“He, the God of Israel, gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God.” (Psalm 68 v 35 TNJB)
But, the snares of sin impede us.
They prevent holiness.
This problem is serious
And concerns all of us.
In mankind is something rotten,
Unworthy, impure, hateful to God.
We were not made for this.
A force of arrogance and defiance
Is the wrong strength and power.
Life is not meant to be like it is.
We need a Healer Reformer.
Our sins require a Redeemer.
Sins’ snare ruins our readiness for that holiness
By which we will enter the kingdom promised us.
“The path of the Upright One is honesty; You smooth the honest way of the upright. Following the path of Your judgments, Yahweh, we set our hopes in You, Your name, Your memory are all our soul desires. At night my soul longs for You and my spirit within me seeks You out; for when Your judgments appear on earth the inhabitants of the world learn what saving justice is.” (Isaiah 26 v 7, 8, 9 TNJB)
Our eternal welfare is assured in Jesus.
He comes to save and sanctify us.
Jesus comes to make us worthy
Of the honoured title of God’s family.
The gospel message of redemption,
The good news of Christ Jesus,
Is as relevant today as it ever was.
We have a Brother who is Saviour,
Born to us at Christmas.
We make ready to celebrate
A specific date in history,
The mystery of God’s love gifted us
In the Person of His Son
We name ‘Christ Jesus.’
“ ‘...Mary...that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit’.” (Matthew 1 v 20)
“ ‘And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins’.” (Matthew 1 v 21)
“Let grace be shown to the wicked, yet (s)he will not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness (s)he will deal unjustly.” (Isaiah 26 v 10) O Lord, sadly this is so. I am sorry.
What is the matter with us? Why all this unholiness? We are in the season of Advent, a holy season where repentance is a hallmark. May we hear the Spirit’s call to repent.
We need the Spirit’s strength to help us own up to what is wrong. We find this so uncomfortable, disappointing and distressing. We need the Spirit’s strength to put things right, to do better in seeking holiness.
May the Spirit of wisdom and truth enable us to shine the spotlight on our spirituality. Is this fully Christian? Do we try sufficiently to live by the gospel message of love, knowing this promotes hope, peace and joy.
Dearest Father, in our weakness, send us Your Spirit to convict us of our mistaken ways, helping us to repent fully, remorsefully, believing in Your mercy. “As tenderly as a father treats his children, so the Lord God treats those who fear Him.” (Psalm 103 v 17 TNJB)
Our fear is our reverence. Our reverence must prepare us now, please purify us, make us ready to receive our Saviour Brother. You are the Lord of freedom and grace.
Please redeem us out of Your love and mercy as shown to us by the Lord Jesus. He will soon be coming into all hearts and minds which have made spiritually ready to receive Him.
Jesus comes to us as Healer and Redeemer, that we can live anew through Your mercifully loving kindness and forgiveness. Oh how we need this, urgently need this help, this healing, this setting free from sin.
“Let our conscience be clear, our conduct without fault, our speech blameless, our life well ordered. Put us on guard against human weaknesses; let us cherish Your love for us, keep Your law and come at last to Your salvation.” (The Universal Prayer changed from a singular invocation)
Lord, I am sorry for the times I fail to come to You, I forget to pray or do not make sufficient time for this. It is my fault that I forfeit the benefits.
I am sorry when I do not focus on You properly, as when I am busy about worldly affairs. I neglect to consult You about all manner of things.
I am sorry when I lose hope, despairing at the state of the world, or at certain ways of life resulting in catastrophe. I am sorry for any ways in which I have contributed to any downfall, whereby we forfeit Your grace and favour.
I am sorry when I do not talk to You with sufficient time to spend, or without real concentration or application of thought to the teachings of sacred Scripture, carelessly thinking I will manage somehow.
I am sorry when I hand over the reigns of control at the start of the day, only to snatch them back again later. Does this show a lack of trust? Or is it just hurried carelessness?
I am sorry when I allow feelings to cloud focus, when wishes displace an uncomfortable, unwarranted reality, but instead of praying, I try to do things my way.
I am sorry for being judgmental, critical and for any lack of love however this manifests itself. If I am fault finding, I should be looking at myself.
I am sorry for allowing any darkness of thought, word, action or re-action obliterate the light of Your love shining over and amongst us, for I have not asked for wisdom.
I am sorry for all the times I have headed off in the wrong direction, especially if this has involved anybody else going astray. I am truly sorry for failure to obey.
I am sorry for the many, many times my preparation for Christmas was merely, or mostly, secular, overlooking the purpose, meaning and joy of the incarnation.
I am sorry that I procrastinate when it comes to preparing for and attending the time of Reconciliation, when You promise us the mercy and forgiveness the Lord Jesus won for us. I do not want to be bothered to do this, or I know it will be painful.
I am sorry for the countless blessings I and my family receive on a daily basis, yet I forget to think of You and offer praise for such kindness, the goodness of the Trinity.
I am sorry for being so wrapped up by my difficulties, distress, daily challenges, that I fail to give sufficient attention to the needs of others, which sometimes are dire.
I am sorry if the Holy Spirit prompts me and I fail to notice this, or go about responding in the wrong way, my way because I think I can act independently. This is foolish, I am so sorry.
I am sorry for curtailing prayer because I tire, or think I have something else more important to do. In this I may be forfeiting the blessings You wish to give others through me. Yes, I am sorry.
I am sorry if love is not the foundation of all that I am, desire to be, try to be; for the times I lose hope and sense despair; for being afraid of dying, for feeling insecure even knowing You are with me.
I am sorry when I do not fulfil the target I made, so as to pray sufficiently and track progress or otherwise. Especially at the end of the day I fail to take stock.
I am sorry when I do not speak up openly in defence of our Christian faith; do not share the conviction of the new life offered us in Christ Jesus; do not act as a believer full of love; fail to live up to the highest standards set for us.
I am sorry if I spend too much time in prayer consulting You about my own needs, wants, wishes, worries, to the exclusion of similar for others. I am sorry for all self-centredness.
I am sorry that I do not always act as if I am a good work in progress, open to the Holy Spirit, alert to the requests of the Lord Jesus, as summed up in the demand to love others as we love ourselves.
I am sorry if I have lived carelessly in my way, in thought, ambition, speech, action and response, especially to disappointment or in the face of distress.
I am sorry for the pattern of my faults which result in all manner of failings, which mar life, especially if this spoils it for someone else.
I am sorry when I fail to turn to Jesus, my Redeemer, more readily, promptly, especially when I realise my own hidden agenda had been motivating me.
Father God, sin is so serious it sent the Lord Jesus to die on the †, that we in being forgiven could strive again to become holy. Please accept our efforts.
I am sorry for anything which displeases, dishonours or dismays You. I am sorry that much of what we say and do disgusts You. Thank You that You are able to overlook all of this for the salvation won for us at Jesus’ † is Your plan for our eternal joy.
How loving, how gracious, how kind You are to us. May the mercies of Your love make a real difference to us as we prepare to receive our Saviour. Christmas is a season of glorious blessing, thank You. Amen.
07.12.20
Sue O’Donnell