LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Saturday 12th February 2022
PRAYING WITHOUT WRATH AND DOUBTING
Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 2
I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 1 Timothy 2:8
Our attitudes and actions affect how God responds to our prayer. The Lord Jesus clearly taught that unforgiveness and bitterness are stumbling blocks to answered prayer. He also taught that praying with doubt in our hearts impacts on the efficacy of our prayers. Broken human relationships affect our relationship with God.
• Pray without wrath. We must not allow our anger against people to become the basis for our prayer points. We cannot present the Lord with vengeful requests against others and expect to have such prayers answered. The wrath of man does not work out the righteousness of God.
• Pray without disputing. Another word for ‘doubting’ is ‘disputing’ – or holding different opinions. The passage has in mind those who have disputes with others which they seek to settle with prayer. They pray to present a quarrel. We are admonished not to pray such prayers.
The Lord wants His church to pray in unity. He told us when two of us agree in prayer on earth, He will respond in heaven. We forfeit this benefit when we permit hurts and differences to dictate what we pray to the Lord and how we pray to Him.
As much as is possible with us, we must endeavour to walk in unity with other Christians, even if they belong to different churches. Of course, when people depart from the core of the Christian faith, we must caution them, when we engage with them.
However, when it comes to prayer, we must not come before the Lord with wrath in our hearts or with a quarrelsome attitude.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, let the lifting up my hands be as a sweet and holy fragrance before you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
