2 Chron 7:12-14, Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 
   	We are in the process of laying down a foundation upon which we can build our study of what it means to pray effectively, as the Church after the heart of God. We are trying to establish the means whereby we can honor and reverence God in that prayer which touches His heart in line with what has always been His eternal purpose in the creation of humanity. He created us in order to have fellowship with us in a living relationship. This is a familial bond which will show forth to the whole of His creation what it means for God and man to be in vital union with one another. It is all through the mighty working power of His grace and His mercy and His love, making us a complete family in Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son. 
	Accordingly we have seen that God desires for us to want to come into the place where we are praying for His will to be done in each area and situation of our lives. For that to take place, we need to have an honest appraisal of our lives and our need for God as the focal truth of who we are and how we live on this earth. God is not going to acclimate Himself to our wants and to our wishes. We must recognize who we are apart from Him and confess, or acknowledge the utter lack of ability on our part to be anything other than fallen and lost without any hope in ourselves or our ideas. In that light, we must call out to Him to save us through the only means of anyone’s eternal salvation, the death and resurrection of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. He is our so precious and wonderful and glorious Savior and Lord. It is in Him and by Him and through Him that our prayers have any standing in the heart of God.
	The other component that must be in place is that we then listen to and obey the Holy Spirit as He reveals those elements in our lives that need His dealing power. This is in order to be those living witnesses of the truth that we now are the very Children of God in Christ Jesus. It is in our turning away from sin through His power at work in us and our seeking to honor and to please God that our living relationship with Him grows and develops. It is as we live in obedient reverence unto Him that our fellowship with Him becomes much more than merely rote incantations and recitals of memorized words. We find ourselves conversing and fellowshipping in a means that becomes the necessary moment by moment conversation with Our Lord God Creator and Redeemer.
	To reemphasize this, let us once again hear what God has to say about it through the Prophet Ezekiel in Ezek 18:27-32. Please turn to Ezek 18:27-32. 
Ezek 18:27-32, "Again, when a wicked man turns away from his wickedness which he has committed and practices justice and righteousness, he will save his life. "Because he considered and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. "But the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not right.' Are My ways not right, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are not right? "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, each according to his conduct," declares the Lord God. "Repent and turn away from all your transgressions, so that iniquity may not become a stumbling block to you. "Cast away from you all your transgressions which you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why will you die, O house of Israel? "For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies," declares the Lord God. "Therefore, repent and live." 
	It is not enough to just mouth the words of confession and repentance, there needs to be that active component of not wanting to do those things that the Lord reveals as wrong in our lives. This is true of the major sins as well as what we label minor indiscretions. It is all sin! It all must be dealt with in order for us to know the fullness of the fellowship of an active prayer life with the Lord. 
This in no measure means that we must be perfect in order to prayer. No one would pray if that were the case. The key component is that we are seeking to turn from our sinful ways and to more and more express the perfection of Jesus Christ to all with whom we interact. It is as we do blow it, and the Holy Spirit reveals that issue and our heart’s desire is to not do those things any longer and we ask and learn to obey that our relationship of prayer is reinforced and strengthened and developed. 
What does not succeed, however, is when we try to argue with the Lord and try to convince Him that our issues are not worth His time to work on. We argue that we are OK in our sin and that the sin is not that bad. It is when we refuse to change and turn from our trespasses that we will find that heaven seems to be shut up against us for that season of our discontent. Again, hear what needs to take place within our hearts, as recounted in 2 Chron 6:26-31, for the Lord to hear and to answer and to bring His fellowship into our innermost beings. Please open to it, 2 Chron 6:26-31.
2 Chron 6:26-31, "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against Thee, and they pray toward this place and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin when Thou dost afflict them; then hear Thou in heaven and forgive the sin of Thy servants and Thy people Israel, indeed, teach them the good way in which they should walk. And send rain on Thy land, which Thou hast given to Thy people for an inheritance. "If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, if there is locust or grasshopper, if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities, whatever plague or whatever sickness there is, whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Thy people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house, then hear Thou from heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render to each according to all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest for Thou alone dost know the hearts of the sons of men, that they may fear Thee, to walk in Thy ways as long as they live in the land which Thou hast given to our fathers. 
One who was very much acquainted with the need to confess and turn away from sin was Daniel. He not only lifted up the sins of the nation unto the Lord, but he knew that their sins were his sins. He did not try to point fingers but accurately admitted and agreed with the Lord that the fault was in all the people having turned away from the Lord. They were all trying to make their own way through the means of this age rather than obedience to the will of God. 
Turn to Daniel Chapter 9 and we want to read verses 4-19 together. There is the recognition in this prayer that what has come upon the nation is the righteous judgment of God because all had sinned. All had turned away from the Lord and the Law of the Lord. All were in rebellion. There was no blame set upon God for what was taking place, but rather the humbleness of heart that desired for the forgiveness of God to come forth as the people turned from their sin and sought to please the Lord. Dan 9:4-19.
