Dissembling in Prayer

Jeremiah 42:1-3 reads, “Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:) that the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.” Herein this remnant of Judah presented their request for prayer that the Lord their God might direct them in the way that He would have them to go. They made request for prayer that the Lord might direct them in the way of His will in order that they might obediently walk therein. Certainly, this was a good request to make.

Yet after having revealed the Lord’s answer to their request in verses 7-18, the prophet Jeremiah then presented a significant rebuke against this remnant of Judah. In verse 20 he proclaimed, “For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.” Herein the prophet Jeremiah accused this remnant of having dissembled in their hearts as they expressed their request for prayer. Now, to dissemble in one’s heart means to attempt to manipulate another by concealing one’s true motives under a false appearance. Even so, this remnant of Judah dissembled in their prayer request before the Lord God, seeking to manipulate Him through prayer.