Letting God Direct Your Mind
Our thinking, our minds, is constantly in a battle, thinking good and bad. The "battle of the mind" may come about by the state of our heart. The battle will always be there, but we have the control of which way our thoughts are going to go. "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matthew 6:21. In order to let God direct our minds we must first of all think on the right things. The Apostle Paul giving instructions to the Philippian Christians gave this advice, "finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8. What we think on is what we feed on. "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."
"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things, which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands defile not a man." Matthew 15:18-20. Jesus was always telling people to clean up the inside. Inside us become the issues of life. So if the inside is clean, then we look for and practice the things that make for a good life. We don't have the power within ourselves to change, but God does, and He will if only we let Him.
- UNJUDGED INIQUITY
"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" Ps. 66:18; Isa. 1:15:Prov. 15:29.
"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have bid his face from you, that he will not hear" Isa. 59:1. 2. - UNBELIEF
"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed" James 1:6; Matt. 21:22; Heb. 11:6. - LOVE OF PLEASURE
"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" James 4:3; II Tim. 3:4, 5. - PRIDE
"There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men" Job 35:12; Ps. 138:6; James 4:6. - INDIFFERENCE
"And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times" II Kings 13:18, 19; Luke 11:5-9; 18:1-7. - AN UNFORGIVING SPIRIT
"And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any" Mark 11:25. 26; Eph. 4:32. - NEGLECT OF GOD'S WORD
"He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination" Prov. 28:9.
"Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered" I Peter 3:7.
WHY PRAYER IS NOT HEARD