OPINION: We need to approach God with clean hands

I have seen mostly in social media and our leaders in political rallies calling everyone who cares for our country to pray to God so that peace may prevail. Praying is a good thing. Trusting in God and having faith in Him is something to be encouraged.

But what mesmerizes me with those calling for prayers for peace, are the same people committing atrocities against their brothers and sisters. They are the same people talking ill about their fellow citizens. They are the same people who have looted Kenya or supervised and witnessed looting of public coffers.

They are the people who have been accused of various crimes but because they are untouchables, nothing has been done to them. They are done nothing in response to remedy their mistakes. They are arrogant, egoistic and full of pride. They sin during the day and deep in the night. They stink with sin.

How are people (sheep) clothed in wolf’s skin and masquerading as sheep going to approach God with their prayers? We need to approach God with clean hands. The book of John 9:31 states that; we know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. If you have not been doing the will of God, how is going to come to your rescue at the time of your need? God keeps His word.

The book of 1st Peter 3:12 says that “For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers, but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil. “ God is definitely going to turn away his face if a sinner approaches him with prayers.

God is pleased with prayers of the righteous. If you can be in a position to trust to answer your prayers, you should be in a position to know what he requires from His people. The book of Isaiah 59:2 emphasizes the same and says that “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you that He will not hear”

In law, there is maxim which states that “he who comes into equity must come with clean hands”. You can’t seek aid in equity if the aid has become necessary due to your own mistakes. The same applies to God that you must not be of sin when approaching God for aid. You cannot engage in the business of making lives of others hard, and when yours become hard you seek to God for assistance. You will need to do self-evaluation and correct your mistakes and then approach God with your prayers.

But we know God is all-forgiving. If we repent our sins and turn away from our wicked ways, God will hear our cry and come to our aid. The book of Romans declares that none is righteous for we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Through grace when we repent and change our ways we are accepted back as children of God. Grace takes away our sins and reconnects us to God.

So as much as prayer is good, let us as we pray and call others to pray, do so with a clean hearts. Not a heart full of vengeance and wickedness. Otherwise, we will be joking with God and he will not take us seriously.

But I know in our country there are the few righteous people who can pray to God on our behalf and He turns His wrath away from us. These are the people who can divert the destruction which befell Sodom and Gomorrah from befalling our country. If Sodom and Gomorrah had at least one righteous person it could not have been destroyed. Let the righteous intervene for our country.