James 1:7
[7] “For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”
I have often said, “The Lord does not answer prayer based on merit, but on mercy.” God is a merciful Father who loves us, and invites us into his presence. He desires to fellowship with us, and hear what is on our hearts.
He knows our weakness and our frame. He knows we are the dust of this earth. He knows that we need a daily cleansing in his Word. He knows that we will stumble along the way, and that we need his forgiveness. He knows that no matter how hard we strive, we are going to come up short.
Now, just because the Lord understands who we are, does not mean he gives us a license to sin. Sin will hinder our prayer life. He will deal with our disobedience. However, God knows that our prayers are not based on our goodness, but on his goodness. He is good to answer us, but he wants one thing from us, above all else. He wants us to exercise faith!
Gods wants us to fully trust him when we speak to him in prayer. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying when I make this statement. The Lord is willing to work with a lot of imperfections in our lives, when he sees faith in our hearts. How many times has he answered a prayer for you, when you knew you didn’t deserve it? You are probably thinking, 100% of the time. That’s because he is merciful, and he saw faith in your life. He knew that you trusted him in spite of yourself.
The individual who prays in doubt, will walk away empty handed every time. Jesus taught us to have faith in God. We are not to have faith in ourselves, or even in our prayers. We are to place our faith in him when we pray. You don’t have to walk away empty handed in your prayer life. Have faith in the merciful hand of God, knowing that he will answer your prayer, not because you are good, but because he is good!