Quite Talks on Prayer: Breaking With God

If i am holding in my life that the Master does not like, I I am failing to obey when His voice has spoken, that to me is sin. It may be wrong in itself. It may not be wrong in itself. It may not be wrong for another. Sometimes it is not the thing involved but the One involved that makes the issue. If that faithful quite inner voice has spoken and I know what the Master would prefer and I fail to keep in line, that to me is sin. Then prayer is useless; sheer waste of breath. Aye, worse, it is deceptive. For I am apt to say or think, "Well, I am not as good as you, or you, but then I am not so bad; I pray." And the truth is because I have broken with God the praying--saying words in that form--is utterly worthless. You see sin is slapping God in the face. It may be polished, cultured sin. Sin seems capable of taking quite a high polish. Or it may be the common gutter stuff. A man is not concerned about the grain of a club that strikes him a blow. How can He and I talk together if I have done that, and stick to it--not even apologized. And what good is an apology if the offense is being repeated. And if we cannot talk together of course working together is out of the question. And prayer is pulling with God in His plan for a world. Shall we not put out the thing that is wrong? Or put in the thing the Master wants in? for Jesus sake? Aye for man's sake: poor befooled men's sake who are being kept out and away because God cannot get at them through us! Shall we bow and ask forgiveness for our sin, and petty stubborness that has been thwarting the Master's love-plan? And yet even while we ask forgiveness there are lives out yonder warped and dwarfed and worse because of hinderance in us; yes, and remaining so as we slip out of this meeting. May the fact send us out to walk very softly these coming days. (S. D. Gorden pgs. 70-72) Psalm 66:18 "If I regard iniqity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:" Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Father God, help me not to hold onto things that can and will cause any rift in my relationship with You, I am desperate for Your presence. Father, open my eyes, to anything that separates us in prayer, that I may ask Your forgiveness and once again hear Your voice clearly. Amen....