By Dr. Peter Masters

Prayer is the ultimate form of communication. Operating in a spiritual zone or 'waveband' far beyond the reach of human technology, prayer can convey the faintest thought-waves across all known barriers and into the spiritual presence of man's Creator.

The great question is - how can anyone be sure that his or her prayers are heard by God?

Along the highways of the USA there are numerous road signs carrying words such as: 'Channel 9 monitored'. If your car is fitted with a Citizens' Band transmitter-receiver you can take advantage of the fact that the local police department has someone listening-in to that channel 24 hours-a day. Any emergency call will be heard immediately.

God is constantly listening to prayer and everyone can approach Him. Listen to the grandeur of the opening words of one of the psalms of the Bible: '0 Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come.'

Tragically, however, many thousands of people never, or hardly ever, approach their God in prayer. And many others who do pray make such serious mistakes in their approach that God refuses to hear them.

The Lord Jesus Christ once told a parable about a man who 'prayed with himself', and the Bible states clearly that God will not hear the prayers of such people. As far as He is concerned a great deal of prayer is just so much hot air.

According to the Bible, prayer will only be heard by God if it fulfils certain simple conditions. What sort of things can we do wrong when we try to approach God? What kind of prayer is defective and useless?

Before the apostle Paul was converted to Christianity he engaged in prayer several times every day, yet God would not answer those prayers. We know this because when Paul saw that blinding light on the Damascus road at the time of his conversion, he realised he had never really known God at all. Suddenly he saw himself as a fanatical, religious bigot and a hypocrite. He realised that his claims to know and represent God were all an empty sham.

In great turmoil of mind, he came to acknowledge his real character and behaviour. He began to pray to God in a new way, asking sincerely for forgiveness and spiritual life.

Then the record of the Bible tells us that the Lord said, 'Behold, he is praying.' At last Paul's first real prayer was heard in Heaven.

Right terms
What was the difference between the hundreds of prayers that Paul had previously offered as an unconvected religious leader, and this latest prayer? The difference was that now he came to God on the right terms. He came as someone who was truly ashamed of his past life. He came not proudly, but humbly.

A verse of the Bible reads - 'If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.' It is very obvious therefore that one type of prayer which God absolutely refuses to hear is prayer made by anyone who has not truly repented of sin and sincerely sought His forgiveness.

Many people have never faced up to the problem of their guilt and the great barrier which it forms between them and God. They do not like to admit to their inner selfishness and pride.

They close their eyes to their deceitfulness, possessiveness, greed, temper, and so on, and the thoughts and deeds which God hates. There is so much in everyone which is offensive in God's sight, but these people do not see themselves as God sees them. From time to time in their self-confidence and ignorance they will attempt to pray without feeling any need to seek forgiveness or real conversion to God first.

We must never lose sight of the fact that God is not fooled by our claims to decency. He is not impressed by the pretences of middle-class self-righteousness, or any other kind of self-righteousness. If I think myself worthy to approach God, justify my sins or make excuses for my failings, then one thing is certain - God will not listen to me at all. He only listens to those who acknowledge their sin and rebellion and approach Him scarcely thinking it is possible for them to be forgiven.

There are several other kinds of prayer which God will not hear. Occasional prayers get no hearing in Heaven. A man or woman who has no intention of seeking God and turning to Him merely prays occasional prayers. Often people have no intention of seeking a new life from God and truly living for Him. They just want His help in some immediate problem, and then the Lord can leave them alone again. But the Lord will not hear such requests.

When people are overpowered by problems they often pray, 'Lord, help me.' When plunged in grief they may cry out to God for relief. When burning with desire for some possession, or some high job, some will say, '0 God, let me have this! '

As a pastor I have heard all kinds of people tell me about the things which they have prayed for when at the time they had no intention of turning to God.

It is well known how the hardest of men will sometimes call to God in moments of seeming doom when real fear grips the mind. Whether before operations, or in war, or at sea, at some time, almost everyone prays.

Tranquillisers
Christians believe that sometimes God does hear such prayers, even selfish prayers coming from people who have no intention of turning their lives over to Him. But He hears them, on occasions, with a view to encouraging such people to believe in Him and seek Him in a deeper way.

