praying effectively: Do Not Harden Your Heart (Heb.3:7-19)

(Hebrews 3:7-19)  Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today if you hear His voice,
8 Do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 Where your fathers tried Me by testing Me,
And saw My works for forty years.
10 “Therefore I was angry with this generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they did not know My ways’;
11 As I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’”

12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, 15 while it is said,

“Today if you hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked Me.”

16 For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:

- that we do not harden our hearts to God's voice (3:7-8, 15)

- that we take care not to turn to evil and fall away (3:12)

- that we continually encourage one another (3:13)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for Your Sovereignty and perfect insight.  You know all things, and are able to judge our hearts justly.  As we believe, help our unbelief.  Keep us steadfast.  Inspire in us a desire to continually seek Your voice and Your will.  Guide us in knowing how we may encourage each other to remain faithful and obedient, with pure motives, based on Your love and strength.  All to Your glory, amen.