How Sin Affects Your Prayer Life!

Devotionals
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#1

Reflection from Karl Henager

How Sin Affects Your Prayer Life!

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.—Psalm 66:18

Habitual sin in the life of a Christian can bring his or her prayer life to a screeching halt. That is not to say we have to be sinless to pray. If that were the case, none of us could ever approach God. The Bible even says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). It also tells us that when we sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (see 1 John 2:1).

The Bible makes allowances for sin in our lives and offers God’s mercy and forgiveness to us, but unconfessed sin certainly can hinder our prayers. The psalmist said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (66:18). Another way to translate the word regard would be “hold on to.” In other words, if we cling to iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us.

There is a difference between sin and willful sin. There is a difference between stumbling, being sorry for it, and turning from it, and continually, willfully, and habitually sinning. If you are sensing God’s conviction and know what you’re doing isn’t right, that is God’s Holy Spirit lovingly trying to wake you up and warn you of the perilous path you have put yourself on.

Hebrews 12:6 says, “Whom the Lord loves He chastens.” To loosely paraphrase, “Whom God really loves, He spanks.” Because He cares about you, He applies the “board of education” to your “seat of understanding.” Some of us need a trip behind God’s woodshed. When that happens, don’t recoil and complain that it’s unfair. Instead, rejoice that God loves you enough to deal with you as a father deals with his son or daughter.

#2

There is nothing wrong about admitting one’s sin, because as humans as we are we really commit it… sometimes unconsciously and sometimes intentionally…but even if we sin, we need to realize that all of our sins are cleansed in Jesus thru confession and solemn prayer… But, if you continue to abide in sin, then God will not answer your prayers.

#3

It is normal for us humans to commit sins.As long as we pray ,repent and ask God for forgiveness.God will hear your prayers when you’ll stop doing the sins you’ve commited.

#4

“If you are sensing God’s conviction and know what you’re doing isn’t right, that is God’s Holy Spirit lovingly trying to wake you up and warn you of the perilous path you have put yourself on.”

When we feel that something is heavy or weighing us down, let us give it to God. Let God meet us halfway and He will help us to rise again. We are deserving of relief. Or that weight being lifted off our hearts. But first, we have to be honest to ourselves before we confess to God. Repeated mistakes will sink us more. The more we do it, the more we cannot find the right path. We just need to confess it all to Him. He will listen to us and he will tell us what to do. Sins and mistakes are part of our life that will mold us, strengthen us, make us stronger and making our faith stronger.

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#5

It is ironic that prayer is actually the rescue chopper from the captivity of sin. It’s the only way out. Like making contact with a Search and Rescue Team, prayer discloses our location and position. The way out of the spiraling pattern of sin is to confess it and repent. We remember that when we do this God forgives us (1 John 1:9). Sin, at its core, is pride. Prayer, at its core, is the expression of humility. The only way out of sin is to humble ourselves before God, embrace reality, and plead for mercy and grace. Our hearts are tricky and quite deceptive (Jer. 17:9). We will tell ourselves that we can’t pray because we haven’t been praying. Our flesh will rage against humbling ourselves before God in prayer. This is where we must remember the basis of our access.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15–16)

When we recognize the corrosive nature of sin and how it eats away at our spiritual life, we will be compelled to keep short accounts with God and fight through seasons of guilt from prayerlessness. It’s been rightly said, sin will keep you from prayer, and prayer will keep you from sin. But it is also true, prayer will lead you out of sin. Sometimes this is hard work. But it is good work. Remember, you are never too sinful to pray when your prayer is one of repentance. Christ is mighty to save, and his grace is greater than all of our sin.

#6

Thank you so much, especially for these words → The Bible makes allowances for sin in our lives and offers God’s mercy and forgiveness to us, but unconfessed sin certainly can hinder our prayers. The psalmist said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear”

Sometimes when I pray I can feel my words are not going past our roof. It is at those times I know I have confessed sins in my heart.