Day 18 - Dear God, I'm Sorry (Psalm 32)

By now, I'm thinking that confession is a good thing.

Repentance is a very good thing.

Living a life that is honest to God about our sinful actions, thoughts, words, and intentions... opens us up to great blessing.

How can God show His goodness and love unless I ask Him for help with my darkness and selfish ways?

"Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven, whose transgressions are covered" (Psalm 32:1)

If you try to ignore or hide your sins, be ready for the weight of guilt, shame, regrets, brokenness, and yes - even more sins. King David committed adultery, then murder, and lied repeatedly to "protect" his secret.

But if you turn around, face God, talk openly about your sins, express your desire to change... God calls you blessed. God protects you. God lets you see another layer of His unfailing love. In the end of this song, look at the result... your heart is glad, celebrating, singing with joy...

At least David acknowledges that repentance is valuable. Even though it took him a while, and his guilt made him feel sick - "groaning all day long" - once he finally acknowledged His sin to God (32:5), God took away the sin...

God forgives it. God takes it away. God covers it up. On a regular basis. We all need that.

Dear God, thank you for these realities about your love for us. Thank you for responding with unfailing love rather than merciless judgment. Thanks for giving me second chance after second chance. Thanks for restoring joy to my life and my prayers on a regular basis.

Repentance is hard, but help me see that it's ALWAYS the right thing to do. You ALWAYS hear and come to help - You ALWAYS remove the burden and the guilt. I love you and I need you.

Thank you for not counting my sins against me... Thank you for forgiving the guilt of my sin!!

Day 17 - Dear God, I'm sorry (2 Corinthians 7:1-13)

It's one of the toughest phrases for any human being to say.

It's something we might know inside, but have a hard time actually verbalizing the words.

"I'm sorry."

Like the 1980's Chicago song reminds us, "It's hard for me to say I'm sorry."

In comparison to God, and in offense to God, we have a lot to be sorry for. All of us have missed the mark of perfection. Every one of us has flaws, and we know when we've offended or hurt someone else.

God is looking and working inside us to produce what today's verses describe as "godly sorrow."

As in, when you break the law, you should feel bad about it. You feel a sense of regret and inner pain, and you feel it BEFORE you get caught.

As in, you realize that your offense has been hurtful to someone. Not just another human, but to God, who intends for and expects us to lead better lives. Lives of love, joy, peace, patience.... and not lives of sin.

Dear God, help me - let your Spirit bring about a healthy, accurate, change-inspiring sorrow whenever there is sin in my life. Help me be sensitive to breaks in my relationship with you, and to be sorry enough to come running back.

Day 16 - Dear God, I'm sorry (Luke 15:1-10)

My wife and I are hooked on the television show, "LOST." We started with it in season one, and it just keeps getting better. Granted, it's not for everyone, but we like it.

The basic plot is that a plane has crashed in the South Pacific, and a large group of survivors have been stranded on an island for about 120 days now. Faithful watchers are waiting to see if any of these people will find their way home, or find that all of this was really part of their "destiny" as humans.

Jesus has a huge heart for people who are "lost." Because we are made in His image and loved by Him, He is coming after each one of us.

In Luke 15, he gives three stories that describe God's personal mission to find us, welcome us, and throw a huge party for us!

First, it's the shepherd who loses a sheep. He has a hundred of them, but just one goes missing. He leaves the other 99 and goes after that one lost sheep.

Second, it's a woman who has lost a valuable coin. "It's somewhere in the house..." she thinks. She tears the place apart, she "sweeps the house" until she finds it. Relentless, just like the shepherd.

Third, it's a Father who has a young and distant son that he hasn't seen in ages. When the kid finally "came to his senses" (the Bible literally says that!) he heads home. While he is still far off, Dad sees him. Dad runs to his son. Dad hugs and kisses his boy.

In each of these three stories, Jesus mentions a common variable. Repentance. After the sheep is found, Jesus says, "there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents!" After the woman finds her coin, Jesus says, "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

Repentance. It means, "change your mind." "Turn your life around." "Come to your senses." "Run to God and get help!"

When the Dad sees his lost son, he throws a huge party - "let's have a feast and celebrate... this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'" The next line is classic - "So they began to celebrate."

If you confess your sins to God... talk openly with Him... you will find forgiveness... but you will also find GREAT JOY.

God is passionately running after you... turning the whole house upside down... as a loving Father who always misses me when I'm away... the main question of my day is this - will I turn around and see Him? Will I repent - change directions - and run to Him?

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Dear God, forgive me for running away at times. Please help me hear you, see you, know that you are waiting patiently, seeking passionately for an open relationship with me.

I know you're not doing this because You are "needy," but actually because You know that I am needy! You miss me and love me and want what's best for me - in every area of life!

Help me turn around and run to you... Help me repent personally, and ask you for the change of heart I so desperately need!

Day 15 - Dear God, I'm sorry (Psalm 51)

We'll begin week three with one of the deepest soul-spilling prayers in all of Scripture.

Psalm 51.

When I've sinned, it's easy to get "defensive." To make excuses. To blame someone else. To run from God.

When he writes these words, David has given up on all those options. He's just bearing his soul to God.

Honest - "I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."
Regret - "Surely I was sinful at birth..."
Plea - "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love."

David accepts responsibility, blame, and punishment for his own sins... and, at the same time, he desperately begs God for mercy. He asks God to blot it out, wipe it away, and give him a pure heart... a new attitude... a willing spirit...

That's a great way to start my week.

