Cleansing Prayer

Psalm 51

Verse 10  Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

    Yesterday we were talking about how important it is to be seeking God’s will and today we are going to look at praying to that end.

    David wasn’t what many godly people would say is a good example on how to live, as he had various times that he didn’t live as God would have us live.  God considered David a man after His own heart though and it was because of David’s heart at moments like the verses before us today.  We don’t like to acknowledge our sin to ourselves let alone say them out loud and yet that is the very thing that will bring us to the abiding relationship with God that He wants and that we should be seeking.

    David had just been outed about his sin by the prophet Nathan, David’s response is to turn to God in repentance.  We talked a few days back about repenting prayer and yet David’s prayer of repentance is different than the tax collector’s, David’s is a prayer by someone who had been walking with God and sinned.  He didn’t make excuses for his choices.  He didn’t blame others.

    Verse 12 shows that David knew that the joy he was missing was a lack of closeness with God because of his sin.  I wonder how many of us realize when there seems to be a lack of joy in our lives that maybe we have a sin issue.  Not many of us are willing to look at ourselves and see the truth about our heart condition and yet that is the very thing that will bring us to the proper place in our heart to see how far we have stepped from God.

    Remember a few days ago we were talking about how sin in our lives hinders our line of prayer communication with God.  Today’s passage is an example of a prayer that God is always ready to hear – the honest, heartfelt admission of sin and repentant asking for forgiveness.  This is the prayer that opens the lines of communication like no other.  It shows God that we do want what He wants in this relationship.  This puts us in the place of seeing our sin in the way that God sees it, as reprehensible.  David reminds God that He won’t despise a heart broken and contrite about sin.  God knows that we won’t become heartbroken over our sin if we don’t admit it to ourselves first.  Only then can we be truly repentant.

Making It Personal

    When was the last time that you were repentant about sin in your life?  Did you tell God about your sin?  Do you steer clear of that sin now?

Making It Personal Kids

    When should we tell God about our sin?  Why does God want to know about the sins we do?  Have you told God you are sorry about your sin and don’t want to do it again?

Closing Prayer

    Father, we know we have failed You in our lives.  Please forgive us and help us see our sin as You do.  In Jesus’ name, amen.