PRAYERS OF REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION
LESSON FOR THE JUNIOR CLASSES
STUDY SCRIPTURE:
PSALM 51:1-17
Key Verse
“Create in me a clean heart, God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me”.
Psalm 51:10
INTRODUCTION
Sometimes we do things which turn out to be not right. Also sometimes we do not do things which we know we should have done. In both case we feel guilty. This feeling of guilt is a seriously damaging one for it stays inside us and eats away at our peace. When we are a believer in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ this feeling of guilt can separate us from them.
When we have done something against the Commandments of God or have not done something God wants us to do our feelings can make us feel terrible and make us feel we are separated from God.
David the king of Israel got himself into a bad situation when he got into a prohibited relationship with the wife of one of the soldiers fighting for his nation and this man’s wife got pregnant. Then to cover up his sin he ordered that the loyal soldier be put into a vulnerable place when the fighting was going on with the enemies of Israel and the man was killed as David had expected. David then took over the man’s wife as his wife.
God was extremely upset for David had broken several of the Ten Commandments. God made sure David would suffer for his sins and he did suffer as he told us in Psalm 32. He could not sleep or enjoy eating. After a year or so God then sent the prophet Nathan to confront David about his sin and David without hesitation admitted his guilt, telling the prophet he had sinned against God.
Any sin we do is first against God and then secondly against the people we have hurt.
David begged God to blot out his wilful sin completely so that he would never repeat his sins. After admitting his actions were totally wrong and against the commands of God and his responsibility as a King of the people of God, he asked God to show him mercy and compassion, and to forgive him. He knew the character of God for this nature of God meant God loves to show mercy and would forgive those who were truly penitent and who would turn away from sinning and so do a 180 degree turn.
He asked God to cleanse and wash him, and not take away the Holy Spirit that God had given David so that he would do the work of God in leading the nation. David knew he could not help himself and that only God could wash, cleanse and help him to avoid sins by giving him a new heart. So, David confessed his sins to God, repented, vowed not to repeat his sinning for he knew only God could save him from the divine punishment of death for sinning.
We learn therefore that God is merciful and will forgive sin if persons have genuine sorrow for their sins, and are not just trying to trick God. God does not like, does not entertain, does not associate with or mix with hypocrites. You cannot fool or trick God or cover up what you have done. God knows everything even before it happens. The mercy of God is always there for us for He loves us His children.
So do not live in mental torture like what David lived through for over a year. If a sin is committed simply go to God, acknowledge the sin, and ask Him to cleanse and heal you, restoring the broken fellowship with Him. God will never turn away from genuine repentance for He is a perfectly loving, merciful, compassionate God.
