God Hears Our Prayers--Our Part

How should we pray so that God will hear?
(1) If we want God to hear us, then let us hear him. For 'he that turns away his ears from hearing the law, even his prayers shall be abominable' (Prov. 28:9). Is it not good reason for God not to hear us, when we will not hear him? 'Because I have called, and you have refused; when you are in misery, and will out of self-love cry to me to be delivered, then I will refuse to hear you' (Prov. 1:24, 25). Let all profane persons, that will not hear God, know a time will come, that though they cry and roar, yet he will not hear them.
(2) If we will have God hear our prayers, they must proceed from a broken heart. Prayers are the sacrifice of a broken spirit. David pleads with God, 'The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit' (Psa. 51:17). Bernard of Clairvaux said, 'I have led a life unbefitting me; but yet my comfort is, that a broken heart and a contrite spirit, Lord, you will not despise.' God will hear the prayers and tears of relenting hearts.
(3) To strengthen our prayers, we must add to them the wings of love, faith, hope, and earnestness. Oh! the prayers that have tears with them cannot go without a blessing.
(4) If we would have God to hear us, let us have a resolution and purpose of reformation. To this purpose David said, 'If I regard wickedness in my heart, God will not hear my prayer' (Psa. 66:18). If we come with a traitorous mind to God, with our sins in our arms, we must look for no acceptance from him. When a man comes to a king to put a petition to him, and comes with a dagger in his hand to stab him, will the king accept of this man's petition? Do we think that God will hear our prayers when we bring a dagger in our hand, to stab him with our sins? If we will not leave our sin, we shall never go away with a blessing.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Josiah's Reformation, pp. 126-28 [98-99]
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