Prayers
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Proverbs 28:13
Ah, my brethren this is the heart of the true penitent. Mark well that man or woman who mourns over their sins and confesses them both privately before Almighty God and before those against whom they have sinned.
Some people do not know the evil of their heart and haven't studied their many sins from their youth to present. Let this be done so as to humble the soul for it's wickedness and rebellion against the goodness of the Lord.
Everybody has some sins with which they are struggling because they still have a body that lusts after sin and that hasn't been redeemed. The apostle Paul writes for "...waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
Romans 8:23
Let's take the sin of covetousness.
When we lust after material things for example such as money or a new car or something we desire that we do not presently have then we are in danger of sinning. Part of our prayers must be to confess AND to forsake. It's not enough to just confess our sins but we must forsake them and cast them from us as an unclean thing.
God has given us all things lawful to richly enjoy but let us not desire more than God has providentially alloted to us.
5. "Mortify, therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and COVETOUSNESS, which is IDOLATRY:
6. For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: Col. 3:5-6
According the Merriam-Webster Dictionary covetousness means
1. marked by inordinate desire for wealth or possessions or for another's possessions
2. having a craving for possession
Other words with similar meaning are grabby,acquisitive, avaricious, avid, coveting, greedy, grasping, mercenary, moneygrubbing, rapacious
Covetous people are always wanting more and never satisfied with what they have. Business people often launch businesses because they desire to get rich and live a life of luxury.
Poor people can also covet the wealth of the rich but God says
"And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." 1 Timothy 6:8
Did you know that a covetous person makes an idol out of that which he or she covets? This is why God says that covetousness is idolatry. Such will not inherit the kingdom of God.
The first of the Ten Commandments given by God to the children of Israel prohibits idolatry. Idolatry is having a desire or love for anything that is greater than God. Often this can include money.
Martin Luther said we sin every day therefore we must be repenting every day also.
The famous commentator Matthew Henry said this about Proverbs 28:13
Here is,
1. The folly of indulging sin, of palliating and excusing it, denying or extenuating it, diminishing it, dissembling it, or throwing the blame of it upon others: He that thus covers his sins shall not prosper, let him never expect it.
He shall not succeed in his endeavour to cover his sin, for it will be discovered, sooner or later. There is nothing hid which shall not be revealed. A bird of the air shall carry the voice.
Murder will out, and so will other sins. He shall not prosper, that is, he shall not obtain the pardon of his sin, nor can he have any true peace of conscience. David owns himself to have been in a constant agitation while he covered his sins, Ps. xxxii. 3, 4. While the patient conceals his distemper he cannot expect a cure.
2. The benefit of parting with it, both by a penitent confession and a universal reformation: He that confesses his guilt to God, and is careful not to return to sin again, shall find mercy with God, and shall have the comfort of it in his own bosom. His conscience shall be eased and his ruin prevented. See 1 John i. 9; Jer. iii. 12, 13. When we set sin before our face (as David, My sin is ever before me) God casts it behind his back.
Let us confess each and every sin that does so easily beset us and then let us forsake it as something most heinous and hateful in God's sight. Indeed we must see sin as criminal and worthy of punishment before a just and holy God.
During your prayer time take some time today to confess your sins and ask God for grace to abandon each and every one of them. For this purpose Christ came to die that He might destroy the works of sin. If this be the case then how shall we continue in any sin and claim to have the love of God dwelling in us? If we love God then we will keep His commandments. John 14:15
Carlton Pruitt ministers the gospel to the Los Angeles area. Formerly a Hollywood actor (SAG member)and junk removal expert he now spends most of his time studying the scriptures, writing articles, hymns and poems and doing street preaching. See his videos on http://www.youtube.com Type LAStreetPreacher in the search bar. CONTACT at [email protected]
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