God is generous in love to not just those who are holy, righteous, perfect and have it all together, but to everyone who knows and says when they have gone off course. If you have taken a detour, swerved to the wrong lane or lost your way in the journey of life, the prayer of repentance will get you back on track.
Falling is not the problem. It is not realizing or acknowledging that you have fallen that is the real problem. This is a dangerous place to be. The prayer of repentance is for everyone who is sincere and honest enough to admit and acknowledge that you have missed it, stumbled along the way, walked in the flesh, not been totally and completely obedient to God (1 John 1:8-10).
When you realize you have messed up and you humbly accept and acknowledge this, you are in a better position to seek and receive forgiveness. Through the prayer of repentance, you bring the hand of God close to you to cover you and lift you up. But when you excuse and justify your sinful actions, you shut yourself away from so many good things God wants to pour into your life. Adam and Eve realized they were naked, but they never addressed the real reason why they were ashamed, embarrassed and uncomfortable with their nakedness, that they had to hide from God. They never got to the point where they told God this happened because we disobeyed you and we are sorry. Instead, they looked for someone to blame for their pure act of disobedience. Blaming themselves and the devil just cut them off from the rich and full life God had planned for them. It takes humility and brokenness to pray the prayer of repentance. May God shatter every pride in us that makes us put up strong arguments for sin and make it hard for us to say I am sorry to our Father in Heaven.
Your heart and the Spirit of God will tell you when there’s a need to pray the prayer repentance. When David sinned, his body gave him all the signs to know this is a time to go to God in repentance. “When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long” (Psalm 32:3). When David kept silent about his sin, his body didn’t leave him off the hook. He lost his peace, there was no joy in him. David’s heart and body gave him all the internal nudging and promptings he needed to open his mouth and tell God “For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned…” (Psalm 51:4).
John 16:8 tells us that one of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to convict us of sin. God doesn’t want sin to separate us from Him; He doesn’t want sin to disrupt our relationship with Him and tear us away from Him. This is why He has given us His Spirit to show us, tell us, make us conscious and aware when there’s sin in our lives that we need to repent of, so there’s no barrier between us and God. The Holy Spirit works on our conscience when we have said, thought or done something that does not bring glory to God. He pricks our hearts when we have gotten off track, left God’s will and plan for our lives and are busy pursuing our own plan and agenda. His fire burns in our hearts when we are ignoring divine warnings and correction and trending on dangerous grounds. He convicts and convinces us through the word of God that we have put other things and people before God, we have not given God His rightful place in our lives, we have given God the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 10th or even no place at all in our hearts and lives.
The Holy Spirit is not a domineering Spirit. He doesn’t operate by force or by bullying us to do what He wants. When He convicts, it’s up to us to respond and cry out to God “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1). Or we can harden our hearts and pretend like we haven’t heard a thing He has said. But the wiser, more profitable and beneficial way to live is to yield to the Spirit’s promptings and go straight to Your Father in heaven and say I am deeply and truly sorry when the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin.
Here’s what you stand to gain when you humbly and sincerely pray the prayer of repentance. The first benefit is forgiveness of sin. Even if you are the most wretched of sinners who has done things that are grievous, detestable and terribly bad, there is mercy and forgiveness for the truly repentant (Isaiah 1:18-19). And when God forgives you of sin, He won’t keep bringing up your sins and mistakes at every little opportunity. Micah 7:19 says when God forgives, when He decides to show a person compassion, He hurls the persons sins into the depths of the sea. Genuine repentance is so powerful. It can completely erase the memory of your sins and bad ways from God’s mind.
The prayer of repentance sets you free from guilt and condemnation (Romans 8:1). Obstacles, barriers and blockages standing in the way of your receiving answers to your prayers are removed (Isaiah 59:1-2). You are bold and confident to approach God, ask Him for anything in the name of Jesus and receive from God (Hebrews 10:19-22). You are given back what was taken from you. Your lost joy, peace, blessings and opportunities are restored back to you (Joel 1:12-14, Joel 2:25-27). You experience a wonderful time of refreshing with God pouring down showers of blessings to refresh, revive and encourage you (Acts 3:19). And the new you springs forth; a new heart, a new name, a new identity is given you and you step into a new season of your life (Ezekiel 36:26-30). Why on earth would anyone not want to pray this destiny changing, life-transforming prayer?
PRAYER:
O LORD, have mercy on me. Forgive me for all my sins. Wash me thoroughly from my sins. Forgive me for not yielding to Your Word, will and ways and for doing things my own way. Create in me a clean and new heart. Give me a new beginning and bring me fully into everything you have ordained, prepared and planned for me. Thank you for hearing me for I have prayed in Jesus name. Amen!
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