I recently heard a talk by a dear friend, Patrick, who said, “we need to stop praying as sinners and pray as saints.”
I know personally, very often I pray as if reminding God of my sin. Yes, it is good to recognize our wretchedness. St. Faustina knew of her place next to God – nothing, a speck of dust.
God knows every sin of the soul. In fact, He knew them when creation was still formless and dark. He still created me and you, despite the sin, even mortal that we would commit.
Look at David. “A man after his own heart” – 1 Samuel 13:14. When David fell and seduced Bathsheba, did God cast him out – “nope, I was wrong, he is at a man after My heart.’ No. Did God ignore David and turn His back on him after this sin and after he conspired and murdered Uriah? No. When David wasn’t listening to God, God sent Nathan.
When we fall into sin, mortal sin, many say God stops talking with the soul. That He turns His back upon the soul in revulsion of its wretched state. God has shown me (many times unfortunately) that the opposite is in fact true. God doesn’t turn His back on the scarlet soul. It is this soul for whom He came to earth and climbed up Calvary.
““Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.” Divine Mercy in My Soul # 699
God knows our sin, He turns toward us in these darkest moments. Runs to the dark sheep and picks him up over His shoulder though it be covered in crap and mud. It is in these moments of deepest sin, when the soul is most lost, that God comes.
So, when we pray, come before God as David in Psalm 51. Come as a redeemed child of God, a saint. Though we may be in sin, beg God to return the joy of His salvation. Recognize God’s presence and know that He makes you clean as snow. All we need do to be that saint is simply to surrender the fight to God.
Begin today to pray as a saint. Pray as a redeemed child of God. Pray in humility, knowing your sin, but confident in God’s Mercy.
The saints aren’t all glowing examples of life. Most if not all were fallen sinners. The thing that makes them great saints is that they turn to God in confidence and surrender.
“Lord, I give my heart to You, knowing You will create for me a new heart. A heart whose every pulse is directed to Your glory and love.
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.” Psalm 51:1-4
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.” Psalm 51:10-12