Prayer and Sin

1 We should pray to God to show us our sin.

Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:

Psa 139:24 And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

David prayed to God and asked Him to search his heart, and his thoughts to see if there was any wickedness in him. But David did not stop there, he then asks God to lead him in the way everlasting. We should do the same, ask God to show us our sin and then lead us in the way that we should go.

Job 13:23 How many [are] mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.

Job had the same desire for God to show him his sin. This is in stark contrast to many churches today were sin is not on the menu. They only preach feel good messages. That might be good for getting the numbers up, but it is not biblical. If they started preaching a real convicting message on sin, the people would be running out the doors. It would empty the place out real quick. Why, because today’s professing Christian loves their sin. They do not want to be shown what their sins are because they do not want to give them up. But the Bible teaches that we are to pray and ask God to show us our sin.

2 Then we should pray that God will pardon our iniquity.

Exo 34:9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it [is] a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.

Psa 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Luk 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

After we have prayed to God to show us our sins, then we need to pray and ask God for forgiveness.

3 We should pray that God will deliver us from evil, and keep us from sin.

Mat 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Psa 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.

Sin should be so distasteful to a Christian that he prays to God for deliverance from them. The Christian should have the heart to pray that God will keep him from presumptuous sins, and that sins will not have dominion over him. If you are in the mind set that I can sin all I want because then I can ask for forgiveness, you have two main problems. One, you have an unbiblical attitude. The verses in this lesson are showing us the right attitude, the biblical attitude is one that hates sin, and asks God to keep us from it. Number two you are forgetting God’s principal of sowing and reaping.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

King David sowed the destruction of a family, by sleeping with another man’s wife and then killing the husband (by sending him to his death) to hide the affair. David prayed, confessed his sin and asked for forgiveness. God did forgive him. However, God will not be mocked. What David sowed, he reaped. David caused adultery and death in another man’s family, and David had to suffer adultery and death in his own family. In fact his own son tried to kill him. David got forgiveness and David’s sin will be forgotten at the judgment seat, but God will not be mocked. Therefore David had to pay a price for his sin. The same is true for you. There is a price that you pay in this life for your sin. You will have to reap what you sow. Preachers that do not warn their people about the consequences of sin are just setting their people up for a lot of reaping. If they truly loved their people, then they would warn them.

Having the biblical attitude of hating sin and asking God to keep you from it, will save you a whole lot of trouble in this life!

4 Sin will keep our prayers from being heard.

Psa 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear [me]:

Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear.

Jer 5:25 Your iniquities have turned away these [things], and your sins have withholden good [things] from you.

The above verses make it very clear that sin in your life will keep God from hearing your prayers! Do you have problems? Do you want your prayers answered? Then keep close accounts with God. Ask Him to show you any sin in your life, then confess it to Him, and ask for forgiveness. And do it daily so that God will hear your prayers!