Prayer was never intended to be an antidote to take after sin's sickness and ravages had set in. It was never intended to be there just for taking after one had gotten sick in sin. To be effective against sin, prayer must be first, be one's way of life, be our priority. The whole thought with which I am dealing is that of an attitude of prayer, a lifestyle whereby one prays, this is where the practice of sin is killed. The prayer that kills sin comes from a burdened heart, fearful of sin's guilt and which is determined to seek and find God's liberty, freedom and deliverance from that which seeks their ruin.
Sin always destroys something.
You cannot look at any act of sin and fail to see the death of something far better and precious. Those that think they can handle sinning are not moved to do much praying beforehand. It is not until sin begins to rule, dominate, control and bring personal ruin that the burden to gain God's deliverance becomes important. Look at the Mad Man of Gaderea in Mk. Evidently for a long time he had felt that his condition was not too bad, maybe even thinking that he could handle it.