Awoke singing Psalms 16:2, and 8:1; later I added 31:1-3.

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Micah 3-7. But I do not find liberty to present any of the insights I enjoyed in my communion with Him. The verse that keeps coming to mind is Psalm 66:18-19:

Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

Psalms 66:19 But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

Dr. Benny Beckum is with us this week and has been preaching from Psalm 66:18, as the key verse in a series I would title Hindrances to Prayer. So many thoughts have swirlled in my mind and heart as I pondered this text and received his messages. The Spirit has urged me to relate the warning of this text to you: if we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear our prayers.

The word translated as “iniquity” is from a root meaning “to pant.” The closest corresponding idea is to lust after. Strong No. H0205 informs us that it refers to exertion in a thing that is vain or worthless, activity that comes to naught, “strictly nothingness; also trouble.” The word is used to identify an idol. From this root comes the Hebrew word in Psalm 66:18, meaning iniquity: wickedness, unrighteousness, and unjust actions that bring evil, trouble, and affliction.

What does it mean to regard iniquity?

The Hebrew expression רָאִ֣יתִי (raw-ah’) is translated regard.*

The word translated as regard includes the meaning represented in the English words approve, enjoy, consider favorably, gaze approvingly, take heed joyfully, and respect (Strong No. 7200), hence, to cherish.

The English word regard encompasses the meanings expressed by the following terms: esteem, respect, high opinion, acclaim, admiration, approval, approbation, popularity, appreciation, estimation, favour, deference, reverence, veneration, liking, affection, love.

Along the still waters, I reflected on this. We know that in our flesh dwells nothing of value, only vanity, worthlessness, “no good thing” (Romans 7:18). For this reason, even when we would do good, evil is present with us (Romans 7:19-21). The law of sin in our members wars against the law of our mind, bringing us into captivity to the law of sin that is in our members (Romans 7:22-23).

Iniquity enters into our hearts from our flesh through our thoughts. Romans 8 explains this: we either “mind the things of the Spirit” or we “mind the things of the flesh.” If we “mind” the things of the flesh, the evil in our flesh occupies our minds, and what occupies our minds will finally take captive our hearts. The filthiness of the flesh creeps into our hearts through what occupies our thoughts.

Paul said that he delights in the law of God after the inward man, but there is another law in our members at war with our minds, working to bring us into captivity to the law of sin in our members (Romans 7:22-23). When this happens, we begin to delight in the iniquity that has taken root in our hearts. We cherish it! We value it and nurture it.

When we thus cherish iniquity in our hearts, God refuses to hear our prayers.

In the valley, standing in the shadow of His cross with head bowed, hands raised, and heart opened to His searching eyes, I understood. I must cleanse myself of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God (2 Corinthians 7:1). Consider the connection between our spirit and our mind (Ephesians 4:27).

The Shepherd spoke: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). It’s the work of denying self that involves letting the mind of Christ work in you the way of Christ: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5, see 5-11). This mind is accessible to us, for we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16b).

However, if we cherish, or “pant after,” that is lust for any work of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21) that has worked its way from our flesh and into our hearts, God will not hear us. We will not have the power of His kingdom displayed in or through our lives.

To free your thoughts from any lust of the flesh, we must “set our affections on things above” (Colossians 3:2). Jesus said, wherever our treasure is, there will our heart be also” (Matthew 6:21; see Luke 12:34).

Here is an example of setting our affections on “things above” from King David: “Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, Even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal: The gold for things of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers” (1 Chronicles 29:3-5).

At the table, having the mind of Christ, and denying self, my Shepherd anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy came along and took their place behind me as I rose to follow my Shepherd into the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v74c5ou-shepherds-pasture.html

[*A word-for-word translation of this verse, following Hebrew syntax, would look like this: “Iniquity, if cherished in heart, no hear the Lord.”]