Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved! O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? Psalms 80:3-4
This verse presents us with an issue we might never have considered. God’s anger is sometimes directed toward seemingly good things—like prayer. A good thing becomes a bad thing when the heart remains bent on sin even while “doing the right thing”. Even prayer becomes repugnant if it covers an evil heart. Notice this in the following verses:
My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all. Hosea 11:7
If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. Proverbs 28:9
“Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? Ezekiel 14:3
Then they will cry to the LORD, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have made their deeds evil. Micah 3:4
In other words, our heart attitude and posture in prayer is critical. Ps 80:3-4 is a prayer offered, knowing that previous prayers have been rejected. What do we learn here about how this cycle of rejected prayers is broken?