Don’t Let Repetitive Sin Keep You from Prayer
There are times in our walk with God when we are tempted to think we have sinned one too many times for God to hear us again in prayer. But as humble as this sounds, and seems to us at the moment of prayerlessness, it is in reality a subtle manifestation of our unbelief. For Christ our living Savior is truly sufficient for our every need and His sacrificial death sufficient for our every sin. If we are tempted to think, “I sin time and again, and therefore I do not dare to come again to God—it would be as if I were mocking with God,” we must, in the words of the Dutch Reformer Wilehlmus à Brakel, “make use of Christ daily.” If you are struggling to go to God in prayer because of repetitive sin then let the reformer’s biblical counsel ring in your ears and resonate in your heart.
When you prayed in a most acceptable manner and when God heard and answered your prayer, God saw all your future sins as if they were presently committed. It is God’s will that we shall forgive our neighbor seventy times seven—this being required in one day. God, however, is infinitely more longsuffering and benevolent than man. Reconciliation has already been accomplished in Christ and you may accept this at all times to your continual justification. You do not have it in your power to keep yourself from sin; your old man is too evil and too strong for this. God permits sin to remain in you for the very reason that you would always be of a humble disposition and to make use of Christ daily. It would be mockery if you did not repeatedly have a heartfelt desire to sin no more, while yet praying for strength against and the forgiveness of sin. Since, however, this is the case with you, do not allow the fact that you sin repeatedly keep you from prayer. Rather, come all the more, since you are in need of forgiveness and strength, so that the grace of God may be glorified all the more. [Volume 3, The Christian’s Reasonable Service]
Remember Jesus. He always lives to make intercession for us (Heb 7:25).
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