Is it Ok to pray for future sins?

Big Drew

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I always think when you get to that part in the Lord's Prayer where it says, "forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us," it's speaking in past, present, and future tense. It doesn't say, "forgive me for when I trespassed."
 
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Monna

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In one version of the Lord's prayer we recite "forgive us our debts as we forgive those that are indebted to us."

I have begun to think that most of our sins are sins of omission - right things we should have done but didn't. Some of these occur because we are not looking (and not wanting to see the need), some because we don't respond as we should even when we do see it. I think that it is appropriate to pray that God will make us more willing to see and respond rightly, thus avoiding commiting the sin.

I also think that we sometimes start the road to sin when someone hurts us, or does something that causes resentment, a desire for revenge, bitterness, lust, envy, covetousness, and so on. Something causes us to sin in our heart - a type of sin that inevitably eats away at us from within.

Before Easter it occured to me that when Jesus prayed for the soldiers nailing him to the cross "Father forgive them because they don't know what they're doing" he provided a model for us as a kind of "spiritual vaccination" against the type of sin described above. If when we are deeply offended or hurt by someone or by an event, we ask that the offender be forgiven, we create within ourselves an attitude that can work against our own inner (future) sin.

So in one sense, I think that we can definitely pray that the Holy Spirit will help us grow an attitude of forgiveness to others that will in turn help us avoid future sin. We can't do this on our own.

This isn't exactly what you asked, BCP, but it is related and it brought to mind one of my pre-Easter meditations.

I think also that our very real consciousness of the likelihood of future sin can make us humble and seek the Lord's help in living constantly in his forgiveness.
 
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paul becke

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Can we repent for future sins? I mean it might sound outrageous to you but I am quite serious. Unfortunately I know I am going to sin again, no matter how hard I try. I can try to sin less, would be more realistic.
"Dear Lord I apologise for all the sins I committed and the ones I might commit in the future. With your help I will be less sinful and more like you."

Why not, Paul. First of all, I think God will laugh out loud, as I did, but then he'll see it as he sees our other prayers - as a means of approaching closer to Him ; in fact, a more consciously-dedicated one than, say, a petitionary prayer.
 
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FutureAndAHope

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Can we repent for future sins? I mean it might sound outrageous to you but I am quite serious. Unfortunately I know I am going to sin again, no matter how hard I try. I can try to sin less, would be more realistic.
"Dear Lord I apologise for all the sins I committed and the ones I might commit in the future. With your help I will be less sinful and more like you."

Your prayer sounds reasonable. But personally I would be focusing attention on the last part of your prayer, on what I want to become, not what I currently am.
 
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JoeP222w

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Can we repent for future sins? I mean it might sound outrageous to you but I am quite serious. Unfortunately I know I am going to sin again, no matter how hard I try. I can try to sin less, would be more realistic.
"Dear Lord I apologise for all the sins I committed and the ones I might commit in the future. With your help I will be less sinful and more like you."

This is a form of pre-meditated sin, and you are not really repenting if you know you are going to commit the sin in the future, and then you go ahead and commit the sin anyways. This simply demonstrates an unregenerate heart.

Christians sin, that is the truth. But if you think on a sin in the future and then when the time comes you commit the sin, this is not falling or stumbling into sin. This is willful, purposeful diving into sin.
 
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JESUS=G.O.A.T

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Can we repent for future sins? I mean it might sound outrageous to you but I am quite serious. Unfortunately I know I am going to sin again, no matter how hard I try. I can try to sin less, would be more realistic.
"Dear Lord I apologise for all the sins I committed and the ones I might commit in the future. With your help I will be less sinful and more like you."
No cause your goal is to strive to not sin and deal with sins you may have, so if you pray for future sins it sort of goes against this goal. Don't accept sins as they are deal with them. God bless brother and keep pushing but I encourage you to be free from the sin and strive to deal with it now and declare you're free from it, rather then accept it. Sure we have a sinful flesh that loves to sin but it doesn't mean you have to. "Walk in the spirit and you'll not fulfill the lust of the flesh."
 
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Tolworth John

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cs lewes in the screwtapes letters dealt with this. the junior devil was adviced to get the subject to worry about having the grace, strength, willpower whatever to deal with unknown problems, rather than concentrating on requesting help to deal with the known problems currently being experienced.

Deal with what you are facing now, don't worry about tomorrow, for God could call you home tonight etc.
 
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FireDragon76

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"and with your help I will not sin again" is part of the Confessional I learnt as a childhood Catholic.
But sounds unrealistic don't you think?
"and with your help, I will sin less" would be more realistic I think.

It could be unrealistic. Then again, not everything in religion is realistic in its ethos.

In the Episcopalian baptismal rite, there are prayers on behalf of the baptized that God would restore them "when they fall". That attitude, not "if" but "when", is more consistent with the Anglican/Lutheran/Reformed way of thinking about sin.
 
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Late Apex

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Can we repent for future sins? I mean it might sound outrageous to you but I am quite serious. Unfortunately I know I am going to sin again, no matter how hard I try. I can try to sin less, would be more realistic.
"Dear Lord I apologise for all the sins I committed and the ones I might commit in the future. With your help I will be less sinful and more like you."

We certainly will sin tomorrow IF. If what? If we're alive. We cannot be certain of even one more breath. I could drop dead before I even finish typing this sentence.

