Second Friend Day - Elmer Towns

exact opposite of God's will. If God tells us not to take His name in vain and we do, how can we
ask Him to answer our prayers?
There is another verse that says we plug up God's ears: "Behold the Lord's hand is not
shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear; But your iniquities have
separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you, that he will
not hear" (Isa. 59:1-2). God has the ability to help us and His ears can hear us, but our sin makes
it impossible.
Robert was a mischievous boy. When his mother was mad he ran and hid. His favorite
hiding place was a dark closet where she couldn't see or hear him. When Robert was hiding, that
was not the time to ask her for money to go to the store for ice cream. If you have sin in your
life, get rid of it; then ask God for your petition. Only then can you get answers to prayer.
3. Your prayers are not answered if you don't live right. The Bible tells us the
prayers of the righteous are effective. We are never righteous by our own efforts. Our
righteousness is imputed by Jesus Christ. However, there is a sense in which we are righteous.
This means "doing right." If we want our prayers answered, we must do right by paying our bills,
ceasing to curse, going to church, tithing and witnessing. "Confess your faults one to another.
and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man
availeth much" (James 5:16). The phrase "availeth much” means makes tremendous things
available." When you are right with God, your prayers make the greatest things in the world
available.
Too often we send "looney tune" prayers up to heaven. They don't make sense when our
life does not back up our request. Our prayers ought to pack a wallop. Instead, some Prayers
seem to freeze on our lips. Evangelist Billy Sunday once heard a man praying in a meeting. The
man drawled on and on.
"Shut up! You'll kill this meeting!" the flaming evangelist yelled. In the same manner,
Evangelist John R. Rice will never invite people to the platform to pray. He does it himself
because he wants to make sure that the blessing of God is upon the meeting.
When a righteous man prays, he reaches up and pulls the rope on the bell clapper of
heaven. The Bible says, "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open
unto their prayers." This means if you are living right, God keeps His eyes on you and listens for
your cry. God is like a mother with children playing in the park, watching everything they do and
listening for trouble.
When the righteous pray, heaven is mobilized. If you live a righteous life, your prayers
bounce into the shipping room of heaven. God stamps the order with a great big "Rush." The
angels cry out, "Pack it up and send it out."
4. Your prayers are not answered if you do not abide in His Word. Jesus promised,
"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto
you" (Jn. 15:7). The word "abide" means to join yourself to God without any obstruction. It