Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. – 1 John 3:21-22
Some years ago, my husband and I bought an old house that had been built in 1906. Renovation was not a luxury; it was a necessity! One of the many jobs that needed to be done was to separate all the old windows that had been painted shut. While the paint was peeling off in several areas of the house, the paint around each window seemed permanently affixed. There was a green layer, and a tan layer, and a cream layer, and a gray layer. It took many hours of work to free those windows so we could open them and allow the fresh air to come in once again.
This incident was a reminder that sometimes we allow things to cause our spiritual “windows” to stick. The “layers” that hinder our prayer life may be unbelief, self-interest, busyness, resentment, unforgiveness, or any number of other things—almost as many possibilities as there are colors of paint! And what is the result? The communication between us and God does not seem to be open and free as it once was. Our confidence toward God is eroded and our prayers are hindered.
What should be done when we realize we are in this position? If we chip away at those layers in our own strength, eventually we might be able to make some improvement. However, there is a much better way to deal with them—a way that will cure the problem, not just make it a little better. We can take those layers to God for fixing! As we confess to Him the issues that we have realized are spiritual hindrances, He is willing and able to remove them.
When the spiritual windows have been opened, our confidence and our connection with God are restored. Then, how the blessings of the Lord can flow into our lives!
Lord, help me to inspect my spiritual windows and make sure that nothing is hindering the free flow of communication between You and me. Amen.