Matthew 6:
[34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

James 4:
[13] Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
[14] Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
 
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JESUS=G.O.A.T

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We certainly will sin tomorrow IF. If what? If we're alive. We cannot be certain of even one more breath. I could drop dead before I even finish typing this sentence.

Matthew 6:
[34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

James 4:
[13] Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
[14] Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
Amen life is a vapor so a person must address their sins right now
 
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brinny

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Can we repent for future sins? I mean it might sound outrageous to you but I am quite serious. Unfortunately I know I am going to sin again, no matter how hard I try. I can try to sin less, would be more realistic.
"Dear Lord I apologise for all the sins I committed and the ones I might commit in the future. With your help I will be less sinful and more like you."

Actually, this is very similar to David, when He prayed to God to enable him to "examine" his heart, so that he might not sin against God.

Knowing that we are "prone" to sin (and ALL of us are) can certainly be brought into prayer....as our hearts are prone to "wander" from God.

Awareness is good. Being aware means that we are also going to go back to God to talk to Him about this tendency we have (Look! i've done it AGAIN, God.)

This is very precious to God.

It's not the "sinning" that is the issue. It's the "going back" to God to bring it to Him. David sinned horribly. Yet God called David the "apple of His eye" and a "man after God's own heart"...and this is because David always returned to God.

THIS is very precious to God.

God's "heart" for us, is akin to the father in the "prodigal son". He sees us coming from a distance, "towards" Him, and He Runnnnnns to us.

What a precious heart He has for us.
 
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brinny

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Perhaps we should just make one super prayer where we pray for every sin, everyone and everything and never pray again?

Well that's one way of gettin' God outta' da way, yes?

Whew! Got dat over with! Don't gotta' do dat no mo'

^_^
 
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DeerGlow

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Can we repent for future sins? I mean it might sound outrageous to you but I am quite serious. Unfortunately I know I am going to sin again, no matter how hard I try. I can try to sin less, would be more realistic.
"Dear Lord I apologise for all the sins I committed and the ones I might commit in the future. With your help I will be less sinful and more like you."

I pray for God to forgive me for impulsive thoughts for when I have to speak or focus on something for a long time. I know thoughts will fire off in my mind and I ask God before to help me and forgive me for these things I don't actively want.
 
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Aseyesee

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Job sacrificed, which is a form of petition. Did his sons no good, and it would appear did him no good, even though it was part of the process that would bring him to a place where he could say now I see, to the repenting of what he had heard.
 
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Greg Merrill

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Can we repent for future sins? I mean it might sound outrageous to you but I am quite serious. Unfortunately I know I am going to sin again, no matter how hard I try. I can try to sin less, would be more realistic.
"Dear Lord I apologise for all the sins I committed and the ones I might commit in the future. With your help I will be less sinful and more like you."
The first verse that comes to mind is "Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Mt 6:34
Why focus on sin that hasn't happened yet. Yes, will will sin in the future, but don't "feed" it with a self-fulfilling prophecy that will make it worse than it need be. Rather think of this verse. "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Ro 6:11. Instead of focusing on our failures to obey God, focus on living for and with God. I don't spend the day thinking about the soap I have in the bathroom. I live life, and when I get dirty, then I go use the soap. I hope that doesn't sound condescending, but a desire to help you. Wishing you all God's best.
 
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JesusIsMyTicket

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*sigh* kind of sad everyone made this a joke.

While I think it is a bit odd to go "erm so God I'm gonna sin tomorrow forgive me then too so I sin less!" but I think your heart is in the right place.
We all sin and fall short of the glory of God as long as we are on this earth. I do think it is beneficial to examine our weaknesses, ask the Lord to help us with them, and try to do better. There is nothing wrong for praying for God to help you with future temptation, and to help you make better choices even if you do sin at times.

I will pray for you.
 
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GabrielTheWorshipper

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I see no reason to pray for our future sins. We certainly shouldn't ask God for forgiveness and then knowingly go step right into that sin. If you know you are about to do a specific sin, and you're focused enough on God to pray first, I dare say you can resist the temptation. But if you just mean asking forgiveness for all the random sins we will do in our lives, I really don't think it's necessary. When the time comes and you do a specific sin, then pray and ask for forgiveness, or confess your sins before God. But We are forgiven of all our sins, past, present and future. But only if we continue in God's ways.

1 John 1:9 (KJV)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Proverbs 28:13 (KJV)
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

James 4:7 (KJV)
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

The Bible tells us that we are saved if we continue in his word and follow him throughout our lives. Those who do not, and those who leave him forever were simply never saved.

John 8:31-32 (KJV)
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;"

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
 
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Godlovesmetwo

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I see no reason to pray for our future sins. We certainly shouldn't ask God for forgiveness and then knowingly go step right into that sin
This seems to be the assumption a lot of posters are making. That I have specific sins in mind. I don't. From experience I have learnt that I have a tendency to sin. I know I cant erase all sin, so I am praying for minimisation rather than perfection.
 
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GabrielTheWorshipper

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This seems to be the assumption a lot of posters are making. That I have specific sins in mind. I don't. From experience I have learnt that I have a tendency to sin. I know I cant erase all sin, so I am praying for minimisation rather than perfection.

Yeah, I understand that. I hope it didn't come off that way. I am simply trying to cover all options for the edifying of anyone here who may think that way. I do not think it is wrong to pray about the sins we are sure to do eventually in our life, but also not required. It's an interesting idea nonetheless. We definitely all sin, and I know I will plenty more times in my life.
 
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