Message #12 (of 20) from the PrayerPower radio series
"Asking - God’s Way"

by Kaye Johns

We’re told that confession of sins is an on-going requirement for God to hear our prayers [Psalm 66:18]. God never asks us to do something He won’t enable us to do, so we can count on Him to make us sensitive to our sins so that we may confess them.

That sensitivity to sin is a gift from God, part of what He desires to give us when we ask for the Holy Spirit [Luke 11:13]. Without the convicting sensitivity of the Spirit, it becomes easy to be comfortable with unconfessed sin, oblivious to the fact we’re out of touch with Him and perhaps missing the blessing of answered prayer.

Have you ever wondered how King David could have lived with the awful sins of adultery and murder without confessing them to the God He knew and loved? If David could separate himself so completely from God that he could live with those sins, how much more could we? But God loved David so much that He wouldn’t let their fellowship continue to be broken. He sent Nathan the prophet to convict David of his sin: "You are the man!" [2 Samuel 12:7]

God knew David’s heart. He knew David would not question, would not deny or make excuse. David simply acknowledged he was the man. He confessed and repented, was forgiven and restored--as we will be, that our prayers might be heard.

Pray with me now -- Lord, give us sensitivity to the sins in our lives. Keep us from ignoring them, that we may face them, confess them and be forgiven, in Jesus’ name, amen.

ã 1999 PrayerPower Ministries, P.O. Box 1368, Dallas, TX 75380-1368, 1-800-949-PRAY.
May be copied for personal or church use; please include PrayerPower name, address and phone on copies.