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God called King David a man after His heart (Acts 13:22). The Lord found him pleasing and blessed him greatly. So when someone like that prays for help to stay away from willful sins, we shouldn't ignore it. Psalm 19:13 - Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless innocent of great transgression.
The term 'willful' is popular among legal professionals and those in law enforcement. It means to do something intentionally or deliberately. And when tied with the word 'sin,' it means to deliberately disobey God's instructions.
Although we may not have killed, stolen, or committed adultery, we can all admit that there are sins we struggle with. Sins we commit intentionally. It could be anger, gossip, pettiness, or failing to apply self-discipline. It is possible we don't want to do these things, but as Paul said in Romans 7:15 - I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
This is why we have to follow David's example and pray not to fall into the trap of willful sin. We must also be prepared to flee the very appearance of evil by choosing to avoid the things and people that stir our flesh's desire to sin. There are opportunities to sin almost everywhere we look. Often, many Christians are sinning because they don't even recognize the practice as sinful. These include fornication (sëx outside of the confines of marriage), cheating on taxes, faking it till we make it, lying, gossiping, being unrepentant, having an unhealthy engagement with conspiracies, unforgiveness, pride, or even being hypercritical about others.
But praise be to God for His Word, the sacrifice of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit given to those who submit to His Son. There is, therefore, hope in the 'fight' against willful sin. Jesus died to free every person, no matter what sins they've committed, from the consequences of their past. And by His grace, they will not rule over us.
Jesus taught believers to ask so they can receive (Matthew 7:7). Therefore, if we pray to not succumb to willful sin, the Lord will answer us. Plus, as we study the Bible and delve into its godly wisdom, we'll learn what willful sin is so we can actively avoid it.
However, keep the following in mind: Apostle Paul shared that he asked God to remove a thorn from his life. We don't know what this challenge was, but we can assume it was something negative. The details also don't matter because all sin is sin, and no sin is better than any other. That said, God didn't fulfill Paul's prayer, saying instead, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). He wanted His servant to lean on God to get through the challenge that sin presented.
God may permit a similar 'thorn' in our lives. It may be to prevent us from becoming conceited and to teach humility, as Paul noted in 2 Corinthians 12:7. God's reason could also be to provide us with real-world experience on that issue. Though unpleasant, such an experience will assist others in similar circumstances. They will be set free, not having to endure the troubles we did, and the Lord will be glorified.
Whatever the case, let us study our Bibles with the Holy Spirit's help so we learn what sin is and stop disobeying the Lord through our lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Let us also pray for God's strength so we avoid willful sins. And let us take God's outstretched hand with gratitude, whether He answers our prayers on this issue or tells us, "My grace is sufficient for you, My child."
God bless you, and welcome to a new year of Praise & Pray (for others). See you at Noon EST for fellowship.
As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:
