Thursday, November 14, 2013
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Over the years I've been placed in positions where I was supposed to motivate people to do something. Obviously that word motivate comes from the same word as motion - get people moving in some area. And I have to say my greatest motivational challenges have not come with large groups or with small groups; well one small group especially - my family. How do you motivate two boys to clean their room? If someone ever wrote an effective book on this, oh I would have bought it. It could have been a best seller. I won't be writing it, so go ahead.
Now, you talk about trying to get some people moving? Somehow my sons developed a very high tolerance for mess. It would drive me crazy! I like to be able to see my floor. You know? They didn't care. I like to walk to my bed. They never minded climbing into theirs. There was one day of the year I could motivate them to bulldoze... I mean clean their room. It was the day before Christmas. See they were anxious to see what was in those presents under the tree, so I made a simple rule: No gifts are coming into this room until it is clean. Guess what? They got moving!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Waiting for a Clean Room."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from the life of Daniel; a man who God says was on His most respected list. He's called "highly esteemed" by God. And when you see how Daniel prayed, you'll see part of the reason why. We're in Daniel chapter 9 for our word for today from the Word of God, and Daniel's asking God for something only God could do. In this case, to restore Jerusalem and its temple. Maybe you've got one of those only God can do it things in your life right now. Well, listen to what happens.
Verse 20, "While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for His holy hill-while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I'd seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight, about the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me and said to me, 'Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding. As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you.'"
Now, there is in this passage a very important key to answered prayer. Notice how Daniel went about it. He said, "confessing my sin" first, and then he says, "then making my request." That's the kind of prayer we don't know much about. We request, but we don't repent first. Daniel's confessing here is specific, not general. If you go back through the prayer, he is talking about specific sins. It's intense repentance; it's not laid back, casual about my sin.
You may be wondering why your prayer doesn't seem to be getting through; why there seems to be no answer. Well, there could be several reasons. But this passage suggests one that is often overlooked. You could be sabotaging your own prayer by not cleaning your room. See, God cannot bless sin. So He says, "I want to give you some wonderful gifts, but I will not bring them into this messy room."
Right now there may be something you're thinking or saying or doing or not doing that's hurting God; you're disobeying God. David spelled out the effect of un-repented sin in Psalm 66:18 when he said, "If I regarded iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not hear me." The blessing can't get through because there's a sinful action or attitude that's blocking that pipeline from heaven. So, if things seem bogged down between you and heaven, dare to ask God "Is there something in my life that's keeping you from giving me your best?" Like David prayed in Psalm 139, "Search me, O God, know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me." Un-repented sin is the great saboteur of the supernatural.
Remember the biblical order for powerful praying; confessing my sin, making my request. If the answer you sought hasn't come, it could be that your Father is waiting for a clean room.