You have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. —Isaiah 64:7
The people in the above verse feel that God is unreachable. They can’t see Him. That’s because they’re overcome by their sins. Therefore, they don’t have the energy or the motivation to pray.
They realize that they don’t deserve to have God intervene for them. So, they don’t justify themselves or defend their sin. They realize they’re guilty as charged and deserve God’s wrath, that their sin is no small thing. It’s the heart that you read in Psalm 25:11 that says, “O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.”
We can’t manufacture that kind of attitude. But as we get in God’s Word and see who He is, and then we see our lives in the light of His presence, we begin to realize how serious our sin is. And we realize it’s not my brother, it’s not my sister, it’s not my neighbor, it’s not the pastor, it’s not the pagans, it’s not the government officials, it’s me, oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer.
Make it Personal
Are you ever tempted to think your sin is no big deal? What could help you to see it from God’s perspective instead?