{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Isaiah: Attitudes in Prayer","description":"Scripture Reading: Isaiah 1:10-17 Without thinking about it, many people probably feel they can approach God in any manner they desire and He will respond to their prayer.  It's almost the idea that God is so desperate, He will accept anyone who will give Him the slightest glance or the weakest nod.  This could not be farther from the truth.  The Almighty is not desperate for attention, nor is He willing to compromise His honor.  When we pray, there are conditions of the heart that are necessary if we expect to gain a hearing with our holy God.  ... faith - Heb 11:6; Lk 7:1-10; Jas 1:5,6 ... reverence - Ecc 5:1,2; Mt 6:9; Lev 10:1-3 ... sincerity - Mt 6:5-8; Heb 10:19-22 ... willingness to obey (spirit of submission) - Mt 26:39; 2 Cor 12:7-10; 1 Jn 3:21,22 ... humility - 2 Chr 7:14; Jas 4:6; Lk 18:9-14 ... passion (whole-heartedness) - Jer 29:13; Psa 119:2,58,145 ... perseverance - Lk 18:1-8 ... purity of heart - Psa 66:18; Prov 15:29 The stern warning of God to the Israelites of Isaiah's day ought to make us sober about prayer and rid us of silliness and superficiality.  After cataloging their sins, God says to them, "When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen . . ." (Isa 1:15).  The Lord is a holy God.  He tenderly attends to the cries of the humble and contrite (those who seek Him), but the wicked (those who truly care nothing for God), though their prayers be filled with sorrow and anguish, God rejects.  \u201cThe sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. . . . The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous\u201d  (Prov 15:8, 29). ","author_name":"Bethel Baptist Church","author_url":"https:\/\/bethelbaptistscs.org\/","html":"