John Piper Podcast Addresses the Question
The relationship between holiness and answered prayer appears throughout Scripture. John 15:7 says, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." Psalm 66 says, "I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer."
But what are the practical implications of texts like these? How much holiness must we attain in order for God to answer our prayers?
In this Ask Pastor John podcast, pastor and author John Piper addresses this question head-on. Piper argues that the biblical precedent for obedience is seen in both the Old and New Testaments. However, he encourages believers not to take wrong inferences from this warning. In particular, Piper reminds us that obedience does not mean perfection.
In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray daily for the forgiveness of our sins. This means that Jesus knows and expects us to sin every single day. The important heart posture is that we seek forgiveness, are repentant, and desire to walk in righteousness rather than find contentment in our sin.
Christian Union exhorts students to pursue holiness, spend regular time in Scripture and seeking God, and practice spiritual disciplines so that their spiritual lives might flourish. Praise God that He is merciful and makes a way for us to be united to Him through Jesus.
Listen to the full podcast here.
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