A Barrier to Prayer

I wonder whether people even know what shame is anymore. The things we were embarrassed about in the past are proclaimed as virtues today. Wrong has become right. Right has become wrong. Everything is turned upside down. We have forgotten how to blush. We have forgotten how to be embarrassed.

This is what Daniel was describing when he prayed, “Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame” (Daniel 9:7 NLT). As we read in the Scriptures about Daniel’s life, I have not read once where he sinned. I’m not suggesting that Daniel did not sin, because he was indeed a mortal human being like any of us. But the fact of the matter is that he lived a godly life. Yet he thought it necessary to personally repent.

This reminds us that the closer you get to God, the greater your own sense of sinfulness will be. Just about the time you think you’re spiritually mature, the Lord will show you a little more of your heart, and you will realize how far you have to go. The more you know of the Lord, the more you will see in yourself, and the more you will realize that a lot still needs to be changed.

Daniel confessed his sin before the Lord because he didn’t want unconfessed sin to get in the way of his relationship with God. As the psalmist said, “If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18 NLT).

Is there any sin that you need to repent of? Is there any area of your life that is displeasing to God? That sin is a barrier, and it can hinder your prayer life. Get rid of it. Let it go.