Come before God with a "clean" heart Meditation 6

The writer of Love to Pray a 40 day devotional for deepening your prayer life http://bit.ly/fddKG6

Writer Alvin VanderGriend concluded that

· Sin hinders prayer

· Sin shuts us out from God

· This refers to unrepented sin

· When our sin is forgiven, we can be confident that God will hear and answer prayers

· Sin hinders prayer and prayer hinders sin

I have to admit commentary on this meditation is challenging for me. I don’t enter into very many discussions on confession and repentence. Perhaps I should.

I want so badly for people who don’t know Jesus to just “come as they are” I don’t spend much time talking about unrepented sin or confession.

It is biblically true that sin hinders our prayer.

If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened

Psalm 66:18

It is worth it for us to stop and take a look at issues in our lives that make us uneasy as we stand before the Throne of God. Could this be cherished sin?

Our Lenten meditation reminds us that in our prayer focus....

v We ought to praise God that he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins

v Confess any sins that the Spirit brings to our attention

v Thank God for forgiving us our sins and transgressions against him.

Finally church, we ought not ever forget about God’s grace. He said in his word…that on our best day….all confessed up and prayed up and feeling good about ourseves………

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. 2 Cor. 12:9

Prayer,

God in the name of Jesus, quicken our hearts and bring to our remembrance our behaviors that offend you. Help us to stand before the Throne of Grace as a people in need of your love and your grace.

Amen