I want to show from God’s Word some of the reasons why our prayers are not any more powerful than they are. One reason is because our lives are not honorable. Some of the most dishonorable things I have seen in the latter years of my life have come from Christians—Christian teachers and preachers.
We ought to be the world’s greatest example of high integrity and the most honorable men and women on the face of God’s earth. We must take the time to teach and display honor and integrity to our children; and, if necessary, start all over with them. During the 1960s our society had a dropout generation. At about the same time many of our young people were dropping out, we quit having prayer in school. We took the Name of Jesus and the Bible out of our public school system. Today there is no biblical instruction in American public education.
If a teacher or administrator tries to tell a dishonest or disobedient student that he must be honorable, he may ask: “Why should I? Because you say to? Who are you to tell me how to live my life? My parents fight, lie and cheat—and you’re telling me I ought to be honorable?
“You’re saying I ought to work my fingers to the bone and learn all this junk you’re trying to cram down my throat. What good will it do me to learn all this? I could work another 10 years and still have nothing to show for it. By this time next Friday night I can make all kinds of money by selling drugs to other kids.
“Why should I care if they die? They aren’t my kids. You’re telling me I should be honorable? Why?” Unless the adult can pick up a Bible and say “God says so,” he can’t answer those questions, and he has no right to try. Who are we to tell someone else’s child that he ought to be honorable?
The group that dropped out in the 1960s has grown up and produced children of their own. Now we are in the third generation of honorless people. Today many of the original dropouts have haircuts, wear ties and suits, and some have even become teachers and leaders. Yet some are still doing drugs. Some still have little or no honor themselves even though they’ve cut their hair and cleaned up, and now they are influencing a new generation of young people.
It’s time to go back to the source of honor. It’s time to point out the fact that if you do unto others as you would have others do unto you—which is the honorable thing to do—then the honor that comes from God will uphold you.
Even if others mistreat and abuse you, God will support you. They cannot steal from you fast enough to harm you. God will provide for you because of His honor.
God Honors Prayer
Psalm 15:4 says that an honorable person is one who will swear to his own hurt and change not. We have to live this way again. We have to go back to square one and start all over.
I know one of the finest preachers of the gospel in the United States today. Yet there was a time in his life when he was not serving the Lord. When he came home and found his mother in prayer, he would slam her against the wall and yell, “Shut up that praying!”
But his godly mother would not quit praying. She loved her son despite the way he acted and treated her. Eventually she got him, too. Pistol, blackjack, sticks, stones and all.
Today this man is the sweetest, biggest teddy bear you have ever met in your life. Why? Because that woman of honor would not let go. She lived honorably in front of her son and prayed for him—even with the possibility he might kill her.
This is the kind of stay-with-it, godly person and prayer God honors.
