Having a Good Name

Pro 22:1 A [good] name [is] rather to be chosen than great riches, [and] loving favour rather than silver and gold. If I have my name on it, I insist on it being of good quality. If God puts His name on it, we must insist on not besmirching it. If you're redeemed, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Make up your mind to mortify the deeds of the flesh and live in fear of the Lord. The only way of insuring a good name. Choose it.

When Your Prayers Fail

Psa 66:18 says, If I regard iniquity in my heart,the Lord will not hear [me]. Often, we fail, often we sin. It is a wise thing to keep short accounts with our Heavenly Father. Christ taught the disciples to pray and in that prayer he reveals what our attitudes are to be towards the Almighty. An attitude of adoration and veneration and a surrendered humble servant confessing our sins and forgiving others. Until such devotion is rendered we cannot even begin to ask for our physical needs. Spurgeon comments on this verse in his "A Treasury of David": (On) Verse 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart. If, having seen it to be there, I continue to gaze upon it without aversion; if I cherish it, have a side glance of love toward it, excuse it, and palliate it; The Lord will not hear me. How can he? Can I desire him to connive at my sin, and accept me while I wilfully cling to any evil way? Nothing hinders prayer like iniquity harboured in the breast; as with Cain, so with us, sin lieth at the door, and blocks the passage. If thou listen to the devil, God will not listen to thee. If you refuse to hear God's commands, he will surely refuse to hear thy prayers. An imperfect petition God will hear for Christ's sake, but not one which is wilfully miswritten by a traitor's hand. For God to accept our devotions, while we are delighting in sin, would be to make himself the God of hypocrites, which is a fitter name for Satan than for the Holy One of Israel. Wise counsel indeed. Blessings.