A Prayer of Confession
From our church bulletin this morning.
WARNING: Strong language. Get ready. It makes me uncomfortable. What do you think?
WARNING: Strong language. Get ready. It makes me uncomfortable. What do you think?
O changeless God, under the conviction of your Spirit I learn that the more I do, the worse I am, the more I know, the less I know, the more holiness I have, the more sinful I am, the more I love, the more there is to love! O wretched person that I am! How little I love your truth and ways! Of all hypocrites, grant that I may not be an evangelical hypocrite, who sins more safely because grace abounds, who tells his lusts that Christ's blood cleanses them, who reasons that God cannot cast him into hell, for he is saved, who loves evangelical preaching, churches, Christians, but lives in an unholy manner. My conscience is without conviction or contrition, with nothing to repent of. My will is without power of decision or resolution. My heart is without affection, and full of leaks. My memory has no retention, so I forget easily the lessons learned, and your truth seeps away. Give me a broken heart that yet carries home the water of grace.
-- adapted from Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision
I'm so thankful that God loves us enough to constantly search our hearts and keep us right before Him. He's always giving us the opportunity; we must obey. True love does.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE VALLEY OF VISION!!! DO YOU HAVE A COPY???
ReplyDeleteJodi, you are so right, he is always giving us the opportunity. I recently learned in a study of Mark, that in all of his interactions, Jesus leaves open a door to turn to him, a door to repentance. He is so eager for us to turn His way.
ReplyDeleteTab, we had a copy but we gave it away to John's grandparents, and they love it! Haven't replaced it yet, but hope to.
Amen.
ReplyDelete