Bible Reading: Psalm 65-67; Romans 2.
Memory Verse: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me :” Psalm 66:18 (KJV)
God is just and willing to provide solutions to our various challenges. But a number of times, we hinder the solutions we so much crave for. Romans 8:31 (KJV) says, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” Certainly, the devil cannot hinder you but you can hinder yourself. God is holy and cannot behold iniquity ( Habakkuk 1:13) and so if you engage in any wickedness, then you literally put a barrier between yourself and God and He can no longer hear your cries.
God is for you but also expects you to live in accordance with His standard. If you are short of that and you do not ask him for forgiveness, that remains outstanding against you and you cannot expect Him to come to your aid in your time of need. That is why the Bible says in Psalm 66:18 (KJV), “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” It is pertinent to note that you do not have to commit any wickedness to inhibit your peace. Once you conceive it in your mind and determine to do it, even when you have not done it, it has become a hindrance to having divine solutions to your challenges. However there is a way out; you need to solemnly repent of such wickedness and ask for mercy of God and you will be given a clean slate and you can confidently present your petition to God and He will hear you.
But remember, God is not a man, you cannot pretend to Him as He knows your inner heart. So if you harbour wickedness against anyone, it is time to repent so that you do not end up paying a higher price for it. It is also important to note that your evil plan could be justifiable to you because the target person had offended you and you decide to avenge yourself. Such a plan will have bitterness at its root in you and bitterness cannot allow you to access God thus depriving you of your blessings or solutions! This was the case with a woman whose husband eloped with another woman leaving her to cope and nurture all their children all by herself. She was bitter because of the hardship she went through and decided not to forgive her husband. Later in life she had cancer and she was dying. She then went to a Pastor to pray for her; At the point of prayer, God revealed to the Pastor that she needed to forgive someone who had offended her and she was harboring bitterness against before she could be healed. Though she resisted the forgiveness initially, she finally forgave the man and without additional prayer, she was made whole!
Are you harboring a grudge against anyone, please forgive him/her now so that you can access your solutions and have a better life and relationship with your maker.
Prayer point: Father search my heart and reveal any iniquity I may harbor against anyone and give me the grace to genuinely repent of it in Jesus Christ’s name.
Bro. Biodun Oyapero