Prayerlessness
Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:
1 Samuel 12:23.
Sin keeps us from prayer and prayer keeps us from sin.
Hence it has been established that the attitude of one’s prayer life is a proof of one’s dedication to God.
Prophet Samuel was given to prayer and sacrifice in the Scriptures. By the power of his prayer and sacrifice, God sent thunder from heaven against the enemies of Israel (1 Samuel 7:7-10). On another occasion, he prayed and brought down both thunder and rain from heaven (1 Samuel 12:18).
Samuel was a man of prayer and from his life and practice of consistent prayer, he made us to understand that prayerlessness is a sin. Samuel told the children of Israel that God forbids that he should sin against Him in ceasing to pray for them. This means, dedicated people see the act of prayerlessness as sin. We should know that to be prayerless is to sin according to Prophet Samuel. People who neglect prayer are not far from sin.
Prayerlessness, especially failure to pray for those who are your spiritual responsibilities, is a sin of omission. We sin against God when we refuse or neglect the practice of prayer. To be prayerful is be easily sin-free. Sin keeps us from prayer and prayer keeps us from sin. That is to say, to be prayerful is to be easily sin-free, and to be prayerless is to be sin-prone.
Prayer keeps us from sin because the Presence of God is a sanctifier, and prayer attracts God’s Presence. When we live with God at the place of prayer, His nature of holiness rubs on us.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ we should make up our mind like Samuel not to sin against God by refusing to pray. We should maintain a life of purity by maintaining a consistency in our prayer life.
We should all remember this: Sin keeps us from prayer and prayer keeps us from sin. We should make up our mind to hang around God in prayer always in order to absorb His holy nature. Decide not to fall into the temptation of prayerlessness.
Prayer
O Lord, I ask that You deliver me from the sin of prayerlessness. I ask for forgiveness Lord in any area I have sinned against You by being prayer less in the past. Set your fire on my prayer altar, Lord in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Sol.Fiona