Thursday, July 15, 2021

Guilty Conscience Hinders Prayers

I welcome you again to another PNUR Day of general fasting and prayers for the PNUR family all over the world. Don’t forget that prayer is the opportunity that God has given to you to say something about all the arguments going on in the spirit and physical concerning your life and destiny. To fail to pray at this time is to surrender yourself to the will and decisions of your enemies. It is suicide and I pray that you will not be guilty of such serious sin.

Today, we have a popular bible story but we will look at from a totally different perspective as the Lord will guide us 

Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven." The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, "Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God Luke 5:18-25NIV

It is important that you observe that it was not the faith of the sick man that the Lord saw but the faith of those who carried him to the venue of the healing service. In this we can learn that we can support the failing faith of our loved ones. We can support the faith of our spouse if it is failing; we can support the faith of our children or our parents. Let me add that we can support the faith of our religious leaders. One time even the Lord Jesus Christ asked for this kind of support from His disciples but they could not offer it but resorted to falling asleep.

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter Matt 26:40NIV

The next thing we can see here is that we may be very sincere in our efforts to assist someone but our efforts will not bear fruit unless we discover the root of the problem. The men that brought in the sick man had worked tirelessly carrying their friend from place to place in their search for healing; of course this involved time and money. We can see that even though they had faith that penetrated every wall of obstacles but until the root of the problem was discovered, the faith was fruitless. If you asked them before then, they will tell you that the problem was that their friend was paralyzed. All efforts was directed on how to make their friend walk again. I have seen this kind of thing many times and we cannot overemphasize the need that we should be able to hear from the Holy Spirit in our time of intense prayers. Many pray intensely but for the wrong thing or faced in the wrong direction

Thirdly, the Lord Jesus Christ was able to get the man healed because he could identify the man’s real problem. The man’s problem was guilty conscience. He had gotten into some kind of sin and I believe that he was sorry about this sin and have even prayed for forgiveness of this sin but his conscience kept condemning him. That state of mind was the obstacle to his healing. Whereas people gave medicine for paralysis, he was sick of a different ailment called guilty conscience. Whereas people prayed for healing of his body he wished his soul could be healed first

I want to believe that none among his friends could have thought of guilty conscience as a serious problem that could keep a godly man paralyzed for so long but I can boldly say out of years of experience in the deliverance ministry, that God fearing people are the main victims of this problem. 

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water Heb 10:22NIV

Take note that the sincere heart is the one asked to apply the blood of Jesus Christ for cleansing of his conscience. Take note also that the same scripture tells us to draw near to God in full assurance of faith while still applying the blood of Jesus Christ on our guilty consciences.

There are many who are still paralyzed and stagnated not because they did something wrong but because the devil convinced them that they have done wrong. In this state he or she is busy with asking for forgiveness instead of standing up to claim his kingdom inheritance. There are some whose sin have long been forgiven but the guilty conscience and the devil have taken a harmful grip on their soul to insist that God has not forgiven. The challenge however is that their faith will still pass through the same channel of their thoughts to take hold of God’s promises. Until this obstacle is taken away, no amount of prayer or anointing can effect a change. Since guilty conscience blocks the access, they are not able to have the required faith that can gain them the desired miracle. It is not that God has refused to heal them but rather that they are not able to receive the healing. It is not that God has refused to answer their prayers but rather that even at the source of the desired miracles, they are not able to appropriate the miracles to themselves.

I have seen some who could not just receive the in-filling of the Holy Spirit in a highly anointed service. I have often wondered why this brother or sister cannot just connect like every other person. It could be a healing service like the one the Lord Jesus Christ had here but this sister is just sitting down there. People got healed from the right to the left, front and back but she is not getting healed. It could be a breakthrough service and that is required is to accept a word from my mouth but they are not able to do so. They keep asking one question after another and no amount answers seems to help them because their struggle is deeper than eyes can see

You can now understand why the Lord Jesus Christ turned His attention to the man’s soul instead of the area everyone else was focused. Take note and see how this offends religious people. The spirit of religion is the principal beneficiary of the services of guilty conscience. In fact, religious people suffer more from guilty conscience. See how they immediately questioned His right to forgive the sinner. Note also that they did not say this out. They complained and grumbled at the same location that guilty conscience grips them; in their hearts.

We can only thank God that the Lord could hear our hearts and consciences. The same way he could hear the conscience of the sick man, he could hear the accusation of his silent accusers. Let us take note also that words said in our hearts are as effective as those said with our tongues. The Lord Jesus Christ heard them as if they spoke with their mouth. Today, if you find yourself where you can’t pray out loud, still pray all the same because the Lord will hear you.

The Pharisees were as much prisoners to guilty conscience as the sick man but they never saw their guilty consciences as a problem, so the Lord left them with their diseases. The man who saw it as a problem was healed. Who knows the many ailments and challenges that could have been healed if only they called it a problem? Let me invite you not to be like those religious people who are only focused on other people’s religion while ignoring their very needs. I encourage you not to focus on the soundness of my theology but to tune in to the atmosphere of the Holy Spirit and pray like you have a need.

Today, I invite you to accept the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ over your souls as we pray on. Just understand that satan is the accuser of the brethren and will continue to bring charges against every child of God. Whether you once committed the sin or not is not the issue. The Lord Jesus Christ knew that you won’t be able to pay for your sin, and that was why He laid down his life on the Cross of Calvary for your redemption. Once you confess that sin, believe God’s word for your forgiveness  

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9-10NIV

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Prov 28:13NIV

Once you confess those sins, believe God’s word, God has heard you and has forgiven you. But most times our conscience will not accept this.

This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything 1 John 3:19-20NIV

Satan is also known as the accuser of the children of God and will raise charges against us before God. He will also send dreams that condemn us; he may send it to us or through those who claim to be super-saints and it is sad that some that preacher the gospel cannot hear anything besides judgment against our sins. We are encouraged to hold to what God has said about us because God is greater than our hearts, satan and the voices of our accusers.

In conclusion, as we pray today, hold up the power in the blood of Jesus Christ. Let the devil and your conscience know that you have made peace with God and that God has not committed your sentence to another but the Lord Jesus Christ who Himself has died for your sins to bring you closer to God

Bind every voice of the accuser and silence the powers of darkness that want to take advantage of your ignorance. 

Say this out loud - “Jesus Christ has paid my bills and I am free from all charges of past and present sin. Therefore I can now stand before God in confidence to pray”.

I recommend that you use the Prayer Collection of the Power and Authority of the Blood of Jesus Christ. 

Ask from my office if you don’t have it

You know I am praying for you

Emma your brother pnurnigeria@gmail.com

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