A Prayer for Victory Over Sinful Thoughts
By Jessica Van Roekel
"But who can discern their own error? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19:12-14, NIV
The skeins of yarn, the hook, and the directions piled in my lap. I pulled apart the pages and found pictures depicting the progression from yarn and hook to completed project. Somehow, the mess I had would become something identifiable if I followed the steps in the right order. Following directions can be difficult. We need to decipher what the picture means and what the abbreviations stand for. We refer to the key, then reread the instructions, and then attempt to translate it into action.
In frustration, we can toss the directions aside, which leads to finished projects not quite the way the instructions depicted. Or we put it away in the closet with a shrug of our shoulders, failing to accomplish our goal. But if we persevere and follow the instructions closely, we end up with a beautiful object. Victory comes with a set of instructions, too. Builders review the plans, golfers study the course, and runners prepare their bodies to handle the rigors of a marathon. Gaining spiritual victory means conquering the things in our lives that separate us from God.
Christ-followers love and serve God with all their hearts, but we are still imperfect in this life, and we may fall short of God’s standards and purposes without knowing it. Then, there are the times when we take a deliberate stand against God’s principles and guidelines. The Psalmist David calls these choices “great transgressions” because they show contempt for God. We gain victory when we desire God to keep our hearts, words, and lives pleasing to him. This comes from an ongoing spiritual relationship with God, where we align our thoughts and speech with what pleases him.
David calls God his Rock, Refuge, and Redeemer. In Israel, limestone rocks provided shade, protection, and landmarks for travelers. God is solid, constant, and trustworthy. He is the one who saves us from destruction from sins done in ignorance or deliberation. David rejoiced because God rescued him, liberated his soul from spiritual oppression, and restored his relationship with God after spiritual failures. In Psalm 19, David reflects on the times he ignored God’s warning and did not keep God’s will. He refers to errors—those done in ignorance, secret faults—the things we try to hide but know they are wrong, and willful sins—those choices planned and sought.
Sin follows a progression. It starts with a passing thought and moves to a chosen thought. Then, from a chosen thought to the object of our meditation to wished-for fulfillment to planning to seeking opportunity to action to habit to delight to idolatry to sacrifice and, finally, to slavery. All along this progressive journey, the Holy Spirit says, “Stop,” and gives us a way out.
1 Corinthians 10:13 says it beautifully: No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Victory over sinful thoughts starts with dependence upon God to stay free from enslaving sin. It’s a life lived with a surrendered mouth and heart before God. Winning requires us to remember our Rock, who rescues us and gives us a firm standing place, and our Redeemer, who rescues us from total loss.
Let’s pray:
Holy God,
You know my heart better than I do. You see my errors and bring me into your Truth. And those faults I try to hide? They are not hidden from you. Hebrews 4:13 tells me that you see everything. Then, there are the actions and words I speak that I know go against everything you hold dear. I am a mess. But I am your mess. I’m ready for you to clean me and make me new. I want to have victory over these sinful thoughts—the thoughts I think way too often—because I know they don’t please you. God, I come to you and confess. Please forgive me. Like David, I appeal to you for help. You are my strength. You are my freedom. Keep me from willful sins so they don’t rule over me. I want to follow your ways and instructions. Lead me in paths of right living for your name’s sake. Thank you for your forgiveness and for your love for me. Thank you for helping me live in victory. God, I rejoice in what you’re doing in my life. May the words I speak and the thoughts I think bring you pleasure.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Doucefleur
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
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