Walk in Self-Condemnation

An old family recipe for powerless prayer has a very simple ingredient: self-condemnation. Contrary to what some might believe, it has nothing to do with repentance, nor does it glorify God. Furthermore, it keeps you in the driver’s seat. It runs contrary to what Jesus said was required to come after Him.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
Part of denying the self includes not inserting yourself into places where you do not belong. It’s never been our position to condemn anyone, including ourself.
1 Corinthians 4:3-5 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, Who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
When entering into self-condemnation, one tends to reject mercy, and by extension God’s forgiveness offered them through the precious Blood of Jesus. Of course, many condemn themselves, because they haven’t forgiven themselves. From that standpoint, it is hard for them to imagine God forgiving them, since they can’t seem to do it, themselves. “I don’t know how He could forgive me.” How much confidence do you think they have in God hearing their prayers?
1 John 3:20-21 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

Repentance Removes Self-Condemnation

When persons do not truly repent, they may employ self-condemnation, especially if they plan to continue in the wrong direction. They use it like self-flagellation, in order to feel better about things. In order to save face before others, they’ll verbalize the self-condemnations, so others will not condemn them -at least not verbalize it to them. They’re still in control.
Repentance is concerned with the way God see things, and how He would want us to address sin, or anything else for that matter. It means to change the way one thinks, which in turn leads to a change in behavior. Repentance includes confession, which is full on agreement with God to include His view on our shortcomings. In addition, it seeks to change direction on His terms. What are His terms?
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (see also Acts 3:19-20).
Repent, confess your sins, receive His forgiveness, learn whatever lesson needs to be learned, and move on. We cannot glorify God by condemning ourselves, while living in the past. Rather, glorifying Him includes pressing forward to the mark of your high calling, and being conformed to the image of Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (see all of Philippians 3).
If you want to makes things up to God, do things His way. His ways do not include self-condemnation.

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What do You Believe About Your Prayers?

Have you ever found yourself seeking the prayers of others, because you felt as if yours didn’t go anywhere? Do you still feel that way? Some carry a misconception about righteousness, especially when it pertains to their self. They don’t feel righteousness enough for their prayers to be heard. Many of them pray to become “better Christians”; even though, there’s no such thing.

Some carry the belief that only certain saints have the ear of God, because they’ve been walking with Him for a long time. Granted some do have a more intimate relationship with Him than others, but does that make them more qualified? Naturally, the closer you feel to Him, the more confident you may be when it comes to prayer.

If you lack that confidence, would you like to have it? In a sense, God only limits those who limit Him. Everyone is welcome to get as a close to Him as they would like. If you decide to keep Him at arm’s length, that’s all the closer He’ll come to you. If you want to go deep with Him, He will go deep with You. Remember one thing: if you truly received Jesus Christ, He lives in you through Holy Spirit. That’s pretty darn intimate. That being said, He limits Himself to the degree you want to go in the relationship.

The Truth About Righteousness

To make things simple, your righteousness is based on your relationship with Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

When you received Jesus by faith, you also received His righteousness. Unfortunately, many have been bamboozled into believing it’s some sort of faith plus works equation, with the emphasis on works. Moreover, some are moved by their emotions, and base the credibility of their prayers on how they feel in the moment. But, what does the Word say?

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference.

Clearly, we cannot hope to obtain, or maintain righteousness by our own deeds. Righteousness along with its works are the result of faith. Chasing after them is a form of bondage, and as long as you believe you have to obtain it for yourself, you’ll fall short (see Romans 3:23).

The Secret to Answered Prayer

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.

As stated, when we pray according to the will of God, He hears us. And if He hears us, we have the requests we desire of Him. In Matthew 6:10, Jesus taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.” A big part of answered prayer is humility. We don’t insist on having things our way; we seek His.

Scripture reveals a surefire way to unanswered prayers is to filter them through selfish lusts (see James 4:1-5). Chances are the more selfish one is, the less confident he or she will be in prayer. Faith works by love (see Galatians 5:6), and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Walk in love, and you’ll find prayer flourishing in faith. If you’re in Jesus, you have powerful prayers. You simply need to believe!

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Why is 2 Chronicles 7:14 (If My People) Often Quoted During a National Crises?

