Many of us, after falling into sin, feel as though we must somehow cleanse ourselves or make amends with God before we can return to him in prayer. While this type of thinking appeals to our universal, innate understanding of sin and guilt, it is patently un-Christian. Instead, as Luther reminds us:

The time when you feel your sins the most is exactly the time when you most need to pray to God.

It is only the righteousness of Christ that can cleanse us from our sins. There is nothing we can do to cleanse ourselves. It is only Christ, our high priest, who has earned for us the right to draw near to our Heavenly Father. There is nothing we can do to gain back this right which we have not gained for ourselves in the first place.

If you are oppressed by your sins, draw near to God in humble repentance without delay. As St. Augustine exhorts:

God has promised forgiveness to your repentance, but He has not promised tomorrow to your procrastination.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

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