Today's Reading: Psalms 65 & 66

Don't Get Cozy with Sin

Have you ever been in prayer and suddenly had a disturbing sensation that God simply isn’t listening? Yes, it has happened to all of us. Sadly, for many of us, we just limp along praying the same old prayers, half-hoping those prayers are heard and half-suspecting they are not. One of the reasons God may not be listening is because we’ve allowed iniquity to remain unchallenged in our hearts.

The word “cherished” means: valued; esteemed; treasured. The Hebrew word translated “cherished” or “regard” in Psalm 66:18 literally means “to see” and it carries the idea of seeing something but not acting upon it. Thus, this verse is telling us that seeing iniquity in my heart and doing nothing about it, is a cause of the Lord turning His listening ear away from me. If I have known iniquity was there, or even encouraged it, or if I pretended it wasn’t there, or even loved my iniquity, then God will not – cannot – hear my prayer. The Message* paraphrase puts it like this: “If I had been cozy with evil, the Lord would never have listened.” The idea is this: in order that prayer may be heard, there must be a purpose to forsake all forms of sin. If you long for God to hear your prayers, don’t let iniquity settle down and make itself at home in your heart – kick it out! Deal with it!

“Iniquity” means sin that is an inner act of willful disobedience to God. It refers more to matters of the heart than outward actions. Scripture specifically identifies the following iniquities: bitterness (see Acts 8:23), greed (see Acts 8:18–23), lust (Job 31:1–12), and stubbornness (I Samuel 15:23). Others include anger, clamor, slander, malice, cursing, rudeness, selfishness, irritableness, resentfulness, and jealousy. As human beings with fallen natures, we are all susceptible to committing these sins. But when we do, we must acknowledge, confess, and forsake our sin. We must not allow any of these sins to be welcomed into our hearts. We cannot allow them to take up residence inside of us. Getting cozy with these sins can cause the Lord not to listen to your prayers.

Take a moment right now to get alone with God. Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Ask Him to shine His floodlight of truth into the dark spaces of your soul. Do any of these sins dwell there? Have you let these things take up residence inside of you? Have you become cozy with sin? When the Holy Spirit shows you the truth of what is hiding there, be quick to acknowledge, confess, and forsake your sin. “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” [or any other iniquity] springs up and causes trouble” (Hebrews 12:15).

(*© Eugene H. Peterson ; The Message; by NavPress Publishing)