why doesn't god answer prayers to lift sinful behavior from a person?
Why doesn't god answer prayers to stop you from sinning or to lose a sinful passion even though he hates sin? Supposedly God hates the sin and not the sinner so why give people sins they never wanted to have? I feel more than just a sneaking suspicion that he wants us to suffer with things we can't help and feel guilty about them for what? I don't know. I wonder, there are numerous indications in the bible that God hardens hearts and makes people worse than they already are in response to things that those individuals didnt' do even.
__________________ Taking your SELF out of what you present yourself to be is harder than killing yourself but it is certainly a lot more rewarding.
If God made us turn away from sin, then there is no love on our part, no? It is vital that we choose Him freely. He gives us grace to enable us to turn to Him, and that is sufficient.
Why doesn't God answer [my] prayers to stop me from sinning or to lose a sinful passion even though he hates sin?
He does and He will, but you must hang in there awhile longer. I struggled for about 33 years with numerous sins ranging from a sexual addiction, pornography, lust, a violent temper, cursing and swearing, hating others, drinking, pride, theft and a few others I prefer not to mention, and I was (and am) a born again, baptized, saved, bible believing on my way to heaven genuine bona fide Christian! What happened 18 months ago to change all of this? Quite frankly I'm not sure, but I believe it has something to do with the Holy Spirit! I do know this, I no longer have any desire to sin, absolutely none. Instead I only desire righteousness. That sounds strange but it is true.
Ever since I received Christ nearly 35 years ago I dreamed that maybe someday I could live so close to God that I could live a life free from all sinful activities. Everyone I spoke to about this dream of mine said it is impossible. "We were born sinners, we are currently sinners, and we will always will be sinners until we die, so get used to it. No one can live a life free of sin. The scriptures are plain, our hearts are 'desperately wicked' and even the great apostle Paul said that the things he doesn't want to do he does and the righteousness he wants to do he does not do. Are you a better Christian than Paul? NO, so forget about it."
So I settled into the uneasy belief that God must want us to live a life of defeatism and a life filled with constant and consistant sin, after all every other Christian I knew was living a life of sin, including my pastor and I'm sure they like me prayed that God that would stop them from sinning or lose these sinful passions and yet they still sinned so apparantly He wants it that way! You of course recognize the cycle; Sin, feel guilty, ask God for forgiveness, God grants forgiveness, you feel better, you abstain from sin for the rest of the day, or maybe even two days, and sometimes even three or four days, but at some point, you sin and the cycle starts all over again. When you are around fellow Christians all of you wear your "Christian" mask. Christians are not supposed to sin so when you put on your Christianity mask you become "perfect" or at least as perfect as you can fake it. Besides it is only for a couple of hours, then you can go back to telling dirty jokes and checking out the porno on the 'net.
After a year or two or five or in my case thirty three years you finally throw up your arms and say something like you did above! You are sick of sin. You want victory over sin. You want some righteousness for a change, and something deep down inside your heart tells you that you can live above sin. You are not a sinner, you are a saint. You have been lied to by those well intentioned Christians who are also living in sin and defeat. They didn't do it intentionally they have just believed a lie for so long that the lie seems to now be the gospel truth. Besides they have never actually met anyone who really lives a life of freedom from sinful passions and sinful desires, and if they claim to you doubt them and call them a liar because no one can live above sin... or can they, (there is that nagging feeling again that one can live so close to God that he can live without having to sin.) So what does the scriptures say? You have been justified, you have been sanctified, you are holy and much much more.
In Luke 11:13,"“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Have you asked your heavenly Father for the gift of the Holy Spirit? You must you know, it says so above. The Holy Spirit will make you so holy you will lose all desire to sin. You will be victorious over sin EVERY TIME, God promises it! I'm living proof that it can and does happen.
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