Following up on this morning’s post, we need to remember that
Certainly our sin can have a negative impact on our prayers. For instance, James 4:3 (NIV) “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures,” and 1 Peter 3:7 (NIV), “Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”
But we should not jump to the conclusion that God answers prayers because we are good. As good as we may appear to be to ourselves, when that “goodness” is compared to God, it ain’t all that good at all is it? Sometimes I hear people say, “I give God my best!” when I hear that I say, “Well then He didn’t get much, did He!” God answers our prayers because of who we are in Christ, not because of who we are in ourselves. He answers them because Christ is good, and because we are good compared to someone else.
Learning To Be Full Of Grace And Truth. 