Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save,
nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated
you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
so that he will not hear.—Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV)
Dear LORD God,
Help me to listen to Your Word, follow Your commands, and turn and run away from sin, so that I can fully experience the joy and peace that comes from being in Your presence, and I can be confident that You will hear me and answer when I pray.
Thank You, that no matter
how far I stray from You, Your arm is never too short to reach me where I am,
and draw me back to the safety of fellowship with You.
Thank You, that no matter
where I find myself, you will hear me—if I turn my back on my sin and call to
You in true repentance. And You are
ever-faithful to forgive me of my sin and restore to me the joy of my
salvation.
Help me not to forget that
it is my iniquities—my sins—that have separated me from You—that
I am the one who has walked away from
You.
And how foolish I am to expect
that You would hear my prayers and answer me, if I don’t first listen to You
and respond to the love that You first showed me—with obedience!
So, give me a listening
ear and an obedient heart, so I might never leave the safety of Your powerful presence,
or the joy and peace that come from having intimate fellowship with You—my LORD God, the
Creator and the Sustainer of my life.
Help me to listen to Your Word, follow Your commands, and turn and run away from sin, so that I can fully experience the joy and peace that comes from being in Your presence, and I can be confident that You will hear me and answer when I pray.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
A great follow-up to Pastor Ken's message on Wednesday evening.
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