The clear warning of the Bible is that generally speaking, God will not listen to the occasional prayer. He will not hand out help or blessing to anyone who is not interested in seeking and finding Him.

Tranquilliser prayers are equally useless. Some people pray simply because it makes them feel better. It may be (for some) a fairly successful psychological ploy to escape from worry or trouble, but it is nothing like prayer.

If by prayer I mean a rehearsing of my fears and problems to a vague, unknown god, just to get it all off my mind, then that is tranquilliser talk, not prayer.

Another kind of prayer which is no use at all is ritual prayer. However beautiful some may think the words sound, liturgical prayers intoned feelinglessly by aloof clerics bear no resemblance to the praying of the Bible.

Prayer is real words which we feel and mean. What are empty chantings? The Saviour Himself condemns them as 'vain repetition' - in other words they are worthless.

To be effective
The prayer of a real seeker, or a truly converted Christian, is altogether different. What sort of prayer is real? What kind of prayer will bring us to know God?

This advice comes straight from the teaching of the Bible. To be effective, prayer must be accompaniedby a surrender of the life to the Lord God.

The psalm already quoted says:- '0 Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come.' But the psalm also gives this condition: 'Unto Thee shall the vow be performed.' True prayer involves keeping a vow.

Do we really want to seek and find God? Are we really convinced about our urgent need of forgiveness and new life? Do we really desire to taste and experience and know God? Then we must hand over our entire lives to Him, so that He can rebuild them. Then, and only then, can we pray.

Remember also that true prayers are always reverent. All the examples of prayer in the Bible are both humble and reverent.

Then, supremely, we must realise that we can only approach God at all because the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour, has made it possible. Our sin has brought us to the position of condemned sinners. We deserve no favour from God at all. But because the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to suffer the penalty of sin in the place of all who turn to Him, we can be forgiven.

The Saviour has paid so that we can pray, and real prayer is made on these terms alone. Genuine prayer can be made by anyone who realises what the terms are. We must go first to Jesus Christ the Saviour for pardon and conversion, and to have our lives completely rebuilt. He must bring us to life spiritually. The Saviour's purpose is to save us.

What amazing love our God has. We, who have lived as prayerless, ungrateful, unseeking, spiritually dumb people, can find Him after all. If we come on the right terms God is still ready to hear and to forgive.

How many will leave prayer too late? Ask yourself - Why do I not pray to God? Is it because of pride or self-confidence? Or is my mind ruled by materialism, ambition or sensual things?

Have you ever really closed your eyes and spoken to God in true prayer? No matter what you have done in this life, His arms are still open to receive seeking sinners, and no-one will ever be turned away.

How can we really know if prayer is answered? Could it be, after all, merely the work of an overactive imagination?

It is a fact that people who have become real seekers (on the terms just described), and who have found the Lord, are always totally and absolutely sure that God has worked in their lives. For them, the question no longer arises.

The great change
When a person finds the Lord the experience is so dramatic and profound that there can be no question of it being a matter of imagination. The fundamental character of that person is unmistakably changed so that traits which could never have been altered by any amount of effort, are altered.

One's feelings and outlook change also as the words of the Bible come true - 'If any man is in Christ, he has become a new creation. Old things have passed away; new things have come .'

The great change is far too great to be mistaken. And over it all, the person who finds the Lord truly comes to love Him and sense Him. No wonder in times of persecution countless Christians have faced death rather than deny the Lord. Genuine seeking prayer leads to the most certain and definite experience a person can ever have.

Most people are very concerned about physical health - especially when they develop strange pains which could indicate some serious problem. But one major part of us which escapes attention in this concern for health is the soul.
By Dr. Peter Masters

This is certainly rather illogical, because the body is only temporary, while the soul goes on for ever.

As you read this,imagine you have entered a kind of soul clinic where the organs and limbs of the soul will be checked out, and where you will get a full report on its condition.

The trouble is that any examination is bound to reveal serious problems. No ordinary human being has ever been found free from major defects and diseases in the soul.

