Isaiah 16:12 - Homilies By R. Tuck

Prayer that may not prevail.

The immediate reference of this verse is to the vain and hopeless prayers of Moab, offered in his time of distress to his idol-god Chemosh. Idols are only gods for sunshiny days, when their worshippers want nothing. There is no prevailing to secure help from them when life is full of calamities, and when hearts ache. But the expression reminds us that prayer offered to the true God does not always prevail—at least, prevail to the securing of the precise thing asked for; though this comes about, not by reason of the Divine inability, but by reason of the Divine wisdom and love. Our prayer may not always prevail with Jehovah, for such reasons as the following—

I. BECAUSE THE ATTITUDE OF HIM WHO OFFERS IT IS WRONG .

1. He may demand , and that God can never allow.

2. He may not have clean hands; and man must put away his evil doings before he seeks God.

3. He may be unforgiving towards his brother; and if we forgive not our brother his trespass, God will heed no prayer from us for the forgiveness of ours.

4. He may fail in that importunity which is before God the sign of earnestness.

5. He may ask with purely selfish intentions—to consume the blessing sought upon his lusts.

II. BECAUSE THE PRAYER IS ONLY A CRY OF DESPAIR . Not a quiet, thoughtful turning to God, but only a feeling, "Nobody can help me—let us see if even God can." There is nothing in such a cry to which God can hopefully respond. For prayer to prevail with God there must be some trust in it.

III. BECAUSE GOD 'S GOOD TIME FOR BLESSING MAY NOT HAVE COME . Prayer often only seems not to prevail, because the answer is held over until God's best time has come. And Divine delayings are tests of sincerity and inspirations to importunity. "Though it tarry, wait fur it; it will surely come, it will not tarry."

IV. BECAUSE OTHER PRAYERS MAY BE PRAYING AGAINST OUR PRAYERS . Other people's prayers, and the voice of some things in ourselves. Sodom's iniquity was crying hard against Abraham's prayer, and Abraham could not prevail. Jerusalem was crying hard against the Lord Jesus, and his prayer could not prevail. St. Paul's infirmities of temper were crying hard against his prayer that the thorn in the flesh should be removed; and they prevailed, not Paul, and the thorn stayed piercing on. Here is a hidden secret unfolded. Why have we so often seemed to pray only to feel the heavens like brass above us? We should know if we could hear all the prayers that rise to God, and know how many and how loud are the prayers that plead against us. God weighs them all, and the answer to us is always that which is best, on the whole . — R.T.