myBlessedHope

When it comes to sin, there are really two different types
that we ought to take note of. There are sins of commission and sins of
omission. What’s the difference? Sins of commission are things we do that we
shouldn’t do. They are things we actively engage in. Taking something that
doesn’t belong to you, cheating on an exam, or lying on your resume are all
sins of commission.

Then there’s the less obvious variety that we call sins of
omission. These are things that we don’t do that we should do. We omit them
from our actions. And in the passage above, Samuel identifies a certain sin of
omission for us, the sin of not praying. In his mind, it was nothing short of
sin to stop praying for the people that God had placed around him.

This is a heavy revelation for most of us. There is such a
thing as the sin of prayerlessness, and we’d be lying if we claimed absolute
innocence. But the point isn’t to lay a guilt trip here; it’s to uncover what
might be blocking us from spiritual growth.

Sin of any sort, commission or omission, is going to
counteract the work God wants to do in us. Now, maybe there isn’t a glaring
addiction to sin present in our lives. But if a person is coming up short in
their prayer life, they won’t grow spiritually the way they’re supposed to.

A lot of Christians just can’t figure out why they’re still
struggling spiritually-when all the while it’s because they’re leading lives of
prayerlessness. It’s a simple problem, and there’s an even simpler
prescription: Prayer the 18 prayers in your study guide EVERY MORNING and watch the change take place.

Decide to encourage someone in your life who may have lost
their enthusiasm for daily prayer.  If some are “running low” on
prayer power, spend a few minutes encouraging them and charging them back up!