Praying becomes a chore when we... are shameful of our sins.

Couple of weeks ago, I talked about how not understanding God's power can have a negative effect on our prayer life. Often we fail to pray because we simply don't believe that God is able to answer our prayers.

This week, I want to talk about another prayer killer - shame.

I'm sure that like me, there are times in your life when you find praying really hard when you are struggling with a particular sin. It becomes even harder when we fail to stand up to that temptation! I can remember saying to myself, "How can you honestly pray to God and ask for forgiveness if this is the fourth time you've lashed out at the parents this week?" Or, "How can I pray to God for forgiveness when I knowingly downloaded another illegal copy of a movie online?" Asking for forgiveness is already hard as it is (mostly because we hate to admit that we're wrong), but asking for forgiveness on a sin that seems to be so habitual is almost mission impossible.

I guess there are three ways we can really tackle the problem of shame or guilt.

1) Repent. Really look deep into your heart, and change. Sin is not compatible with a person who believes in Jesus. We have died to sin! Paul teaches that church in Rome (in Roman 6) that since we've died to sin, how can we live in it any longer? He urges us to not let sin reign over our mortal body so that we obey its evil desires. We are not to offer our bodies to sin, but to God; not as instruments of wickedness, but as instruments of righteousness. Prayer becomes easier when we really work hard at ridding our bodies from the filth that is sin.

2) Christ already died for your sins on the cross, there is true forgiveness. We were dead in our transgressions, but God in his love and mercy, made us alive in Jesus. For it is by grace you've been saved! In Romans 8, Paul says this, "Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." And indeed, we are in Christ Jesus, and our sins have been atoned by his blood, which he so willingly poured out for us. We have been justified in Jesus, and God continues to sanctify us by his Spirit. In order that in the coming ages, we will be glorified with him forever. Prayer becomes easier when we understand and reminded of our new relationship with God, that we are no longer enemies, but co-heirs with Christ.

3) Jesus has been there! He can help us. Hebrews 4:15-16 says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Jesus has been tempted us like us, yet he did not bow down to sin, he conquered it. He's been there and won it, so that when we are struggling, he can understand and can help us. Prayer becomes easier when we know that Jesus is able to help us in times of need.

I think it is a good sign when we feel shameful about our sin, because as Christians, we ought to feel sadden by our sinfulness, by our rejection of the one that saves us. Therefore it is of utmost importance that we recognize which area we fall short in and change. But at the end of the day, know that there is true forgiveness in Christ Jesus, he had died so that us sinners don't have to. Know that we are not saved by our own merits or holiness, but by God's loving kindness.

God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 5:8

Praying becomes a chore when we... doubt.

I've just recently rediscovered for myself the joy of praying to God. For the past couple of years, I've found prayer a struggle and a chore! I guess sometimes I only prayed because I felt that I'm obligated to as a Christian. So I will only pray if I feel I really need to get something done; or else, a prayer of few words before sleep.

I think there are three things that contributed to my failure to pray to God often. (1) I doubt the ability of God to answer my prayers, (2) shame and (3) because I'm just plain lazy. Over the next three weeks, I will try and explain why these are the major contributor in my praylessness and how I think they are best tackled so that instead of being a prayer wimp, we can be prayer warriors.

Doubting the ability of God to answer our request
In the western society, we tend to see the world in two separate ways, the physical and the spiritual . Sunshine and rain; houses and cars; boyfriends and girlfriends, we categorize them as belonging to the physical world. But as for God and the devil and all that we cannot see, we put them into the spiritual basket. And because we were brought up by the society that taught us these two worlds don't intersect, we automatically assume that they don't. And because God belongs to the spiritual world and we belong to the physical, we start saying to ourselves that God doesn't really control the gravity of the earth; the rain from the sky, or he can't possibly provide me a with a wife or husband! Because all these things are part of the "real" physical world that God has no control over.

However, the bible teaches us otherwise, it not only teaches us that the spiritual world intersects with the physical world, but that God has control not only the spiritual, but the physical. Why? Because we know that God created everything. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1); "by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible or invisible" (Colossians 1:16). Not only did God create everything, he also sustains. "In him all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17); "The Son is the radiance of God's glory..., sustaining all things by his powerful word" (Hebrews 1:3). Knowing that God is the creator and sustainer of this world, we can be assure that when we ask him for things, he has the power to give it to us. And because God is the God of the physical and spiritual; natural and supernatural, he can answer our prayers in different ways! God provided water for the Israelites from a rock while they were in the dessert. And God also raised Lazarus from the dead. God is the God of everything, that includes the physical and the spiritual.

Be assure that God does have the power to answer our prayers, whether they're big or small. He's the creator of the universe; nothing is too big for him. And he loves us! (Just look at what he did for us in Jesus!) So there are no requests too small for him either. Paul encourages us to pray "but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God" (Philippians 4: 6). Paul didn't say present your request to God in somethings only; he said present your request to God in everything. So next time don't hesitate to pray, because God will hear our prayers and although he may not say YES to all our requests (yes, he does say no sometimes!), as the creator and sustainer of the universe, he is able answer our prayers.