When there is a departure from the relationship with God, the effectiveness of prayer goes with it.
Some start out strong in their prayer life, even when they don’t feel like they know what they’re doing. The new found relationship with God fills their senses and fuels the desire to pray. It seems every prayer they pray gets answered almost as fast as they think to pray. Later, something happens to the relationship and the fervor for prayer dissipates. The confidence they once held that the Father listens to His well-loved child is gone. Prayer becomes an exercise or a last resort, but with limited returns.
Others never experienced the satisfaction of fervent prayer, much less effective prayer because they never entered into the relationship unreservedly. Oh, they might have dipped their toes in the water, but they never made the plunge into the deep. Religion best describes their relationship with God, which is no relationship at all. Their prayer life is nothing more than regurgitated religious jargon. Where is their heart?
Hosea 7:10-16 is a strong indictment against Israel and Ephraim (see below). There are some lessons to be learned here. Sometimes, as an act of kindness (yes, kindness), God will allow circumstances to invade people’s lives in order to bring them back to Himself. It not only provides opportunity for repentance; it also provides for a relationship to be established or reestablished with God. Unfortunately, a number are more interested in deliverance from their problems than they are in changing the way they think which first led them to their circumstances. They do not consider the prospect of resting in the position of a well-loved child. The Lord does more for His people by working through the relationship than if He simply waved a magic wand to fix everything. Sadly, some prefer the wand over the relationship. In a crises, if we allow Him, Abba (Daddy) will take us by the hand and lead us through our struggle.
Ironically, if people took the time to really get to know God on a personal level, they would find deliverance comes much faster. Regardless of the length of the trial, His presence brings fullness of joy and peace. If they leaned on His understanding instead of their own, a lot of hardships would have been avoided. Does that mean there will never be trials if you walk with the Lord? Sorry, trials do come, but so does the victory.
So, why do you pray? Yes, we are told to pray, and prayer is indeed very good. However, shouldn’t prayer be the result of the relationship?
Hosea 7:10 – 16 And the pride of Israel testifies to his face: and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek Him for all this. 11. Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. 12. When they shall go, I will spread My net on them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation has heard. 13. Woe to them! for they have fled from Me: destruction to them! because they have transgressed against Me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against Me. 14. And they have not cried to Me with their heart, when they howled on their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against Me. 15. Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against Me. 16. They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
The Perfect Faith Podcast; Families from the Beginning with Dean & Lynn Wickert
