Why should I pray when I am in a State of Mortal Sin??
I often make reference to the importance of prayer when combating sin and pornography addiction. It struck me that it is also important for me to stress why and how we come to pray. I have previously written that one of our ‘weapons against sin’ is using the knowledge that Mortal Sin makes our prayers ineffective. We cannot help those we love or those who need our prayers if we have distanced ourselves from God.
However, perhaps I should stress that prayer remains VERY necessary for us! The time that we most need God’s Grace is when we are at our lowest. I know from ‘hard experience’ that the first thing to stop when I sin – is prayer. It feels pointless and I know it cannot help anyone else…so why should I bother? Especially, if I am not yet really ready to forego further sin. It even feels a relief not having to bother with Rosaries and Litanies and other Devotional exercises. But that is just ‘me’ making the devil’s work easy…
There are many discussions surrounding efficacy of prayer and why we come to do it. What makes us ‘drop to our knees’? I sometimes feel it is something that I ‘force’ myself to do. A routine that is necessary, not actually desired or believed in? I can feel dry and uninspired – so why do I bother? Is it fear that makes me pray? Am I ‘hedging my bets’ in case everything I am told to believe is ‘actually’ real. Am I paying into my insurance policy against a possible deportation to hell? I do believe; but sometimes, when sin abounds, I start to hope that Hell isn’t real.
So it was such a surprise to come across a talk on You Tube by Father Schmitz. He reminds us that it is God who always loves us and always keeps the ‘door open’. It is God that causes us to desire prayer – even if we don’t realise it. It is God and his infinite love for one of his creatures that allows Grace to always be in our reach. It is that Grace that sparks the desire to pray. It is that Grace that is the ‘kick’ that sends us to our knees or reaching for our Rosary. We are merely cooperating with it / Him…
So next time you wonder why you are praying I recommend watching this video:
