Sin has consequences. Always has and always will. Keep
this revelation fixed squarely in your mind. Because whether
we like it or not, here’s how the spiritual economy of life works
for believers: Obedience to God garners intimacy and nearness,
divine blessing and favor. Always. And disobedience creates a
sense of distance and loss, grief and regret. Always.
Sometimes the consequences of caving to temptation are
practical and tangible, changing your daily experience,
drastically enough in certain cases to fundamentally affect the
rest of your life. But no matter how immediately noticeable the
cost, the ripple effects of sin always affect your connection
with the Father. And this, this, is exactly what the enemy is
hoping for. It’s why he is so personalized and meticulous in his
advances to tempt you.
Impurity weakens your praying—which in turn weakens
your power. When our lives are not aligned with the teaching
of Scripture and the transforming work of God’s Spirit—when
we’re resisting His wise, loving instruction concerning our
lifestyle and attitudes—our prayer closets start to feel like
soundproof rooms. Our spiritual armor becomes little more than
the plastic, painted stuff they sell as a kit in the toy section of
the Christian bookstore. The energy we expect our prayers to