Just think about it. Right now, all your sins, every single sinful thought, desire, word, deed, the things that you are really thankful nobody else knows about – God knows about all of it. And by the blood of Jesus, it is all covered. Your sin has been atoned for.

These regulations are to be observed for all time to come. This ritual must be performed once a year to purify the people of Israel from all their sins. So Moses^[c] did as the Lord had commanded. – Leviticus 16:34 GNT

When you and I pray, and tell Jesus that we are sorry that we have turned our back on Him and believe that He died, was buried and rose again, then our sins are gone and grace covers us with the blood of Jesus.

Even my hidden faults, I ask God to forgive them.

None of us can see our own errors;
    deliver me, Lord, from hidden faults!
Keep me safe, also, from willful sins;
    don’t let them rule over me.
Then I shall be perfect
    and free from the evil of sin. – Psalm 19:12-13 GNT

When I pray for this specific request, I usually find that God does not just wipe them away and that’s it. I find that He wants me to deal with them. He may send someone, He may cause His word to jump from the pages of the Bible, He may use a sermon – but in some way or other I am suddenly confronted with what I say or have done and I find that it is ugly and I do not like it. God has His way of opening up the secret places.

I ask you, God, to let me have two things before I die: keep me from lying, and let me be neither rich nor poor. So give me only as much food as I need. If I have more, I might say that I do not need you. But if I am poor, I might steal and bring disgrace on my God. – Proverbs 30:7-9 GNT

You can learn a lot about someone when you listen to them pray. This prayer addresses God on the spiritual weaknesses in my life that either block or detour the pursuit of godliness in my life. It also teaches me to pray with an ask that comes from humble submission.

I liked that Agar simply asked God for what he wanted, like a child addressing his father, like a servant speaking to his master, like a sinful man praying to a holy God. He had his spiritual priorities in place and did not waste his time on trivial superficial things. It was weighted down with the gravity of eternity.

“In praying one should think about dying and then pray accordingly.” – Matthew Henry