Some Christians today are afraid to pray or do not have the zeal to pray because they are sinning. So, you might ask, “Can I still pray even if I’m sinning?” That’s what we are going to answer today.
A potentially misleading quote
I recently read a Facebook post that goes like this:
It says, “Never limit your prayer because you think you’re sinful or underserving. You’re not praying because of who you are; you’re praying because of who He is.”
Now, this quote seems to be nice, encouraging, and even inspiring. After all, the power of prayer isn’t in the one who says it but in the One who hears it.
We are all sinners and if we stop praying simply because we are sinners, then we will all stop praying. Thankfully, that’s not how prayer works. We can always go to God, ask for forgiveness, and receive His grace and mercy.
The Danger of Living in Sin
However, there’s one dangerous teaching from this quote. Some may think that it is okay to live a sinful life since it doesn’t matter to God. Whether we live a sinful life or not, we can still pray. That’s the subtle teaching from this quote people might have.
The Bible clearly tells us that our prayers can become an abomination. We read:
9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law,
Proverbs 28:9
Even his prayer is an abomination.
This verse tells us that if we don’t obey God and we persist in doing what is not according to His Law, then our prayers become an abomination. The Hebrew word for abomination here means disgusting and abhorrent.
So, yes, we can always go to God in prayer even if we are sinners. However, there’s a difference between a repentant sinner and an unrepentant sinner. The prayers of unrepentant sinners will eventually become an abomination. If we don’t change our wicked ways, God will not answer our prayers.
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