God, please have mercy on me... Help me understand my sin, and be heartbroken before you. I am sorry for the selfishness, the apathy, the sins you know about (ALL of them!)... and I ask for your forgiveness. I depend entirely on your unfailing love...

Dear God, help me pursue you this week. Give me a willing spirit to keep going in the "40 Day" journey, and take this confession week seriously. Search me, test me, open my eyes to see the things I need to see... Give me the courage to address my own weaknesses straight-on.

Have mercy on ME too.. O God... according to your UNFAILING love!

Day 14 - REMEMBER... PRAISE GOD!

We've just completed a week of reading, reflecting, and praying thoughts of praise and thanks to God. As we come to the end of week #2 of the "Dear God" prayer journey, a couple of thoughts...

- PRAISE really does set the tone for a right and healthy relationship with God. When I recognize and verbalize the good things God IS and DOES, it motivates me to pray even more. It helps me remember how powerful the One we pray to really is. It helps me recognize and receive the way He cares about me.

- PRAISE seems to be a part of nearly all the prayers in the Bible. Even Jonah in the belly of the whale. Even Jesus in the hours before his death. Even David, reflecting on his own failures. Apparently, the people who are growing spiritually - the people who really "get it" when it comes to a relationship with God - those people PRAISE HIM as a habit.

- I should also add that I don't think saying words of praise to God is like "buttering God up" so you can ask Him for something big. It's not an attempt to play the "teacher's pet." Of course God sees right through that. Part of the reason we commit to doing something for 40 Days in a row is because we want to get better at this. I want to learn the habit, the routine, the commitment of praising God and talking with Him the right way.

- PRAISE is important to God... "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name." The word "hallowed" just means "holy, awesome, perfect, completely greater-than-our-names..." God deserves and seeks hearts that approach Him this way.

- Starting tomorrow, we'll have seven challenging days of prayer. We have just looked at the greatness and praise-worthy nature of God... and now we'll take a long hard look in the mirror. I don't deserve praise. In fact, I am far from perfect, and have done nothing to earn God's favor... This next week has to do with prayers of repentance and confession.

Dear God... you ARE awesome. Help me give you praise and priority in my thoughts this week. Help me hear what you have to say about me... and my failures, my blind spots, my regrets, my past... If you are indeed sitting on the throne of the universe, then make me ready to humbly submit my heart to you... Please help me deal honestly with my sin, in light of your forgiveness and love.

Day 13 - God is Awesome (Luke 18:35-43)

When I read accounts of Jesus' life, I always find it interesting to put myself in other people's shoes.

Here, in Luke 18:35-43, we see several personalities that go through a transformation.

There's the blind man, who yells out desperately to get the attention of Jesus of Nazareth. He goes from desperate and blind... to being healed and praising God. Jesus tells him, "your faith has healed you." I'm sure there's an application for your life if you're willing to find it. Something about being willing to admit that I'm blind, call out desperately to Jesus of Nazareth for help...

He says, "Have mercy on me!" Sounds a little like Psalm 51, and Jesus cannot resist the cry of desperate faith.

There's the crowds surrounding Jesus and the blind man... One moment, they are rebuking the blind guy and telling him to be quiet. Imagine the words... insulting him. Telling him to shut up. Why should anyone give him the time of day - let alone our current celebrity hero, Jesus of Nazareth? The words of these naysayers only makes this man's faith and determination to get to Jesus that much more impressive...

And imagine their surprise when Jesus calls the blind man to him. He enters a conversation, "What do you want me to do for you?" A test of faith. A test of motive. The guy just wants to see.

Jesus cares enough about this man's physical sight to give Him the response, and heal his eyes.

As a result, everyone involved can now really SEE what we are supposed to see. The blind man SEES a response of power and love in his own life, causing Him to praise God. The crowd SEES a compassionate Savior who cares more than they did about this man, and praises God that they got to witness a miracle.

When you think about this encounter with Jesus... put yourself in the story... what do you SEE? What do you think God wants you to see?

Day 12 - God is Awesome (1 Peter 1:3-12)

Today's reading in (1 Peter 1:3-12) is short and strong. I actually had to memorize these verses for a class not so long ago.

If you're following along still on Day 12, great job! Keep it up! Stick with it! You are on the right road!

It's a road that gives us new life...

It's a road that develops our faith in Christ - like gold, which is refined by fire...

It's a road that leads to the salvation of your souls...

Peter describes the power and privilege of receiving God's salvation. If we really "get it" (mind, heart, soul), it will give birth to great joy ("greatly rejoice") even in the midst of life's trouble. If we truly seek Christ, we will know more and more the blessings we have - even the angels and prophets didn't know about this stuff! If you continue on in your salvation, your live will overflow with a contagious love for Jesus and an active love for other people. Peter writes, "though you have not seen him, you love him" (1 Pet. 3:8).

Dear God....
- Restore me to the great joy and wonder of your salvation!

- Help me to hang on to you and develop a deeper commitment to you, so that only joy is the response of my heart. When I fail, or when I hurt, or when I'm stressed, help me find JOY in your presence alone. Help me find new life and hope for each
day... from your Spirit!

- It's awesome that your Spirit was leading the prophets to talk about this stuff, and the angels to investigate this stuff, but salvation comes to each of us, today, who has received Jesus' life, death, and resurrection for our own lives.

- I know that there are friends in my life... even Facebook friends who I have barely talked to in years. Only you know where people stand with you... but I pray that your salvation would be displayed in my life with joy, energy, and love. That people would see a difference in me - especially my wife and kids - but everybody else too!