Abominable Prayer?

Proverbs 28:9 - One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.

I don't know if it happens to you, but I get it a lot. I'll say a prayer and request something from God, but then immediately I'm convicted that I asked for something that was against God's will.

I've heard it said that a follower of Christ can ask for anything in prayer and God will always give it to him. The way this works is simple: The follower of Christ desires only the will of God, so his request should be aligned with God's will. The failure is that as a follower of Christ, I still have to contend with my flesh. So even if my heart desires only God's will, my flesh and mind manytimes will ask something of God that is contrary to the scriptures.

The verse today from Proverbs points us to the answer to our struggle. We can align our will with God's will by the hearing of the law. We do this through the study of the Scriptures and strengthening our walk with God in prayer. The conviction I get during prayer is a result of me stepping outside of God's plan for my life and I need to correct that error.

I don't want my prayer to be an abomination to God. I want Him to hear my prayer and consider it/me to be righteous. Therefore, I have to continue to grow in my walk with Him and hear His law. As my walk is increased, my prayers will be heard and honored by God. My desire is always for the will of God, and by growing in my faith, I can leave the struggles with my flesh behind and let my relationship with the Creator flourish.

"Empty me, empty me. Fill me...with You, with You"