Comments on: James 1:7 http://versebyversecommentary.com/james/james-17/ by Dr. Grant C. Richison Thu, 24 May 2012 18:49:14 +0000 hourly 1 By: Grant http://versebyversecommentary.com/james/james-17/comment-page-1/#comment-117349 Grant Thu, 10 May 2012 13:16:23 +0000 http://versebyversecommentary.com/2000/07/14/james-17/#comment-117349 <p>Susan, I am encouraged by your words as well.</p> Susan, I am encouraged by your words as well.

]]> By: Susan http://versebyversecommentary.com/james/james-17/comment-page-1/#comment-117346 Susan Thu, 10 May 2012 04:24:53 +0000 http://versebyversecommentary.com/2000/07/14/james-17/#comment-117346 I appreciate this commentary.  I often find answers and encouragement here. I appreciate this commentary.  I often find answers and encouragement here.

]]> By: Grant http://versebyversecommentary.com/james/james-17/comment-page-1/#comment-115616 Grant Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:17:59 +0000 http://versebyversecommentary.com/2000/07/14/james-17/#comment-115616 Carlos, God will hear our prayer if we confess our sin but He won’t if we don’t. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: (Ps 66:18). Sin unconfessed and unforgiven hinders prayer. This is not to suggest that God demands sinless perfection from us before He answers our prayers. If that were the case, none of us would have our requests granted. But we do know that sin in a believer's life breaks sweet fellowship between himself and God. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Pr 28:13). “Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear” (Is 59:1-2). New Testament confession of sins: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). After David's disastrous fall into sin, he was cut off from fellowship with God. He had no liberty to pray or to worship God (Ps 51, where David became convicted of his sin). He learned that it was useless to masquerade as if he were in fellowship with God. He came to God with an honest confession of his evil thoughts and deeds. Then David was in a position to pray. We cannot both sin and pray simultaneously. True prayer will prevent us from sinning, or sin will prevent us from praying. 1. Prayer does not depend on manufactured righteousness. 2. Prayer is not based on human power, human merit, or human thinking. Instead, the effectiveness of our prayer life relates directly to our appropriation of God's grace provision. This means that there is never a prayer that is answered on the merit system. 3. Since grace is the principle of prayer, no believer can petition for himself or make intercession on the basis of human merit, ability, morality, production, service, or spiritual gift. 4. Every believer approaches the throne of grace on the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ who is our great High Priest. Carlos, God will hear our prayer if we confess our sin but He won’t if we don’t. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: (Ps 66:18). Sin unconfessed and unforgiven hinders prayer.
This is not to suggest that God demands sinless perfection from us before He answers our prayers. If that were the case, none of us would have our requests granted. But we do know that sin in a believer’s life breaks sweet fellowship between himself and God. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Pr 28:13).
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear” (Is 59:1-2).
New Testament confession of sins: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9).
After David’s disastrous fall into sin, he was cut off from fellowship with God. He had no liberty to pray or to worship God (Ps 51, where David became convicted of his sin). He learned that it was useless to masquerade as if he were in fellowship with God. He came to God with an honest confession of his evil thoughts and deeds. Then David was in a position to pray.
We cannot both sin and pray simultaneously. True prayer will prevent us from sinning, or sin will prevent us from praying.

1. Prayer does not depend on manufactured righteousness.

2. Prayer is not based on human power, human merit, or human thinking. Instead, the effectiveness of our prayer life relates directly to our appropriation of God’s grace provision. This means that there is never a prayer that is answered on the merit system.

3. Since grace is the principle of prayer, no believer can petition for himself or make intercession on the basis of human merit, ability, morality, production, service, or spiritual gift.

4. Every believer approaches the throne of grace on the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ who is our great High Priest.

]]> By: carlos http://versebyversecommentary.com/james/james-17/comment-page-1/#comment-115615 carlos Sat, 05 Nov 2011 07:45:20 +0000 http://versebyversecommentary.com/2000/07/14/james-17/#comment-115615 Must I be free of sin to ask something of God? If so, then I can't. I sin every day. Just asking. Must I be free of sin to ask something of God? If so, then I can’t. I sin every day. Just asking.

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