Does sin interfere with our prayer life?

I have been pondering this question over the last several weeks.  Does unconfessed sin cause God not to listen to my prayers?  Before you give me your gut level reaction.  I want us to focus on what the Bible says, not personal opinion or preference.

I want to share some Scripture that led me to believe the answer was yes.
"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2)
"18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,  the Lord would not have listened;" (Psalm 66:18)
 "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect . . ., so that nothing will hinder your prayers." (1 Peter 3:7)
After reading these passages, I concluded sin will hinder my prayers. But as I have been studying what Christ has done for me on the cross and how that impacts how I live, I started to wonder if this is correct theology.

What did Jesus' death on the cross accomplish? Because of the cross, I am dead to sin and alive in Christ.  When God looks at me, instead of seeing my sin, God sees Christ's righteousness.  As the Scriptures below state, I can approach God confidently because of Jesus.

" 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16)
" 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Romans 6:18)
"as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."     (Psalm 103:12 )
So, how would you answer the question?  Does my sin keep God from hearing me?  Or does Christ's death on the cross cover over my sin?  Please share your comments as we seek to better understand what God's Word is saying.

Comments

  1. markAugust 21, 2012 at 12:12 PM

    Sin is like my smartphone. I can't have a conversation with my wife or kids if I don't get it out of my face. I am not focused on them if I just continue to turn to the screen in front of me. I need to set my face upon them.

    To have a real conversation with the LORD, and one where He listens, we need to confess our sin. Because holding onto sin is setting our faces upon that sin, and not upon the LORD.

    ReplyDelete

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