“Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” Psalm 19:13

The final part of David’s prayer in Psalm 19:13 is a powerful plea for deliverance from sin’s enslaving power: “Let them not have dominion over me.” This highlights a critical truth about sin: it’s not merely a momentary lapse; it seeks to establish dominion over our lives. What starts as a seemingly small indulgence can quickly become a powerful habit, a chain that binds us and pulls us further away from God’s will.

David knew this from personal experience. His initial lust for Bathsheba led to adultery, which then spiraled into deception and murder. Had God not sent Nathan the prophet to confront him, David might have remained entangled in his sin, leading to eternal ruin.

Sin, by its very nature, is deceitful. It promises pleasure or satisfaction but delivers addiction and spiritual bondage. We often find ourselves repeating behaviors we know are harmful, caught in a cycle we feel powerless to break. Whether it’s substance abuse, sexual immorality, dishonesty, or spiritual apathy, sin desires to reign over us.

But the good news for believers is that we are no longer slaves to sin. The apostle Paul passionately declared, “What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:15-16). Through Christ, we have been set free from sin’s dominion. We are given the power, through the Holy Spirit, to choose obedience rather than surrender to our sinful desires.

St. Paul wrote, in Romans 8:1-2: “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.”

David’s prayer, “Let them not have dominion over me,” is a daily surrender and a declaration of dependence on God. It’s a recognition that true freedom comes not from indulging our desires, but from yielding to God’s righteous rule. When sin loses its grip on us, we become “upright” and “innocent from the great transgression” — innocent from that deep, soul-destroying rebellion against God. This doesn’t mean we’ll never stumble, but it means that, with God’s help, sin will not be our master.

Dear Heavenly Father, we pray with David, “Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me.” We confess that sin often seeks to enslave us and pull us away from You. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, strengthen us to resist its allure and break free from its grip. Help us to yield ourselves to You in obedience, that we may be upright and walk in the freedom Christ has secured for us. May You reign supreme in our lives. Amen.

[Scripture quoted from the King James Version of the Bible]