'Do not Pray for this People.'

  “Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you.' (Jeremiah 7:16)

It is probably only unusual to our minds that a prophet would receive such a command because we are conditioned to think according to man's thinking and not to obeying the voice of the Lord. It isn't only nations for whom God might tell one not to pray, but individuals too. This might seem shocking for those who think that faith implies a one fits all method, and who use the Bible as a rule book - convenient to them, because they unconsciously think that if it says something in the Bible, they don't need to listen to the Spirit. There are times in the Bible where the word of the Holy Spirit in one place appears to contradict another word in another place. And while people may harden their hearts, there also comes a time when the Lord Himself hardens people's hearts, so that He may judge them, for purposes best known to Himself. Our self-righteous thinking is only a hindrance here. May we seek Him for Who He is and not what we think He ought to do. That way we won't find ourselves at loggerheads with Him.