#58 “Identifying Barrier: To Answered Prayer!”

(Living with Bitterness)

 

“If I regard iniquity in my heart,

the Lord will not hear me.”

[Ps. 66:18].”

King James Version (KJV)  

Bitterness, what exactly is bitterness?  “Bitterness is resentment: a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will towards someone.” Bitterness is extreme enmity, grudge, hatred; or rather an excessive degree of passions and emotions; as the bitterness of anger; sharpness; severity of temper, biting sarcasm, distress of mind” 

So what then is “A root of bitterness?” Let’s look at a natural root in order for a root to spring up it has to first come from a seed. Once the seed is planted it has to be watered, otherwise it will not be able to grow. So how then does a root of bitterness grow inside of us? It starts with the seed of offense. Someone says something about you or to you that wounds you, that’s the seed. Next comes the watering of the seed, this can comes by way of self-pity, multiple offenses or via an instigators, someone who keeps stirring up the matter. When we sit back and start feeling sorry for ourselves and thinking, “Then should not have done that to me,” or “They hurt my feelings.” When you continue to dwell on the matter without giving it to the Lord and releasing it then it starts to take root within your heart. Now that root of bitterness is growing in you and unless you repent and release it this plant will continue to grow. 

Let’s look at some seeds of bitterness:

~ Being rejected can cause a root of bitterness to spring up..

~ Being denied (being denied something you deeply desire like a job position by a boss or church head.

~ Being betrayed (someone you love or admire betrays you and you lose trust in them; it could be a friend, spouse, relative or Co-worker, even a supervisor)

~ Being belittled (Someone who said something cruel making you feel small or embarrassed, before other people that was   inappropriate)

~ Dwelling on bad experiences. (Many people have difficulty letting go of past experiences divorce, break-up with boy/girl friend, many things happen to some people that they struggle to forget or overcome)

Any or all of these things if not attended to can cause a root of bitterness to spring up and produce fruit of bitterness. Bitterness is a deadly thin especially when it comes to our prayer life. Bitterness is in fact a hidden hatred against someone, which you are unwilling to forgive; however holding unforgiveness never hurts the other person only the one holding the grudge. Holding bitterness will consume your life and goes to the very core of your heart and begins to wither the person mentally and socially as well as physically. Think of the root of bitterness like a creeping vine, you know the kind that just appears out of nowhere and within a very short time have taken over the whole area. This is how bitterness acts in ones heart; it can quickly overshadow your whole life if left unattended. 

So what affect does bitterness have on our prayer life?  “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalms 66:18) here the word likens bitterness to iniquity and God hates iniquity. Hebrews 1:9 says, “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity,” this translation of iniquity means the something as lawlessness or committing a crime or breaking the law. It can also be related to secret sin because it is something you can’t see like jealousy, enviousness or covetousness.  If you see someone and instead of admiring the clothes they are wearing you are really envious of them.  Or when you hug someone and tell them that you love them, but you really despise them, this is called iniquity.  

 

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to, cause trouble and defile many.” (Hebrews 12:15) It’s important to guard against the sin of bitterness and iniquity so you can enter the presence of God freely. “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:31-32) 

My Prayer: Lord we thank you for your word which helps us to understand you law, that we can walk in them. We ask you to help us to release all anger and hurt so that there will be no root of bitterness in our lives. We forgive those who have hurt, rejected, denied and offended us in the past or present and we let them go in Jesus name. Thank you for healing us for every wounded heart and restoring us in your love. These things we ask in Jesus name Amen!! 

 

Have A Bless Day…Go in God’s Peace!  

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