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TWO GUYS
TALKING TO GOD

    To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: [10] "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
    [13] "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
    [14] "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." _^[NIV]

    For,
   "Whoever would love life
        and see good days
    must keep his tongue from evil
        and his lips from deceitful speech.
    [11] He must turn from evil and do good;
        he must seek peace and pursue it.
    [12] For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
        and his ears are attentive to their prayer,
    but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." _^[NIV]

    And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. _^[NIV]

DIFFERENT ANSWERS
CALL FOR DIFFERENT RESPONSES

    "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
    [35] Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. [36] "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
    [37] Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? [38] Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
    [39] Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. [40] When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
    [41] Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. [42] Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" _^[NIV]

    Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. [2] He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. [3] And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
    [4] "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, [5] yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
    [6] And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. [7] And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? [8] I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" _^[NIV]

    Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the Lord and no longer served him, [7] he became angry with them. He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and the Ammonites, [8] who that year shattered and crushed them. For eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the east side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. [9] The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin and the house of Ephraim; and Israel was in great distress. [10] Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, "We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the Baals."
    [11] The Lord replied, "When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, [12] the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? [13] But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. [14] Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!"
    [15] But the Israelites said to the Lord, "We have sinned. Do with us whatever you think best, but please rescue us now." [16] Then they got rid of the foreign gods among them and served the Lord. And he could bear Israel's misery no longer. _^[NIV]

Five Things That Can Turn God's Ear Deaf

     Refusing to let go of a cherished sin

    If I had cherished sin in my heart,
        the Lord would not have listened; _^[NIV]

    If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law,
        even his prayers are detestable. _^[NIV]

    "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways?
        How long will mockers delight in mockery
        and fools hate knowledge?
    [23] If you had responded to my rebuke,
        I would have poured out my heart to you
        and made my thoughts known to you.
    [24] But since you rejected me when I called
        and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,
    [25] since you ignored all my advice
        and would not accept my rebuke,
    [26] I in turn will laugh at your disaster;
        I will mock when calamity overtakes you--
    [27] when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
        when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
        when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
 
    [28] "Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
        they will look for me but will not find me.
    [29] Since they hated knowledge
        and did not choose to fear the Lord,
    [30] since they would not accept my advice
        and spurned my rebuke,
    [31] they will eat the fruit of their ways
        and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
    [32] For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
        and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
    [33] but whoever listens to me will live in safety
        and be at ease, without fear of harm." _^[NIV]

     Harboring bitterness and refusing to forgive

    And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." _^[NIV]

    For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. _^[NIV]

    Forgive us our debts,
        as we also have forgiven our debtors.
    [13] And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.'
 
[14] For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. [15] But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. _^[NIV]

     Failing to show compassion for the poor

    If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,
        he too will cry out and not be answered. _^[NIV]

    The righteous care about justice for the poor,
        but the wicked have no such concern. _^[NIV]

    But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
    [30] In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. [31] A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. [32] So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. [33] But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. [34] He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. [35] The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
    [36] "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
    [37] The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."
    Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise." _^[NIV]

     Failing to live by kingdom priorities

    When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
    [4] You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. _^[NIV]

    But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. _^[NIV]

    You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. _^[NIV]

    If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. _^[NIV]

     Failing to honor your wife

    Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. _^[NIV]

    Another thing you do: You flood the Lord's altar with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. [14] You ask, "Why?" It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
    [15] Has not the Lord made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. _^[NIV]