Isaiah 16:12

"Handfuls of Purpose"

For All Gleaners

"He shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail." Isa 16:12

Such was the judgment pronounced upon Moab. When Moab appeared as a worshipper, when he weaned himself on the high place, all his litanies and his outcry and prayers went for nothing. We know what the crying priests of Baal came to when Elijah challenged them on Mount Carmel. They called from the morning until the evening, but their deaf god heard them not. There is a prayer, therefore, that has no effect. But is this the fault of prayer? Not necessarily so. It may be the fault of the suppliant. "The prayers of the wicked are an abomination unto the Lord." "Ye have not because ye ask not," is one explanation which the apostle gives of unanswered prayer; the second explanation he gives is "or because ye have asked amis;." asked in the wrong spirit, asked for the wrong things, asked at the wrong time. The sanctuary is never to be regarded merely as a refuge in distress, or as a convenience of which men may avail themselves in the time of hopeless calamity. Moab did not go to the right sanctuary, nor did he offer the right prayer. We may come to the right sanctuary, and yet our prayers may be unavailing. We are not to make Jacob-like bargaining with God. We are not to say we can at any time turn to the sanctuary and make things right with God. Unless the purpose of our life be itself a prayer, any mere words we can utter will end in disappointment and chagrin. The humble soul will prevail in the sanctuary because of its very humility. God will not allow hands steeped in human blood to be lifted to him in availing prayer. If we have left a false weight and a false measure that we may go into the sanctuary to pray, we shall find that we are praying to an empty heaven. If we come to the altar with our sacrifice and leave behind us a brother whom we have offended, God will not receive the sacrifice until we have reconciled the offended brother. Character is prayer. Character is eloquence. Not until we ourselves are right can we either find the true sanctuary or breathe the true desire.