Month: August 2014

Repentance

Prayers / August 21, 2014

The Importance of Repentance

 

God has commanded you to “choose life,” not death (Deut. 30:19). A very important key to

choosing life is your repentance from sin. ” .. . God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to ,, Life” (Acts 11:18). God does not want you, His precious child, trapped in the clutches of sin. He wants you healed and set free to enjoy the wonderful life He has created for you. Many are trapped by the subtle tentacles of sin. Despite a desire to be free from sin and disease, some don’t want to be confronted or deal with their sin. Sin must be evicted from your life. Recognize it, repent of it, and kick it out.

 

Once you learn these principles, you will also reveal His truth to others who want to be free. You may be the person God wants to use to reach your neighbor down the street or your co-worker. Expect God to use you. Your words may be the only ones someone will listen to. Who will explain the freedom that comes with repentance of sins if you don’t? Who will explain how to get free and healed if you don’t? The apostle Paul asks the same question:

 

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

(Romans 10:14-15)

 

Prayers for purity are very important. David asked God to cleanse him not only from known sins, but also from hidden faults:

 

Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant

also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless,

and I shall be innocent of great transgression (Psalm 19:12-13).

 

David’s attitude pleased God. He called David “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22).

 

Jesus is coming back for a Church without spot or wrinkle. It is time to cleanse the house of God. Since He lives within you, you are His house. Your responsibility is to keep yourself clean and pure. Even if you have a good relationship with God, pray:

 

Prayer:

Father, I have sinned. I don’t want to sin anymore and I repent. Take this sin of ___ from me and put it on the cross, never to be held against me. Father, I ask Jesus to come into my life, not just as my Savior, but also as my Lord. Through Your Holy Spirit, guide me into all that You have for me, in Jesus’ name.

 

Sample Testimony

Testimonies / August 19, 2014

I grew up in a Christian family, so I was surrounded by God and the church from the very beginning. I was raised in a Christian home, but just followed through the motions of doing “Christian things” that I thought you were supposed to do. I didn’t know Him, I just knew about Him.

I found myself searching for purpose and meaning in people and also in myself. Whether that was my friends or in relationships, I poured my whole heart into them. I also became very fixated on myself and my image. I became very consumed with what people thought of me and was living for the acceptance of the world.

At my lowest point when I was alone and afraid, God drew me to Himself. From growing up in a Christian home, I knew what to do. I knew that He could save me if I just let Him. I confessed that I am a sinner and that I was trying to find life in other people and myself. I acknowledged that He sent Jesus to die on the cross so that I can be saved from my sin and have eternal life. I committed to living for God instead of others.

Since knowing Him, God showed me that being a “Christian” isn’t about just doing good works. He made it clear that I do not have to earn my salvation or His love (Eph. 2:8-9). He has given me fulfillment and purpose and joy. I am not perfect and I still mess up, but God loves me despite my flaws and imperfections. And when the things I was pursuing before continually let me down, God has never once left me. He has shown Himself to me in His Word, the Bible, in (verse of scripture). God loved me even at my lowest point and He rescued me from myself and eternal separation from Him.