When we really get honest with ourselves there is one major
thing that keeps us from prayer and confession: PRIDE.
We have to shatter our pride and humble ourselves before our
awesome Creator and come to the realization that in full surrender, His
sovereignty rules. He ultimately has our
best interest in mind. He “knows the plans He has for us, plans to give us a
hope and a future.”
If it’s hard to pray it may be because we want control. We don’t want to surrender. We don’t want to
make our thoughts “captive and obedient” to His ways. Or maybe we feel so full
of shame that we can’t approach His throne of grace. Even THAT is pride.
If it’s hard to confess it may be we really don’t think we
have anything to confess. Confession means we are wrong and God is right.
PRIDE. (And unfortunately, in this moral muck hole of a culture, we might truly
be blinded by our own sin by rationalizing and justifying it…PRIDE again is the
root of this line of thinking.)
The Psalmist summarizes it well in Psalm 66:16-20
“Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did
for me. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke. If I had not
confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But God did
listen! He paid attention to my prayer. Praise God, who did not ignore my
prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me.”
Be free of pride today. I am allowing God to shatter mine and it hurts.
But it’s a good hurt because true freedom is around the corner. Freedom from
control. Freedom from fear. Freedom to hold His hand and let Him lead me where
He wills. No better place to be. Take the time to shatter the pride that keeps
you from Him and pray the prayer of David below. I guarantee you will
experience a freedom of surrender that you haven’t felt for a long time…maybe
never felt at all. Oh how He longs to lavish His grace, mercy and unconditional
love on us!! Will you let Him?!
After King David gravely sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba
and masterminding the murder of her husband Uriah, he penned the powerful words
of confession in Psalm 51….
“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because
of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my
guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day
and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil
in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment
against me is just. For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother
conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even
there. Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be
whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me
rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in
me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me
from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the
joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your
ways to rebels, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood,
O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my
lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. You do not desire a sacrifice,
or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you
desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart,
O God. Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—with burnt
offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on
your altar.”
