“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3)

Prayer is one of those spiritual blessings enjoyed by those in a covenant relationship with God. Here are some passages about this spiritual blessing.

Prayer rejected due to sin
• Proverbs 28:9 “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.”
• Isaiah 1:15 “When ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.”
• Micah 3:4 “Then shall they cry unto the LORD, but he will not hear them… as they have behaved themselves ill in their doings.”
• Zechariah 7:13 “Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear.”
• John 9:31 “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”

Hypocrisy / rebellion prevents prayer
• Proverbs 15:29 “The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.”
• Proverbs 21:27 “The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?”
• Psalm 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.”
• James 4:3 “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

Sin separates from God (prayer not heard)
• Isaiah 59:1–2 “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God… that he will not hear.”
• Jeremiah 11:11 “Though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.”
• Jeremiah 14:12 “When they fast, I will not hear their cry… I will consume them.”
• 1 Peter 3:12 “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous… but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

Obedience required for answered prayer
• 1 John 3:22 “Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”
• Hebrews 5:9 “He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.”

Here’s the good news, God hears our prayers “IN CHRIST.” Because we have obeyed the Gospel through faith we have access to God through prayer. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16; Eph 2:18; 3:12).

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