Jeremiah 14:11-12

Jeremiah 14:11-12 (ESV): “11 The Lord said to me: “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. 12 Though they fast, I will not hear their cry, and though they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence.”

Unrepentant sin is a great offense to God.

It not only hinders a person’s prayers (Ps 66:18) but also the work of intercession on their behalf. It renders their fasting ineffective. Repent, and keep your heart soft, so you’ll never find yourself in that situation.

Jeremiah wrote during a time when Judah was experiencing a severe drought, just prior to the Babylonian exile. This drought symbolized the impending judgment upon Judah due to her persistent idolatry and sinfulness. God instructed Jeremiah not to pray for the welfare of the people because they were not truly repentant. Their sorrow was worldly, not godly. As a result, the Lord would neither acknowledge their fasting nor hear their prayers—or the prayers made on their behalf.

Are you going through a spiritual drought today? Do you feel like your prayers are going unheard?  Have you considered that the reason might be unrepentance?

You cannot practice sin and be in a right relationship with God (1 John 3:8–10). Hebrews 10:26 says there is no sacrifice for the one who deliberately continues in sin. Yet if we confess our sins—turning away from them—God is faithful and just to forgive us and restore our fellowship with Him (1 John 1:8–10). Not all hardship is a result of sin, but some certainly is. Ask God to reveal the source of your drought—and then respond accordingly. Amen?

Father, search us and know us. See if there be any wicked way in us. Reveal our hearts, that we might respond accordingly. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.