   2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

   How often have you seen this passage of Scripture appear on billboards, banners and lawn signs when there is some sort of national emergency? Perhaps, you’ve quoted it yourself. Why do people post and quote it? What is their commitment level? Are they seeking true repentance, or are they merely looking to be rescued?

   Before going further, this is not intended to call anyone’s character into question. The idea is to connect to the heart of God, and come into alignment with His calling.

   When talking about commitment level, this addresses a number of areas. Here’s one: are people thinking in terms of temporal earthly matters, or that of the Kingdom of God? Something to consider as we dive into this study.

Who are His People (If My People)?

   This one may seem obvious, and it is, but if you are thinking from a national perspective, it may be easy to misapply this verse. It began with the nation of Israel, or the Jewish people in particular. Of course, it also applies to Christians, since we as Gentiles were grafted into the good Vine through Jesus Christ (Romans 11). However, not everyone who lived in Israel was Jewish, just as not everyone in a particular country is a Christian.

   The call goes out to those who are His, in a nation. This gives us hope, in terms of seeing the land healed. That means it doesn’t require an entire nation humbling itself for changes to take place, just those who belong to Him. Of course, the more committed believers are to the Kingdom, the more a nation will be filled with disciples. At the same time, the Lord does bless His own, even if the rest of a nation is suffering hardship. We’ve also seen in the Bible where God has used His people to stave off catastrophe from happening to non-believing individuals and nations. In fact, they were blessed because the people of God were in their midst.

 Now this is where it gets dicey. People talk about nations being judged, but what does the Lord say about judgment?

   1 Peter 4:17-19 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? and if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

   What affect does the Church have on nations? Think of it this way, only the disciples of Jesus Christ have power and authority over evil, not those of the world. What happens to a nation if His people were turn away from Him? Who is going to stand in the gap for that nation?

   Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace (reproach) to any people.

What Does Humble Themselves Mean?

   Jesus said it best: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24).

   Humility means absolute surrender: both knees bowed completely, not just one. It means we stop insisting on having things our way. How many stop following Jesus when things don’t go their way? How many give God the cold shoulder when He doesn’t perform to their liking? Maybe they forget they’re bought with a Price, and they’re not their own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 7:23). And yes, He’s God and they’re not! Be encouraged to study Matthew 16:24 in depth, and let it speak to your heart.

   If we have truly humbled ourselves, wouldn’t the Body of Christ be undivided? Why are so many Christians attacking each other? When believers act in malice, publicly ridiculing those with whom they disagree, they play into the devil’s hands. There is a biblical way to address any differences we may have. Being a keyboard warrior on social media is not one of them. We are called to be one, and yes that means loving one another (read John 17:20-26). One sign of true repentance is love.

   Ephesians 4:1-3 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

What Does It Mean to Pray?

   This ties in with humility. Christianity 101 says, pray according to the will of our Father. Jesus revealed this to us in The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). Ask Him to show you what is His will as you pray. Submit to Holy Spirit, and let Him lead you. It can prove quite frustrating if one prays contrary to His will, which is why it is important to seek His wisdom first.

   1 John 5:14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

What Does It Mean to Seek His Face?

   There is a vast difference between seeking something from God and seeking His face. This is searching for Him, not getting something from Him. It means both to crave Him, and craving to worship Him. It’s a call to intimacy. When our thoughts and actions flow out love and relationship with Him, we do things out of purity. Seeking His face also means seeking to be in agreement with Him.

   Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a Rewarder of those who seek Him.

What Does He Mean by Turn From Their Wicked Ways?

   I thought we were under grace? Am I not forgiven through Jesus Christ? Fair question. Has the Lord been dealing with you about an issue? What have you done about it? Has He asked you to stop doing something? Did you treat it as a command, or a suggestion? Maybe He’s been asking you to do something, like forgive someone. Have you done it? Are you doing things you know full well are contrary to His Word? Grace doesn’t give us the right to ignore what God is saying to us, much less sin.

   How can anyone say they are a disciple of Jesus Christ when they know full well, they’re in rebellion. We’re not talking about struggling with something; we’re talking an absolute refusal to acquiesce to His desires. Are we willing to see or hear what He wants to reveal to us? By the way, this does affect prayer.  

And Forgive Their Sins

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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