August 21 – Prayer & Purity (James 5:16)

“The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”(Proverbs 15:29)

IN WORD:
As much as we’d like to think that there is no correlation between our sin and the depth of our prayer life, the biblical witness is clear: The sin in the heart affects the prayers of the mouth. There is a cleansing that must happen before we enter the throne room of God. There is an emptying that must take place before God occupies the throne of our heart. The interference must be dealt with so the communication will be clear.
God takes sin seriously, far more seriously than we do. A heart that tolerates it is in no condition to commune with the Holy One. If prayer is fellowship — and it is — there can be none of it when a corrupt soul tries to get intimate with a spotlessly pure God. Like oil and water, there is no intermingling between the Holy and the profane. Sin and prayer do not mix.
The principle raises a serious concern for us. We know deep down that we are sinful. How then can we ever pray? By the purifying that comes through Jesus. He has made us clean. He has opened the curtain at the entrance to the Holy of Holies. We may enter in and fellowship with the righteous God. But we take this for granted. Perhaps we thought that it was a once-for-all event, that salvation implied a permanent cleansing. It does, of course — we are forever seen as righteous in God’s eyes. But that righteousness must be lived if faith is to be vibrant. A disobedient soul will find little in common with the Lord of all creation. Some know their position in Christ but will not live it. Prayer cannot thrive in such a context.

IN DEED:
Have you ever felt that your relationship with God, while genuinely secure, functions awkwardly? Do your prayers seem out of sync with his will? By His mercy, God is calling you closer. You must drop your sin to draw near to Him, but it is an infinitely worthwhile exchange. Sin hinders prayer and fellowship. Confess it, repent of it, right your wrongs, and get closer to the heart of God.

“As long as we meddle with any kind of sin we shall never clearly see the blessed face of our Lord.”
-Julian of Norwich-