So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1
There is an English proverb which goes, “The guilty are afraid”. I believe it has a lot of merit. And the opposite is also true. There is a confidence or boldness that comes from knowing that you’re guiltless in the sight of God. When you truly understand that your sins are totally washed away, your whole life is transformed-including your prayers.
For the Bible says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16). Sadly, many Christians approach the throne of grace without confidence. They seem to have a suspicion that God is not quite keen to hear their prayers, let alone answer them. That’s why many of our prayers are so tentative, hesitant and speculative.
Do you really believe that because you are in Christ there is no longer any condemnation against you? How deep is your awareness of that truth? It’s quite easy to tell when a believer does not really understand the extent of God’s pardon for all who’ve received His gift of salvation. One easy telltale sign is when your language is sin-conscious” rather than righteousness conscious.
For instance, when you always start your prayers by confessing sin, you may be suffering from the problem of sin-consciousness. Of course, we’re not saying believers should harbour unconfessed sin in their hearts. But have you noticed that in the Lord’s Prayer, confession of sin is the FIFTH out of 6 parts? Check it out.
Let us not downplay the great work the Lord has done for us on the cross. Let your faith, prayers, worship, witness, ministry, relationships, attitudes and dreams reflect the fact that when God looks at you, He has no thoughts of condemnation or judgment against you. He already paid the full price for your total forgiveness. He loves you more than you’ll ever know. Start living accordingly.