PROUD DEALINGS...

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.”