Repentance
“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)
Today you can create a new life, today is a day of renewal and rebirth. Jesus spoke of re-birth, to be reborn of the heart and spirit. This re-birth allows the Holy Spirit to manifest within, a simple act of honesty and of letting go, a simple act of re-birth with water. John the Baptist was humbled as he baptized our Lord, what an amazing experience that would have been!
Let’s talk about re-birth, have you been reborn? Have you let go of your life of grasping and control over your self?
Think about your life, is there anything going on that causes you stress, grief, anxiety or remorse? Do you have any bad habits that you can rid yourself of? If so then you have an opportunity to start your life over, here today; NOW!
Just hit the floor and get on your hands and knees, close your eyes and ask God in the name of Jesus to cleanse your soul, a simple prayer will invoke the spirit of our Lord and he will come to you as he has been waiting; be honest and appeal to the mercy of God and understand the severity of sinning against God, make no excuses or justification and truly have the desire to reform while being conscious that forgiveness is not deserved but by grace alone you shall be forgiven.
Prayer:
“Father, I confess as sin my living for self, loving self. I will put off shepherding myself and focus on shepherding others. I reject all the self sins: self-sufficiency, self-promotion, self-protection, selfishness, self-centeredness. I confess as sin my cruel, harsh, manipulative, demanding, shaming, blaming, maiming way of treating others. Most of all, I confess as sin how far I’ve moved from reflecting You and Your radically other-centered Trinitarian existence. I am putting off the flesh, the characteristic ways I used to relate and I’m putting on the Spirit, the new me created to relate like You.”
David offered himself up in a prayer of repentance and humbled himself to the Lord, if you know his story you will come to know how the human mind can be easily swayed to self centered, egotistical behaviors. His prayer of repentance was so complete and a great example of how to praise the Father and the Son asking for forgiveness to our sinful nature.
Take some time and read Psalm 51 to experience David’s prayer of repentance.
I hope you have a blessed day and remember the Lord our God loves you forever and ever.
Amen.