At the time of the Korean war, American doctors carried out numerous post-mortem examinations on soldiers killed in action. As time went by they drew up statistics which startled the medical world. They found that a majority of young men under 25 years of age already showed marked signs of heart disease which would have resulted in heart attacks within 20 years.

If our souls could be laid open to inspection in the same way it would be found that everyone of us has a very advanced, fatal condition. The malady which affects us all is the disease of sin. Its symptoms are easy to recognise, not by our pallor or blood pressure, but by far more disfiguring signs.

The great spoiler
The symptoms of this disease of the soul show up in the personality. It makes us vain, cold, haughty and even arrogant. It makes us deceitful, shifty and boastful. It is the disease which creates dirty-mindedness, jealousy and back-stabbing. It also gives rise to greed and selfishness - the list of symptoms is endless.

Sin is the vilest, and yet the most underestimated disease in the world. It infects every part of the soul and character, steadily spoiling and corrupting everything. But even worse - it totally disables us for the greatest experiences of life.

Paralysis will usually prevent a young man from ever engaging in athletics or any other active sport. Such pursuits are far beyond his hopes and dreams. Similarly, the disease of sin ruins all possibility of interaction with God. It completely cuts us off from God so that we can have no personal experience of Him.

Our diagnostic health check must begin with an examination of the conscience. Is it in good health? Is it a functioning conscience?

The answer must be negative, because most of the time the conscience suffers from a kind of sleeping paralysis. It hardly moves and seldom speaks. Why is this? It is because of the self-inflicted battering it has received over the years.

We quickly learn in youth how to manipulate the conscience. Whenever it protests over some sin or shoots a warning pang of shame into the mind we move quickly in self-defence. We learn to justify whatever we do, or to blame our circumstances or other people. Gradually we beat the conscience into submission.

The first time we commit serious sin the conscience hurts a good deal. The second time it hurts less. But once the conscience is fully suppressed it scarcely hurts at all.

Somewhere down in a dungeon of the soul, a starved, bruised, weakened conscience eventually becomes limp and silent, and then we are free to behave and speak as we like. We are at liberty to be as selfish, greedy and even sensual as we want, with little trouble.

Take another aspect of the soul. In what state of health is the faculty or power of self-control? What happens when bad temper begins to build up, or envy, or greed - does it all have to come out? Can we control ourselves? Or is this portion of the soul flabby and weak and hopeless?

What about the great faculty of integrity or honesty - is it healthy? Sadly, this part of the soul is generally riddled with disease. Everyone is shoddy and shabby here. Everyone is full of white lies, excuses, exaggerations, invented boasts, direct lies, deceits, and every other form of dishonesty. The faculty of integrity has become wilfully twisted beyond recognition.

Checking vital organs
What about the virtue of the soul which we call humility? Is this diseased too? Of course it is, because everyone seems to suffer from the cancer of pride. For most people the great motive for living is pride. What will people think of them? How can they create a good impression?

People boast, swagger and show off endlessly. They fight tooth and nail for promotion, power and superiority. Sickening pride has buried itself deeply into the soul so that humility has shrivelled out of all recognition.

If we examine the three main parts of the personality, what condition shall we find them in? The mind or intellect is full of selfish and impure thoughts. It is swollen and discoloured by a wide range of sinful schemes and thoughts. Prominent among them are selfishness, self-love, hatred and hostility.
The emotions are seriously deformed. These too are covered with the cancer of self-love as well as other tumours which we call lusts.

The will is so badly deformed that it works in terrible and unreasonable convulsions. It either responds with alacrity to every passing temptation, or it utterly refuses to move, becoming
obstinate and stubborn.

Truly this is a stunning and depressing report on various aspects of the soul. If we ever heard such a devastating assessment of our physical health we would realise that survival was impossible.

Years ago we used to see mass X-ray caravans in the cities. The idea was to detect T.B. early enough to gain the best chance of treating it. The trouble was that the public had to be persuaded to enter the X-ray caravans on the off-chance of hearing bad news. Many people would rather not know the worst.

