Calling Out to God #5

Proverbs 15:

8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
    but the prayer of the upright is acceptable to him.
9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
    but he loves him who pursues righteousness.

Here we hear echoes of what we read in James 5 a few days ago: The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (16b).  Of course the reality is that this wise proverb came 1000 years before the book of James.  God is not impressed by our religious words or actions - especially when we use them as a cover for our wicked, self-conceived intentions and actions. What He is looking for, what gets His ear, are the prayers of those who are right with Him and with those around us.  The second verse above really is a parallel to the first: what God is really looking for is for us to pursue a relationship with Him, for us to call out to Him, and ask those questions: "What do you want from me? What should I do now? What is it that would really please you?  What can I do to make things right with my family, my neighbor, and You?" Prayer is part of the pursuit.  It's not the endgame in itself. It is opening ourselves up to say: "Help me get this right, Lord."