The Kind of Sorrow that God Wants Us to Experience

For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.

—2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

When I sin, let me experience the kind of sorrow that leads me away from sin and ends with no regret—because of the salvation that You bring to anyone who truly repents.

Lead me by Your Spirit—in my sorrow over my sins—so that I would be carried far away from continuing in the sin, and fully experience the joy of my salvation.

Steer me clear of any pretense of repentance over my sin and help me recognize any world-like sorrow in myself—any tendency to only be sorry that my sin was found out and exposed, rather than to be willing to immediately stop, turn away, and flee from my sin.

Help me to see my heart clearly—and help me to purge from within me any tendency to hide the evil that remains there, so I can run into Your rescuing arms and find the abundant life You have for me in Christ.

When I sin, let me experience the kind of sorrow that leads me away from sin and ends with no regret—because of the salvation that You bring to anyone who truly repents.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

To You Who Are Willing to Listen

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies!  Do good to those who hate you.  Bless those who curse you.  Pray for those who hurt you.”

“Do to others as you would like them to do to you.”

—Luke 6:27-28, 31 (NLT)

Heavenly Father,

Help me be willing to listen to, and to follow, Your instructions.  Help me to love and do good to everyone—even those who hate and curse me.  Help me to do to others just as I would want others to do to me.

Help me not to allow how others treat me, or mistreat me, to determine the path that I walk down—but rather make my path straight and my way sure, as I listen and follow the example that was set before me in Christ.

But also show me how truly loving another person does not mean enabling them to continue to sin—for in doing so, I become an active participant in the sin.  Instead, help me always to stand for both Truth and Grace—as expressed through Christ’s perfect love—as equally necessary parts of any good relationship I might have.

Let my actions reflect my love for You, and let my love for others be an outflow of that love for You—as I surrender the desires of my mind, will and emotions to the control of Your Holy Spirit, so I can walk in the freedom and the joy You have reserved for those who choose to follow Christ obediently.

Help me do good to those who hate me, bless those who curse me and always pray for those who hurt me—so that they might be rescued by Your love from the sin that enslaves them, and so I won’t destroy my own life by harboring an unforgiving heart.

Help me be willing to listen to, and to follow, Your instructions.  Help me to love and do good to everyone—even those who hate and curse me.  Help me to do to others just as I would want others to do to me.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Resolve to Not Hide These Truths

We will not hide these truths from our children;
    we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the LORD,
    about his power and his mighty wonders.

So each generation should set its hope anew on God,
    not forgetting his glorious miracles
    and obeying his commands.

—Psalm 78:4,7 (NLT)

LORD God,

Help me resolve to leave a legacy of Truth to my children and to the next generation—to commit to tell them of Your glorious deeds, Your unlimited power and Your mighty wonders—that they would set their hope anew on You, would remember Your glorious miracles, and would obey all Your commands.

Help me to remember that the Truth is never something that should be hidden away, but rather boldly and fearlessly shared with anyone that will listen—especially with my own children and with all of those of the next generation.

Help me to share freely what Your Word says about You, but also how You have proven Your Word to be Truth, in every situation or circumstance that I have ever faced—as You have demonstrated Your compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and grace, in every moment of the story that You have written of the pages of my life.

Let it be that those who follow after me would set their hope anew on You—because they heard, and believed, and remembered, and obeyed the Truth of Your Word—and may they, too, leave that same legacy with those that follow after them.

Help me resolve to leave a legacy of Truth to my children and to the next generation—to commit to tell them of Your glorious deeds, Your unlimited power and Your mighty wonders—that they would set their hope anew on You, would remember Your glorious miracles, and would obey all Your commands.

In the name of Jesus, Amen.