Common Prayers That Do Nothing

THE DAILY WORD
By Jim Seekamp

Tuesday August 25, 2009

I've heard many prayers over the years, and there are some that are very common that accomplish absolutely nothing.

Many times you'll hear someone pray for a Christian by saying, "Be with (person's name)"...

You might as well pray "twinkle twinkle little star". You'd accomplish the same thing... NOTHING!!

God already told us that He'd come to make His home in us:

John 14:23 (NIV)
23. Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

And He promised to NEVER leave us or forsake us:

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
5. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

So what sense does it make to ask God to "be with" a Christian??? He already IS!!!

Another meaningless prayer I've heard is often said in reverent, humble tones: "Create in me a clean heart, O God!"

That certainly SOUNDS scriptural, doesn't it? That's because it IS!!

Psalm 51:10 (KJV)
10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Unfortunately, that's an OLD TESTAMENT prayer that no longer applies to us believers in these New Testament times!!
God has ALREADY GIVEN us a clean heart when we were born again!!!

2 Corinthians 5:17,21 (NIV)
17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
21. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Ephesians 4:24 (NIV)
24. and to put on the NEW SELF, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

God has ALREADY GIVEN us a clean heart!! The old one was so "dirty" He had to give us brand new CLEAN ones, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness!! For a Christian to ask God to create in him a clean heart is to deny the work of the Holy Spirit in making you a born again new creation in Christ!!

PRAYER
Thank You Father for the Bible; Your Word to us. Help me remember to always stand on Your Word; avoiding all the vain religious prayers that people pray in ignorance of what Your Word says.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

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