" Repentance doesn't mean anything if you keep doing what you're sorry for""We sin. We don't repent. We continue to sin. We aren't grateful for our blessings. Then we get confused when our prayers go unanswered"How many times a day do you repent? Do you find yourself repenting for the same sin? Are you even aware of what repentance really is?What is Repentance?Repentance is a change of mind, that leads to a change of heart, that leads to a change in actions. This change involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God.When I was new in my walk with Christ I knew about repentance, but I did not have the full knowledge and understanding of what True repentance was. I knew it meant to ask for forgiveness, but I never thought about turning away and not doing it again. Repentance and Forgiveness go hand in hand. When we repent and say, "Father I repent for sinning against you", we don't stop at asking for forgiveness of our sins. With repentance, we are to call out the sin that we committed as well. For example Lord I repent for being disobedient to my parents and giving them an attitude when they asked me to wash the dishes . When calling out our sins, we are acknowledging that we are aware of what we did, we know that it was not right, and God does not approve. We as children of God need to have a reverential fear of God, and not want to continue in our sin for fear of the consequence of our actions.
(Reverential Fear of God is when you have respect for God and fear of disappointing Him.)Why Repent:Repentance is very important. When you do not repent and truly turn away from sin you are setting yourself up for a great judgement. Yes, we will stumble along the way and may mess up here and there, but the Lord sees and knows all. He will know if your heart is right and you're truly trying to live right. Some people have the mind set of, I know God will forgive me so I will just repent later, but for now I am going to do what I want to do. We have to be careful of that type of mindset because tomorrow is not promised. You keep thinking that you have time to repent and get it together and before you know, it will be too late.It is scary to think that some people do not see anything wrong with their actions. If you get to a point in your walk with God where you can continue in your flesh and go against God's word and see no wrong, you're in trouble. That just means that your mind is seared with a hot iron, and when your mind is seared with a hot iron that means that you have no conscience. Your conscience is one of the things that convicts you and urges you to repent. I have heard the popular saying plenty of times, " GOD KNOWS MY HEART". In Jeremiah 17:9 he says "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" That alone should tell you that you can't let your heart make decisions for you concerning your walk with God. The Holy Spirit is to lead and guide you.1 Timothy 4:1-2 speaks on people leaving their walk of faith and their mind's being seared with a hot iron. People will follow deceiving spirits and things that are taught by demons . So when you let your mind become so captivated by your own thoughts and not what the word of God says, your mind becomes seared and corrupt. You won't want to repent and turn from the life that you once lived because you have convinced yourself that your doing right and see no wrong in your behavior. When you allow the Holy Spirit to convict you of what you have done and give you the heart to repent you allow freedom to take place, and the guilt and shame that you carry will no longer have control over you. I know for a fact that I wouldn't feel comfortable walking around with condemnation on my shoulders.The ABC'S of Repentance:A- Admit itB-Be SorryC-Confess & FixD- Don't do it again! What happens if you do no repent? When you continue to do wrong (sin) and you do not repent and turn from that sin you are committing that it a dangerous place to be. God has a book in Heaven called The Book Of Life and in that book is where God has written all that you have done while you were on the earth, both good and bad. When judgement day comes you will have to give an account for all that you did while you were here on the earth. You will have to answer to God about why you were stubborn and didn't repent knowing what you did was not of God. Do you know what your going to say to God when he asks you why you did not repent?Romans 2:5 (KJV) But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.I think what people forget is that even though God is a God of Love he is also a God of wrath! He has the power to send your soul's to hell to live in torment for eternity. We take for granted that God is a forgiving and Loving God. God will have mercy on us so we can get it together because God does not want to send his children to Hell. God did not make hell for us, hell was made for Satan and the fallen angels. When people are sent to hell they are trespassing that is why the torment is so horrible and cruel.Matthew 10:28 (KJV) Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Repentance is a Blessing: I don't think we take the time to think of how fortunate and blessed we are that our heavenly father is so merciful and gracious to us. Think about it, all the times that we have sinned against ourselves, turned our back on God, walked in rebellion and stubbornness. God could have taken his hands of protection off of us and left us to our own reprobate mind. The Love that God has for us as his Children is so great that he will forgive us if we repent of our sins, turn from them and continue to live for him. I cannot think of anyone who will forgive someone multiple times for doing the same thing over and over again and still have pure love for them. Can you think of someone you know that would forgive you over and over again, still love you with a pure heart, have no ill feelings towards you, and will still be there for you if you need them? Yea, me either.How to Repent!
Psalms 51 is a great prayer to say when repenting: This prayer is asking God to take out all the iniquities and things that are displeasing to Him and to renew their spirit.
PRAYER OF REPENTANCE Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness;According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions,And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise. Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
After you have read the prayer or even prayed your own prayer remember your sins have been forgiven and you are starting on a clean slate with God. Do not go back or continue in your sin. Live for God, Seek him daily, and turn from what was keeping you bound and watch God bless you mightily !
xoxoxox. God Bless
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