Q. What other reason have you?—A. By prayer thou confessest thou canst not live without his grace and mercy (Matt 14:30; Heb 4:16).
Q. Are all that pray heard of the Lord?—A. No; 'They looked,' that is prayed, 'but there was none to save; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not' (2 Sam 22:42).
Q. To what doth God compare the prayers which he refuseth to answer?—A. He compareth them to the howling of a dog (Hosea 7:14).
Q. Who be they whose prayers God will not answer?—A. Theirs, who think to be heard for their much speaking, and vain repetition (Matt 6:7).
Q. Is there any other whose prayer God refuseth?—A. Yes; There are that ask and have not, because what they ask, they would spend upon their lusts (James 4:3).
Q. Is there any other whose prayer God refuseth?—A. Yes; 'If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me' (Psa 66:18).[18]
Q. Is the regarding of sin in our heart such a deadly hinderance to prayer?—A. 'Son of man,' saith God, 'these men have set up their idols in their heart, and have put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face; should I be enquired of at all by them? I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb. And I will cut him off from the midst of my people' (Eze 14:3,8).
Q. Whose prayers be they that God will hear?—A. The prayers of the poor and needy (Psa 34:6; Isa 41:17).
Q. What do you mean by the poor?—A. Such as have poverty in spirit
(Matt 5:3).
Q. Who are they that are poor in spirit?—A. They that are sensible of the want and necessity of all those things of God, that prepare a man to the kingdom of heaven.