Repentance: A Prayer

We're back at repentance.

Don’t take this topic so lightly because we often begin spiritual events and transitions with a time of repentance. God knows your heart and He will not be mocked. He sees to the core of your heart. The Lord is serious about our ignorance, our pride, our sins, our contempt, our disrespect of Him. If we are to come to Him now with simple lip-service, I would be afraid. In Hosea, the prophet Hosea calls the people to come and repent so that God may receive them yet once again. But just like Hosea’s wife who though she experienced the grace and love of her husband went back to prostitution, God interrupts Hosea’s invitation of repentance to the people by bringing to attention the folly of their repentance. We are always customarily praying repentant prayers. Because we are wretched, blind, lost, dead in our sins without Christ! Sometimes we pray with deep conviction, and other times with a certain reluctance which is many times because we know that we’ve been there before.

This is what the Lord said.
"Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light.
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings."
- Hosea 6:4b-6

God says our repentance and our love for God is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away. God is reminding us that when we repent, we must pray in sincerity and in deep seriousness. He is reminding us of the many times we have repented. Let’s not let this time be the same. God doesn’t need our sacrifice, our service, our offerings. He desires steadfast love. He desires faithfulness to Him. Holiness and purity of the heart. Honesty. Let’s come before Him now, lifting up our hearts and asking for His mercy to touch our hearts and led us into true repentance. If your struggling to pray or you don’t feel like praying right now, I earnestly ask you not to remain silent and ignore God’s invitation for mercy.

Galatians 6:7-10 :: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Titus 2:11-14 :: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

1 Peter 1:13-16 :: Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

I pray that you would not take lightly the mercy God shows us each day. Let us return to Him with all our hearts. We will seek Him and find Him when we seek Him with all our hearts. Lets confess our sins, confess of our selfish hearts and evil minds. Rend your hearts and return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

I’m not sure if you feel ready to cry out to the Lord but let’s not go through the motions at this retreat and in this upcoming semester. I don’t know where each of your hearts are but we can not simply drive on auto-pilot with this life that God has placed us in.

We all know that faith is not all about “feeling” it. We must remove ourselves from the pedestal. It doesn’t matter what other people think of you. We make nothing of Christ if we are simply doing things by way of “eye-service” and “as people pleasers.”

Let’s come before God in all honesty. And lets seek God desperately in our honesty. Let’s do whatever it takes during this time and during this semester, to be in the arms of Christ confessing our need for Him.

Let’s confess to God: “Do whatever it takes for my heart to be open to Yours. Do whatever it takes to draw me closer to You.”
Let’s not simply stand idle when God is inviting us to meet with Him. Let’s cry out to the Lord!

Amen.