God has given us so many promises in the Bible for us to pray, claim, and believe. However, sometimes when we lay God's promises before Him, we forget about the conditions upon which they are fulfilled. The Bible tells us in Isaiah 59:1, “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither His ear heavy that it cannot hear”. Too many of us stop at that first verse, but when you continue reading the second verse, the picture becomes clear. Verse two says, “but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear”. Before making a petition before God, we must confess our sins and ask God to forgive us and create within us a clean heart and a right spirit, then we can lay our petitions before Him, remembering to pray “Thy will be done”. This is important because God knows what is best for us and sees what we cannot. It's too easy to ask for things that we want, not realizing the consequences. May we all pray the prayer of David in Psalms 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me. And lead me in the way everlasting.”
Matthew 5:8 KJV - Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Psalm 51:10 KJV - Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Jeremiah 29:13 KJV - And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.