This is exactly the case with the message of the Bible. If we cannot get people to realise that the soul is in a desperately diseased condition then they will never seek the healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Physician of Souls.

Let me describe some of the worst features of sin as it gets free course in our lives. It is the most infectious disease imaginable. If, for example, we bring children into the world, our weaknesses and corruptions will be transmitted to them through our example and the atmosphere of home life. They will inevitably absorb some of our worst traits.

Another thing about sin is that it is a very weakening and highly progressive disease. Somehow we always imagine that in ten or fifteen years time we will be much the same people as we are today in basic personality, outlook and character. But this is never the case. There is bound to be a great and inescapable deterioration in us because the disease of sin will take its toll.

Anyone who is past thirty can prove this easily. Just try to recall what you(and your old friends) were like in teenage or in early twenties. Note how much everyone has changed. Note particularly how all have hardened and come to accept more compromise in life. Even the most idealistic members of that once youthful circle have lost their rare, unselfish trait.

Observe how each one has become so much more materialistic, cynical, and sadly, more selfish also. You will be compelled to agree that any attractive aspects which once drew you together are fast slipping away. Sin is always progressive.

Living with pain
A further feature of sin is the fact that it is a very painful disease. Sinful thoughts, words or deeds may not necessarily hurt at the time, but the consequences are always painful. A life lived at the mercy of every temptation, whim and passion costs youth and years, not to mention money.

It leads to heartbreak, disappointment, remorse, bitterness and even neurosis. Half the pills swallowed daily in this sin-sick world are really palliatives for the deeper disease of the soul.

In addition to all this, sin is a terribly isolating disease. It separates us from each other, but most of all it separates us from God. It is solely because of the selfishness, rottenness and pride in the human heart that we fall out with each other and become enemies.

What can be done about this disease? Is a doctor any use, or a psychologist? Is there any drug or therapy? No, says the Bible, as far as man is concerned it is utterly untreatable. There is nothing we can do to halt or to heal this disease. We have no remedies at all.

All man can do is administer painkillers. He can only dull the effects of the disease by seeking pleasure and entertainment, or by turning to drink to deaden the discomfort. Alternatively he can bury his heart in his business, or in possessions or anything else which may help to subdue the aching void within.

The only hope for curing the soul's disease is to realise that we cannot cure it and to turn to God to be forgiven and healed. He alone can wash away the rebellion and the proud independence which brought this disease into the world in the first place. He alone can wash away the guilt and the deep perversion of years of sin.

Because God is perfect and holy, if He is to forgive and heal any member of the human race, He must first purge away the guilt which renders us unfit for fellowship or contact with Him.

In order to forgive us God had to come into this world Himself to suffer the punishment of our sin in our place. That is what Christ was doing when he suffered and died on the Cross of Calvary
2000 years ago. There He made a personal atonement for the sin of all who turn to Him for help.

Before anyone can be saved from the disease of sin, there must be an urgent approach to the Great Physician. We must be deeply anxious about the disease in the soul, and we must really want to be healed. Then Christ must be approached along these lines: you must pray to Him telling Him about your condition, and you must acknowledge that you deserve to be condemned and discarded for ever.

You must sincerely repent of your sin and long to have your life completely changed by His power. Tell Him that you truly want to come to know Him and to live for Him from now on.

If you sincerely ask Christ to forgive you and convert you in this way, He will not turn you away. He will perform radical divine surgery in your life, accomplishing results which you could not even begin to achieve yourself.

The only cure
The Lord can destroy the potency of the disease and give a completely new life; a transformed personality.

The side effects of the disease of sin will also be removed, such as the numbness of soul which made it impossible for you to pray or to feel God. You will come to love Him and know Him. All these things He will do for you and you will know that you have been changed. You will know that He has blessed you and healed your disease.

How many people will spend the rest of their lives with sin capturing more and more of the soul, until it finally overwhelms them in death and all hope is gone?

There is no physician on earth like Christ. There is no doctor in human medicine who cures his patients by taking the force and consequences of the disease himself. That is the exclusive glory of Christ Himself - the Physician of Souls.