does not tolerate what is evil. So, if your desire is to have answered prayers in you life, forgive without complaint. Don't seek restitution or revenge. Let it go and be free! (Matthew 5: 23-24; Matthew 6: 14).

In this time of trouble and uncertainty, there is only one absolute truth: Our God has given us His love, though Jesus, and has made a way for us to have open communication with Him, through His Holy Spirit, because He is a good Father who loves to hear from His children. Yes, there are terrible things that happen in the world. Yes, there are times when God does seem so far away, but we can believe that He is always near, based upon His word and promises within the scriptures. Though, on the one hand, people seem to be too impatient to ask of God, it is obvious that the hearts of mankind are eagerly looking for a way to reach Him. They want to take matters into their own hands because they are not aware of how to access God and so, in their frustrations, they give up. I urge you, Don't Give Up! Keep praying, keep seeking, keep asking and keep knocking! Seek the Lord with your whole heart and He will show Himself to you.

Prayer is a powerful tool, yet on the other side, faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26).

As we pray in confidence, we should seek The Lord to determine what action He would want us to take! He will guide us if we keep our hearts steady on Him! Our faith is more than platitudes and pretty words. It is deeper than an anthem that we sing when times are good. True faith becomes revealed during the hard times and tragedies that are inevitable in this life. Yet it is through these difficult and confusing times where God's Spirit addresses the faithful and produces power through our prayers.

Be encouraged, and Never Stop Praying!

~Pearls