A Prayer about the Misery of Sin

See my troubles and misery and forgive my sins. Psalm 25:2

Compassionate and Holy God,

This morning I am thinking about 

how miserable sin makes us:

“Envy rots the bones” (Proverbs 14:30);

Thinking we are right and another is wrong rips up relationships;

Letting gossip fall out of our mouths hurts someone’s reputation…

And those are just individual sins of the heart…

what about the “systemic sins” of 

racism and rape, 

murder and war, 

slavery and sex trafficking?

Indeed, what trouble and misery 

sin inflicts.

How grateful then we are 

that you are the God who sees our misery 

and acts on it: 

“I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, 

and have heard them crying out because of their oppressors, 

and I know about their sufferings” (Exodus 3:7).

But you didn’t stop at rescuing your people from slavery in Egypt, 

you rescued them from their own heart’s rebellion 

time and time again, 

and you knew there was only one rescuer 

who could fully pay for the misery 

of each of our sins once and for all. 

And you sent that rescuer. 

Your Son. 

Your beloved Son. 

Lord, open our eyes 

to see the misery our sin causes.

Lord, open our eyes 

to see the compassion your deliverance reveals.

Lord, change our hearts, 

that we may serve our gracious Savior, 

today and every day.

In the name of Jesus, 

who sees our misery and forgives our sins. 

Amen.

Read Psalm 25.