Lies I Believe That Keep Me Off My Knees: I’m Too Sinful

Lies I Believe That Keep Me Off My Knees: I’m Too Sinful for God to Hear My Prayers

Well, you’re kinda on to something there. 

As a sinful and utterly depraved individual, you and I have done nothing to earn an audience with God. In fact, the Bible says, “we are by nature children of God’s wrath,” meaning that we deserve God’s wrath, not His blessings (Ephesians 2:3).

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love He had for us, made us alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4). And not only that, but he has also made us joint-heirs with Christ, giving us all the rights and privileges that come with being God’s children (Romans 8:17).

Though we often sin against God, here are two reasons why we can confidently lift up our prayers to God.

Our Union with Christ

When you pray, God doesn’t just see you. He sees you in Christ. He sees you enclosed in the person of Jesus Christ. This is what Paul means when he says that our lives have been hidden in Christ. 

Theologians refer to this “in Christ” reality as the Doctrine of Union in Christ. Paul speaks of it in Romans 6, teaching that the one who puts their faith in Jesus was unified with Christ in His death and resurrection. Throughout Romans 6, Paul was referring to how this makes the sanctification process possible. In Romans 8, he reveals that the believer’s union with Christ has great implications for their prayer life. Because by virtue of our union with Christ, we are children of God and co-heirs alongside Him. Therefore, we can “cry out, ‘Abba, Father!” in our time of need. It is our blood-bought right and privilege to fall on our knees with confidence that God will hear and respond to our prayers. 

So, when you appear before God in prayer, envision yourself enclosed in Christ and his righteousness - you and your shameful and broken record. This is how God sees you when you come before Him in prayer. You in Christ. It’s still you with all your problems, issues, dreams, and prayer requests. But, it’s wrapped up in the glory and righteousness of our Savior. It is your union with Christ that can give you an immense measure of confidence in prayer.

We Pray in Jesus’ Name

We pray to God in Jesus’ name, not our own. Our name is trash. Even our good works are filthy rags before the Father. We need an advocate to get a prayer through, and that advocate is Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. This is why over and over again, Jesus gives his disciples permission to drop his name in their conversations with God. 

In the Gospel of John, as Jesus nears his death, in one of his final conversations with his disciples, he tells them four times, “Whatever you ask in my name, [God] will do it.” He’s about to leave, and his parting words to them are: “Hey, if you need anything while I’m out, just holla at my Dad. But be sure to let Him know I sent you. Because if you try to step to Him all willy nilly with your chest all puffed up like He owes you something, He ain’t gone hear you.” 

You see, many of us approach God with an entitled heart. We tend to think all our good works and tithing has gained us the right to have our prayers heard and answered. However, when we’ve done this, it’s clear we’ve traded in a grace-filled gospel for a work-based one. This is also true on the other end of the spectrum, wallowing in our sins and believing that God will not hear our prayers because of our sins. Both are a dangerous trap, and Jesus says in response to both of them, “pray in my name, not your own.” 

Quick disclaimer here. Praying in Jesus’ name does not mean you will get whatever you ask. You can’t be out here praying in Jesus’ name for things that will defame it. Also, remember God is sovereign. For reasons that lie outside our wisdom and understanding, He sometimes answers our prayers differently than we expected.

However, in Christ, God doesn’t stiff-arm our prayers because we are sinful. In Christ, we can go boldly to His throne of grace in our time of need. Jesus has given us access to God and told us to pray in His name. Praying in Jesus’ name isn’t just some Christian rhetoric or “10-40 over and out” prayer signature. It is our way to God. 

The next time you get to the end of your time in prayer, pause before you say in Jesus’ name and consider what you are doing. Let the phrase remind you that through your union with Christ, you have access to His Father. Let the phrase build your confidence in your prayers being heard because you are going to God based on Jesus’ righteousness and not your own.