Conditions for Answered Prayer--Part I

Do you have regular conversations with G-d? Just you and Him, talking things over, you sharing your heart with Him? What is *praying* to you?

Jesus demonstrated how to pray when one of His disciples asked Him, "L-rd, teach us to pray." If we study the components of that prayer, we may find that we need a refresher course in learning how to approach G-d's throne.

We are to beseech our Heavenly Father with a humble heart, relinquishing our will to Him.
We are to ask Him for our needs.
We are to ask for His forgiveness----as we forgive others!
We are to ask for protection from temptation and deliverance from evil.
We are to praise and glorify G-d.

While we are so familiar with this prayer, we unfortunately stop at the last sentences, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." But have we taken notice of the following verses in Matthew 6:14, 15 where the L-rd reiterates the importance of forgiving others; do we realize the impact of unforgiveness on our prayer life? Evidently, it is extremely important because the L-rd emphasizes that it is imperative that we forgive others!

David said, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the L-rd will not hear me." Ps. 66:18 He prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O G-d; and renew a right spirit within me." Ps. 51:10.

We cannot have a clean heart and harbor unforgiveness. Who are we to withhold forgiveness from others, in our hearts, when the L-rd has forgiven us so much?

Once we approach the L-rd with a clean heart, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Heb. 4:16