A Prayer About Sin

A prayer about Sin

When I struggle with the concept of being sinful

God,

Why do I sometimes feel like sin is such an offensive word? I can talk about crimes like theft or murder; I can calculate statistics about adultery, unwed mothers, and divorce; I can trivialize greed, selfishness, and lust—but to call anything sin makes me uncomfortable. It implies the violation of an objective, absolute standard of behavior, and if I’m honest, I feel like that kind of standard is an infringement on my rights. I know my reaction displays a terrible misunderstanding of sin and an underestimation of you, God. If a doctor were to correctly diagnose a fatal disease in my body, I would not accuse him of intruding on my freedom; rather, I would be grateful because he could treat me. The Bible teaches that sin is a disease of the soul that will destroy my life if I do not treat it. God, your standards of behavior are like preventive medicine for my soul; your commandments are not meant to limit my freedom but to curtail the disease of sin. When I understand sin in this way, Lord, I am thankful that you care so deeply for my soul.

If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9