A young woman walked the isle of her church one Sunday morning carrying a heavy burden on her heart. She struggled daily with a ruthless habit she could not break. Her soul was in torment. Longing to be liberated from her sin, she sought God countless times begging His help to no avail. She decided to bring the matter to her pastor.

She divulged her unholy habit to the preacher and requested his prayers. To the women’s surprise, the pastor declined.

“No. I will not pray for you.” He stated politely.

Astounded, the youthful lady probed. “Why will you not pray for me? Isn’t that your duty?”

The wise preacher advised the woman, “When you get tired of this sin and you’re ready to stop, repent and you will be free.”

There are two lessons we learn from this story.

1. We often ask God the wrong question.

Instead of asking God to “help me,” our prayer should be, “forgive me.”

2. Our tendency is to lie to ourselves and God concerning our sin.

The reason sin continues to grip our lives is the fact we really don’t want to let go of it. If we did, we would. We must stop lying to ourselves and God and repent of our offence. Then, the sweet taste of victory will be ours.

Consider the pastor’s words.

“When you’re ready to stop and willing to laid it down, you’ll be free.”

The power is in our hands.

God has already done His part by providing freedom from sin through His Son’s death on a cross. Christ’s shed blood covers our guilty sin and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. We should thank God for His wonderful gift of grace. Yet, confession not a one-time deal.

It takes a lifetime of repentance to rid us of our sin and conform us into the image of Jesus. God searches every corner of our heart and soul looking for sin to purge. Just when we think we’ve cleaned house, God shines the light on yet another ungodly habit. Not to condemn us but to change us!

In doing so, He’s fulfilling His promise to us. Paul declares…

“I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Phil 1:6) Another gift of grace!

We can be confident that God will conform us into His holy likeness as we repent of the sin He illuminates.

Note: (Repentance means to change. To walk away. Go in a different direction. Leave the sin behind.)

It’s not enough to be sorry or cry helplessly over sin in prayer. We must cut it down at the root by our own hands. Once we make the cut, God’s power sets us free.

He is looking for those who long for holiness. Those who long to put all worldly things aside and serve only Him.

Christians who are hungry for God will cry out with humble hearts, “Lord, forgive me! Change my heart.” And He will!

Action Step: Ponder this today: The more I eliminate sin, the more I will look like Jesus.

When we pray believing, we can count on receiving. I’m not talking about a name it and claim philosophy. I’m talking about real Bible believing faith that takes God at His word such as Mark 11:24.

“Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Sounds good but is it a reality in our lives?  If you’re like me, you approach prayer with faith but close with doubts. Somewhere between asking and believing, there’s a shift in my thinking—a separation of two principles.

“Yes, God, you can do anything, but the doctor says.”

“Yes, God, you can break the chains of addiction, but He’s been chained for a long time.”

“Yes, God, I believe you can work it all out for good, but it’s hard to see what good can come of this.”

Skepticism separates what I think is impossible from what IS possible with God. When this happens, I’m suddenly at odds with myself. And, I walk away feeling as if my prayer was a useless waste of time. That’s sad. No, it’s tragic to go without when God has a store house of blessings He desires to give us if we would only ask.

Matthew says it best. “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11)

Yet, without faith we limit God.

So, what does it take for prayer to work? Belief. I must trust I’ve ALREADY received what I requested.

If I need peace, peace is mine. If I need a job, it’s just around the corner. If I need wisdom, then I move forward with the right decision trusting my wisdom is God wisdom.

Faith is what makes God’s promises a reality in our lives.

I tend to make prayer way more complicated than it is. God makes it simple. “Ask, believing you will receive, and it will be yours.”

The next time you’re at odds with yourself wavering between faith and doubt, choose faith. It makes a real difference in your prayer life and your relationship with God.