(What readest your Attitudometer?)
By Pastor Amos Dada PhD;P.Eng
“Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer : ‘I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12 I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ 14 I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Lk 18:10-14
Prayer ! Prayer!! Prayer! Everybody talks about prayer, every one prays, even those who are not Christians pray, even atheists ! But prayer is not just about verbalizing some words or wishful thinking, prayer has a purpose and if that purpose is not achieved what is the use! And I can tell you scripturally, experientially and experimentally that many prayer are just a waste of mental and verbal disposition.
James gives us one reason why we don’t fulfil purpose of prayer, why the prayers remain unanswered :
“And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong–you want only what will give you pleasure.” James 4:3.
So we see here that we donot get results because of wrong motives.
Another reason is that we don’t believe . You recall that I said even Atheist prays. I cannot recall vividly the story shared by Ravi’s Zachariah about an atheist that accused Christians of not remembering the titles of the synoptic gospel , and they asked him about the title of the book of his mentor . When he forgot he said “ Oh my God”. You may laugh but that is one of the reasons our prayers are not answered the fact that you have God in your mouth does not mean you are a believer . The fact that you go to to church , you talk like a Christian, sing Christian songs does not make you a Christian, so if you don’t even have the God of heaven as your father and you are praying to him guess what you are preying on Him and you are walking in self delusion .
So today what we are looking at is our attitude to prayer . The bible gave us two scenarios . One – the Pharisees who had an attitude that he had not “committed sin” according to his own records, he had also done some services for God and so he OWN’s God! God must be brought to his level to run errands for him. He must answer him by “force and by fire”. Because he ‘has paid his tithe’ and carried out some spiritual exercises, God must be “ compelled” to do his bidding. Jesus says you are wrong . I still have mental picture of Bro Emeka Nwakpa one of our leaders in Intercessor for Africa in the 90s in Warri , demonstrating how we hold God by the neck : he made a brother to stand and held him by his tie . Demonstrating how we treat God , he must give us a hundredfold return because we gave our tithe and offering – how wrong that attitude could be!
So what is the right attitude? The right attitude is simply, humility! The publican would not even look up, – Lord have mercy on me a sinner.
Your parents pay your school’s fees not because you did your chores , cleared the snow in the drive way, but because they are your parents, they love you, they want the best for you now and in the future, they have a responsibility to give you the best. You don’t threaten your spouse to give you something because you had intimate relationship in the night, that is not why she/he should give you your request , it is because he/ she loves you and married you in the first place .
This is why God answers our prayer ;
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you”John 15:16.
What the Holy Spirit Taught me this morning is that our approach to God in issues of prayer will go a long way to whether your prayer will be answered or not. If you are praying and your prayers are not answered check your
“ Attitudometer” ( my coinage)
Check whether you are arrogant in heart
Check whether you are really a child of God?
Check whether you are abiding in him
Check whether you are asking rightly or wrongly.
Check whether you have a repentant heart.
Check whether you have a humble heart.
Check whether you really know God or you just know about him.
Check whether you have a relationship with him or you are just in the crowd?
Do you really love God? Or you love what is in God’s hands!
Check whether you want to use God as a means to achieve a purpose.
God says check these 7 things :
“These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,A lying tongue,Hands that shed innocent blood,A heart that devises wicked plans,Feet that are swift in running to evil,A false witness who speaks lies,And one who sows discord among brethren.” Prov 6:16-17
I pray that God will help us to develop the right attitude towards him and then he shall answer your prayers speedily in Jesus name.
Shalom
