May 8

Sanctify yourselves; for to-morrow the Lord will do wonders among you. — Josh 3:5

To sanctify means to cleanse, to make holy. God will not send His gifts to others in unclean vessels.

Every morning, as we set out, we have promises for help, but these promises are dependent upon ourselves. We must be in a proper frame of heart and mind to receive them. God will not put His holy gifts into our hands if they are defiled with sin.

The lesson is for all of us, as we go to God in prayer, or as we ask for blessing. If, while we pray, our hearts are cherishing sins un–confessed and un–repented of, we cannot hope that God will grant our requests. Our Lord said Himself that if we bring our gifts to the altar and there remember that our brother has aught against us, we must leave our gift un–offered before the altar, and go and be reconciled with our brother, and then come and offer our gift.

An old psalm says that if we regard iniquity in our heart the Lord will not hear us. The secret of many unanswered prayers may be found in cherished sins.