Following a glorious victory at Jericho, the Israelites sent 3,000 men to defeat Ai, "...for the people of Ai are few." (Joshua 7:3) However, something went terribly wrong, for the heart of the people melted; and 36 perished as they fled from Ai. Joshua had an awful situation before him, but he knew what to do. After spending the day mourning with the elders of Israel, Joshua approached God in prayer. It's always good to pray, right?

Solomon penned "...to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven..." (Ecclesiastes 3:1) He did not say "...a time to pray, and a time to refrain from praying...", however, it appears that such a contrast does exist. Seeing Joshua collapsed before Him, the Lord said, "Get up! Why do you lie thus on your face?" (7:10) It was not the time for prayer, especially an uninformed prayer attributing evil to the Lord. "Israel has sinned..." (7:11) When sin is present; it is not time to fall down in prayer, but time to get up and abandon sin. Prayer must be preceded by repentance, else it falls upon death ears in heaven. Recall Simon the sorcerer, who desired to buy the gift of the Spirit? Peter commanded him, "Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity." (Acts 8:22-23) The door to the throne of grace is closed to the prayers of the rebellious, until such a time that repentance is sought.

Of the idolatrous elders who came to Ezekiel, the Lord asked, "Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?" (Ezekiel 14:3). We dare not expect God to receive us favourably if we will not serve Him faithfully. The Lord says "...anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself. I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 14:7-8) To arrogantly pray to the Lord while treasuring an idol is to invite the wrath of God upon ourselves. Thus, the Lord commands, "Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations." (Ezekiel 14:6)

Neither should we expect blessings from the Lord if we are not rendering faithful service before Him. In the days of Haggai, the Lord cautioned Israel, "Consider your ways! You have sown much and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes...Consider your ways!" (Haggai 1:5-7) It is folly to anticipate the Lord's careful attention and constant blessing while sin ensnares our life. The people had acted selfishly, building houses for themselves, while the temple lay in ruins (v 2-4). The solution to such a desparate situation is not to bow in prayer before the Lord, but to do the Lord's will, that we might be accepted by Him (v 8-15).

Isaiah warns, "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2) Let us conform our ways to the Lord, that His saving hand will reach us, and His merciful ear will hear us. Again, Isaiah writes, "When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doing from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. 'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the Lord, 'Though your sisn are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword', for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." (Isaiah 1:15-20)

Click here for this week's Answering The Atheist
Has any man entered heaven? Do John 3:13 and 2 Kings 2:11 contradict?