08/09/2024
Prayer should bring us to repentance, and then transform our character. God revels in the repentance of sinners, but repentance involves much more than the empty words "I'm sorry", it requires a change of heart... A turning away from what offended. In fact, that is the literal meaning of the word; turning away.
Do you have certain sins in your life that seem to resurface from time to time? Perhaps frequently? If this is the case then you may feel contrite, and you may feel ashamed, but your repentance hasn't reached its maturity... You haven't turned away and allowed yourself to be changed. Fervent Prayer coupled with deep contrition and true repentance will change us.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV
Prayer and repentance go hand in hand. Asking for forgiveness is hollow without sincere repentance and that comes in the form of prayer. Assuming God realizes we are contrite is not enough; we must have the conversation and humble ourselves in the process.
We can all remember times in our lives when our parents forced us to apologize and ask forgiveness for some argument or misdeed with a friend or sibling. We would stand there and begrudgingly say the words "I'm sorry" and invariably our parent would say that we didn't sound sorry and make us repeat the apology until it sounded sincere. Maybe by repetition we found the sincerity they were seeking, or perhaps we just learned to act out our part. When we say "I'm sorry" to God it is different... He not only hears our words but sees our heart as well.
So, we come before God repeating our "I'm sorry" until our hearts are changed and we have truly repented. I'm certain that at some point our conscience and pride are tested as we feel embarrassed for repeating the same offense over and over again while asking forgiveness repeatedly. Thank God for His unbounded mercy... Thank Jesus for the love and patience that, like it was with our parents, allows Him to stand beside us each and every time we repeat the apology, and determine its sincerity.
I read a quote attributed to Stephen Charnock who was a Puritan theologian, and it speaks to Christ's intercession in the forgiveness of our sins...
""It is upon every sin he doth discharge this office, and by his interposition procures our pardon thousands of times, and preserves us from coming short of the full fruits of reconciliation at first obtained by him." – Stephen Charnock
Jesus intercedes to obtain God's forgiveness for our sins. He never tires in this endeavor, but we must truly be repentant and seek Him in prayer and supplication; humbling ourselves and changing the direction of our hearts and lives. When we finally achieve sincerity then our character is advanced and our relationship with the Lord is strengthened.
This morning I pray that our apologies and requests for forgiveness are sincere. I pray that the words we moan or sob in humiliation contain substance and are not found to be hollow. I pray that the joy is restored to our relationship with God as we gain His forgiveness, and I thank Jesus for the incredible patience He has in us. Amen
Prayer:
Father, thank you for hearing our prayers for forgiveness, and for looking into our hearts to determine the sincerity of our petition. We thank you Lord for the intercession of your Son Jesus Christ, and the washing of His blood, that secures us in your mercy and grace. We thank you for His sacrifice on Calvary, and His resurrection, that have made Him able to not only cleanse us of sin, but to defeat death on our behalf. By believing in Him our hearts are circumcised, and we are strengthened and changed. In Him we can go and sin no more. Help us to be immersed completely in our love for Him, and thus obtain the spirit of true repentance necessary to receive your forgiveness when we have failed you in righteousness, and succumb to sin. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who has made it possible for us to be forgiven, and holy is your Son Jesus who intercedes for us and has taken our sins upon himself. Through Jesus we have received your mercy and grace Abba, and by living our lives as He lives we are able to reach the fullness of contrition and sincerity in our repentance as you desire. Hear us as we repent in prayer today, and hear the voice of Jesus as He prays for us. See us before you, covered in His blood, and shrouded in His love. Forgive us Father, and give us the strength of faith we need to once and for all defeat the sin we have committed. Let us receive your grace, and be covered by the sacrifice of Christ so that we will be found worthy of being in your presence… now and forevermore. Praised be your name, and may all glory be yours as we pray in true repentance today.
Amen
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!”
Psalm 51 ESV
Rich Forbes