"God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast and when I run, I feel his pleasure."
Sinning by not praying
Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. 1 Samuel 12:23The context is that Israel has turned away from God and sinned. The people then ask the prophet, Samuel to pray for them. The verse above is his response. We all know that we ought to pray but the idea that not praying is a sin may shock us. Jesus told His disciples to pray and not give up (Luke 18:1-8). Paul commanded us to "pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Peter wrote that we are to be self-controlled so that we can pray (1 Peter 4:7). James commanded us to pray for each other (James 5:16). If failing to do something we are commanded to do is sin, then prayerlessness is surely a major sin for believers.
Samuel had such a love, commitment and faithfulness to the people of God. A different translation says: “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”. Samuel modelled God’s grace by continuing to love and teach people “the good and the right way” regardless of their behaviour and rebellion. We must also be committed to continuously taking people before the Lord in prayer.
Praying for someone who has wronged you, for an opponent, a difficult team-mate or coach can be a challenge but can also be an important step on the road to a better relationship with them.
Do you throw up an occasional prayer as things arise, or do you have a time set apart daily for spending quality time with the Lord in prayer?