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Over the past year, there has been many calls and requests for the people of God to pray for peace - peace in the world, in the nation, for the deliverance of those suffering from poverty, famine, and especially those who are suffering terrible persecution.

Hopefully, these prayers will continue. They must continue and be answered for there to be genuine hope for the nation and the world.

There is reason to be hopeful. Hope is one of the gifts of grace given to Christians in every era. Hope is one of the gifts of grace given to the people of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). As Paul expresses it, I hope that hope abides.

There is one reason for concern entwined in the issue of praying for peace and deliverance. Certainly we must hope and pray unceasing for world peace. But there is a condition that God makes in this regard, if He is to hear our prayers and intervene.

Notice: "Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened at all, that it cannot save, nor His ear dull with deafness, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness." (Isaiah 59:1-3)

God and Jesus Christ are "the same, yesterday, today, and tomorrow". We who pray for peace in the nation and the world will be heard in proportion to the spiritual condition of all of us who are praying. If we are not right with Him, he will not hear us. Not only will those for whom we pray suffer loss, but so will those of us who pray for them because of our spiritual condition.

If our spiritual house is not in order, how can our prayers for others be heard by God? God does not double-deal. He is not partial. If our heart and life is not right with Him, how could He respond to our requests? Are those of us who pray for others, doing the same - at least in spirit in our daily living? (isaiah 59:4-7)

Let us be sure that our spiritual house is in order; may our hearts be filled with empathy and the love of Christ as we reach out in prayer for a world that seems to be coming apart at the seams. If we who pray are right with God, walking daily with Jesus Christ, perhaps He will intervene, and deliver and prevent what seems to be a collision course of disaster.

If we who claim to know God are not clean in His sight, our prayers will not go above the ceiling. But if we are right with Him, all things are possible.

Now let us pray!

"The way of peace they know not, and there is no justice or right in their goings. They have made them into crooked paths; whoever goes in them does not know peace. Therefore are justice and right far from us, and righteousness and salvation do not overtake us. We expectantly wait for light, but [only] see darkness; for brightness, but we walk in obscurity and gloom." (Isaiah 59:8)

"Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life" from Tom Kelley

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