Dan 9:4-19, And I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly, and rebelled, even turning aside from Thy commandments and ordinances. "Moreover, we have not listened to Thy servants the prophets, who spoke in Thy name to our kings, our princes, our fathers, and all the people of the land. "Righteousness belongs to Thee, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day — to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which Thou hast driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against Thee. "Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against Thee. "To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; nor have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His teachings which He set before us through His servants the prophets. "Indeed all Israel has transgressed Thy law and turned aside, not obeying Thy voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. "Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. "As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Thy truth. "Therefore, the Lord has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice. "And now, O Lord our God, who hast brought Thy people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and hast made a name for Thyself, as it is this day — we have sinned, we have been wicked. "O Lord, in accordance with all Thy righteous acts, let now Thine anger and Thy wrath turn away from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people have become a reproach to all those around us. "So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplications, and for Thy sake, O Lord, let Thy face shine on Thy desolate sanctuary. "O my God, incline Thine ear and hear! Open Thine eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Thy name; for we are not presenting our supplications before Thee on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Thy great compassion. "O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Thine own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name."    
	Notice that the focus of this earnest and intense prayer was for the testimony of the Lord to be evidenced. Daniel was praying, not for his deliverance and not for the deliverance of the people. They deserved what was befalling them because they had not honored the Lord and had not believed that He would do exactly as He told them He would through the warning of Moses and of Solomon to always hold true to the Lord and His Word. 
Rather, Daniel was wholeheartedly more concerned about the witness that would be presented to the world if God did not intervene and save the remnant of His nation for the sake of God’s faithfulness and God’s great compassion and God’s graciousness and God’s mercy. His prayer agreed with what was befalling the nation, but he was desirous after the greater witness of the truth of the Living Lord God Almighty, Jehovah, to be evidenced in the manner of the people’s return to Jerusalem. 
	Another who had the testimony of the Lord as his greatest concern was the Prophet Hosea as we find recorded in Hos 5:11-6:3. In this passage, the prophet related how the people sought after the ways of the world and after men to heal their wounds. They were not turning to the Lord and not calling out to Him and seeking after the One Who is the Essence of healing and salvation. Herein, as we read it is the prophecy of the Christ and the manner in which all that sickens mankind will be healed through the redeeming work of the Lord. There will be that return unto the Lord with an intense longing to know Him and His ways.
	Hos 5:11-6:3 Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, Because he was determined to follow man's command. Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim, And like rottenness to the house of Judah. When Ephraim saw his sickness, And Judah his wound, Then Ephraim went to Assyria And sent to King Jareb. But he is unable to heal you, Or to cure you of your wound. For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, And like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear to pieces and go away, I will carry away, and there will be none to deliver. I will go away and return to My place Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. "Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. "He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day That we may live before Him. "So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." 
    	Our final passage of this morning is from the Prophet Joel, in Joel 2:12-24, as he describes the nature and character of the Lord for us. His earnest longing is that we would know who God is and learn to fellowship with the One Who is the very Essence of all that is good and worthy and honorable. He should be the object of our requests and the focus of to Whom we now live on this earth and with Whom we share our intimate relationship of prayer. 
Joel 2:12-24, "Yet even now," declares the Lord, "Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping, and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments. "Now return to the Lord your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness, And relenting of evil. Who knows whether He will not turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him, Even a grain offering and a libation For the Lord your God? Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room And the bride out of her bridal chamber. Let the priests, the Lord's ministers, Weep between the porch and the altar, And let them say, "Spare Thy people, O Lord, And do not make Thine inheritance a reproach, A byword among the nations. Why should they among the peoples say, 'Where is their God?'" Then the Lord will be zealous for His land, And will have pity on His people. And the Lord will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I am going to send you grain, new wine, and oil, And you will be satisfied in full with them; And I will never again make you a reproach among the nations. "But I will remove the northern army far from you, And I will drive it into a parched and desolate land, And its vanguard into the eastern sea, And its rear guard into the western sea. And its stench will arise and its foul smell will come up, For it has done great things." Do not fear, O land, rejoice and be glad, For the Lord has done great things. Do not fear, beasts of the field, For the pastures of the wilderness have turned green, For the tree has borne its fruit, The fig tree and the vine have yielded in full. So rejoice, O sons of Zion, And be glad in the Lord your God; For He has given you the early rain for your vindication. And He has poured down for you the rain, The early and latter rain as before. And the threshing floors will be full of grain, And the vats will overflow with the new wine and oil. 
The prophet is utterly declaring the reason that we are to pray, to commune with the Lord in all His glory and His grace and His mercy. Our hearts are to be enthralled with the consideration of to Whom we come as we lift up our hearts in prayer and supplication and praise and adoration. 
We dare not think of God as we do mere mortals, looking for Him to act as we act unto others. No, when we pray, when we lift our voices and our hearts unto the Lord God Almighty, we need to do so with absolute wonder and amazement and enthralled humbleness that He would so desire to have us know Him in the course of His awesome power at work in our lives to rid us of all unrighteousness. So be it.
Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice. If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Amen.

This morning’s benediction is 2 Cor 3:18. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. Amen.