“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?”—Ezekiel 14:3

I find it interesting that the first two of the Ten Commandments deal with the issue of other gods. The first commandment says, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3), while the second commandment says, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (verse 4).

Idols in our hearts can cause God to refuse to listen to our prayers. An idol is anything (or anyone) that takes the place of God in our lives. Clearly it can be a sinful thing. But it also can be a seemingly good thing. For example, we can make an idol out of a career. There is nothing wrong with a career, but if it is more important than God, then it has become an idol. We can make an idol out of a relationship or out of a husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend. If they are more important than God, then they have become idols. We can make an idol out of money. We can make an idol out of a possession. We can make an idol out of just about anything. And if we have idols in our hearts, then God will not hear us.

Continue reading Greg Laurie – Idols in Our Hearts →

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. —Hebrews 11:6

Sometimes our prayers are not answered in the affirmative because we simply do not believe. Jesus could do no mighty works in His hometown because of unbelief (see Matthew 13:58). Scripture tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Unbelief can hinder our prayers. When we think, Well, I don’t really believe this can happen, then we have essentially canceled our own prayer. To not believe what God’s Word says is true is to effectively call God a liar. James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord” (James 1:5–7).

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If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. —Psalm 66:18

Not only does praying with a selfish motive hinder our prayers, but unconfessed sin can thwart them as well. Isaiah 59:1–2 says, “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.”

Unconfessed sin in our lives will stop our prayers from being answered. The psalmist wrote, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Psalm 66:18). We can pray with passion. We can pray with faith. We can pray with all of the gusto we have. But if there is an area in our lives that is not right before God, then our prayers will not be heard.

When we come to God with sin in our lives, God effectively says, “If you want fellowship with Me, if you want to have communion with Me, then you need to repent of that sin. You can’t live in that life and then live My life.” Unconfessed sin will hinder our prayers.

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“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”—1 Peter 4:10

Every follower of Jesus has been given certain gifts and abilities.

Perhaps you have been blessed with musical or artistic talent. Then again, you may be good at crunching numbers or building things.

One person may be a great visionary, but not very good with the practical. Another may be a detail person who is not big on vision.

I encourage you to discover your talents and gifts, cultivate them to their fullest, and use them for God’s glory!

Scripture tells us to “not neglect the spiritual gift you received” (1 Timothy 4:14 NLT); we are to keep our gifts in use, not collecting dust.

Continue reading Greg Laurie – Ready to Join the Circus Parade? →

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.—Revelation 5:8

Have you ever prayed for something that seemed to take a long time for God to answer? Or, have you ever prayed for something, and the answer came so quickly that it almost scared you? Sometimes we don’t believe our prayers can be answered so quickly.

In chapter 12 of the book of Acts, James the apostle had been beheaded, and Peter had been arrested by Herod. Then we read that “constant prayer was offered to God for [Peter] by the church” (verse 5). God immediately answered that prayer, sent an angel into the prison, and the doors literally opened for Peter to walk out of jail.

Then Peter went to the house where the church was presumably praying for his deliverance. Peter knocked at the door, a girl named Rhoda answered, and seeing it was the answer to their prayers, she went back to the men of God to tell them that Peter was at the door.

“Guys . . .”

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So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.—Genesis 5:23–24

Did you know it’s possible to pray the most beautiful, eloquent prayer ever prayed and not have it go any higher than the ceiling?

Sometimes we are filled with sin. Maybe it’s unforgiveness, or maybe it’s a sin we have never confessed. But that sin is like a barrier between God and us. It is like being on a phone call with God and having the battery go dead.

Maybe you’ve allowed some sin to work its way into your life, and it has brought your prayer life to a halt. If you want to reconnect with God again, then you will need to confess your sin. The Bible tells us that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Continue reading Greg Laurie – An Ongoing Conversation →

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.—Ephesians 4:32

If you’re someone who holds grudges, if you keep score and can’t let things go, then you need to know something: You will suffer in life. You also will see your prayer life come to a screeching halt.

Forgiveness is the key to all healthy, strong, and lasting relationships. That’s why we must realize how important it is to forgive. Jesus said, “So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God” (Matthew 5:23–24).

Maybe you’ve decided that you won’t forgive someone who has wronged you. Guess who will be the one to get hurt? You will. Harboring resentment and unforgiveness will hurt you more than the person you’re refusing to forgive. If you want to be healthy and vibrant spiritually, then you must learn to forgive.

Continue reading Greg Laurie – How Unforgiveness Hurts You →

“In this manner, therefore, pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ “—Matthew 6:9–10

If you want God to say yes to your prayers, then you must pray according to the will of God. Jesus modeled this for us when He taught us to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10).

Yet some people teach the opposite. They say that when you pray, you are to tell God what you want and ask for it by faith. You are to speak it into existence and not doubt. I’ve heard one teacher say, “Don’t ever pray, ‘Not my will, but Yours be done.” But those who hold that view are mistaken.

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Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart.—Luke 18:1

Why should we pray? The simple answer is because Jesus told us to. Jesus himself was a model of prayer. He was always praying.

In the Garden of Gethsemane as Jesus contemplated the horrors of the cross, He prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39).

On the cross, Jesus prayed for His enemies, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).

Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, we read that He lifted up His eyes to heaven and prayed (see John 11:41–42).

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The wicked run away when no one is chasing them, but the godly are as bold as lions. —Proverbs 28:1

Although she was chosen by King Xerxes to become the queen, Esther was not some vain girl who liked to stare at herself in the mirror. Esther resolved to stand up for the salvation of her people, the Jews. We have to admire her bravery as she approached the king, uninvited—at the risk of losing her life.

In a way, we all have our own king, of sorts, whom we have to deal with. It might be a boss. It might be a husband who doesn’t know the Lord. Maybe it is a Christian friend who is compromising. Maybe it’s someone who needs to hear the gospel.

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Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride. —Ecclesiastes 7:8

The Bible is filled with stories of people who started well but finished horribly, like King Saul and Samson. Then there are those who started poorly but finished well.

Think of Nicodemus, whom we read about in John 3. He was just a guy coming to Jesus at night with some questions. There is no indication that he was a believer at that point. But at the end of the Gospel narrative, after Christ had been crucified, who stepped forward publicly, along with Joseph of Arimathea, and asked for Jesus’ body to give Him a proper burial? It was Nicodemus the Pharisee. Maybe he didn’t start all that well, but he ended very well.

The same could be said of Esther. We can argue as to whether Esther should have been upfront from the beginning about being a Jew when she was chosen by King Xerxes to be the new queen. But if the king knew she was a Jew, maybe he never would have married her. And if he hadn’t married her, maybe she wouldn’t have been in a position to save a nation. But even if Esther made a mistake initially, even if she compromised, even if she may not have started all that well, she finished very well.

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Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church. —Acts 12:5

Acts 12 opens with a bleak scenario. James has been executed, and Peter has been arrested by King Herod. He was going to be killed next. But then we read that “constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (verse 5). The church took this seriously and began to pray. So God sent an angel to deliver Peter from prison, and the story has a happy ending.

Then as Acts 12 closes, King Herod, who orchestrated these events, was giving a great speech, and the people began to cry out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” (verse 22). God judged Herod and killed him on the spot.

Continue reading Greg Laurie – When Things Look Bleak →