Unpleasant Bible verses

Many people, myself included, are drawn toward pleasant Bible passages, such as Psalm 23. By contrast, the unpleasant passages make us uncomfortable, or perhaps even scared. But those passages appear in the Bible because they contain important spiritual insights. Therefore, unpleasant as they are, we cannot ignore them.

Turning to Ezekiel 14:3 (NLT),

...these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests?

If we emphasize idols (e.g., success, money, social standing) over God, then he won't listen to our prayers. That message clearly is unpleasant, but it's also important.

Let us make every effort to remove those idolatrous focuses from our lives. Then we'll get the most out of prayer!