“Therefore, let all the godly confess their rebellion to you while there is time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.”
When I pray with my children at bedtime, we use Bill Hybels’ ACTS method of praying—Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. I want to teach them humility as they approach God. First we praise him, using an attribute that we’ve discovered in our nightly Bible story. Then we confess our sins and ask Jesus to make our hearts clean. (I confess my sins too!) When we thank him, my boys participate by listing their items from the day. Only after all that do we ask him for blessings and help.
I hope by using this method, I am teaching my children to get their hearts right first, then make requests. I try to model speaking to God personally as a friend, while also reverencing him with praise and adoration.
Since I’ve been using this method for several years, the most valuable portion for me is confession. It’s important for me to confess some of my sins in front of my children, such as impatience or yelling. I want them to know that I struggle with sin just as they do, and I also need God’s forgiveness.
Sometimes when my boys have disputes, my oldest son is unwilling to admit fault even when I knew he was guilty. Then I say, “If you would just tell the truth, we can deal with it. You will face more consequences until you confess your part.” I become more annoyed about his denial rather than about the sin itself! I’m sure God feels somewhat like this about me—he doesn’t enjoy being a disciplinarian, but he will do what is necessary to get me to confess my sin, so our relationship can be restored.
If you look at today’s psalm, you see the consequences David faced when he didn’t confess his sin. He felt awful and weak as he faced the Lord’s discipline. But once he confessed, he was forgiven and all was well again. That’s why all of us need to confess our sin—not only to avoid judgment, but to be right with God.
Is there anything you may need to confess to the Lord today, maybe in front of your children?
Copyright 2009
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prayer. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
1 Corinthians 1:18
"I [Paul] know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God."
Have you ever been branded a fool for sharing your faith? At times, I have played the fool for faith. I used to feel frustrated when those who criticized me for my faith didn't understand my perspective. I mean, I wasn't making fun of them for what they believed...didn't they owe me the same measure of respect? But through my Bible study, I started to learn that they cannot understand the message of the gospel until the Holy Spirit enlightens their hearts. Indeed, the gospel is "foolish" not because its message is unclear, untrue, or irrelevant to today's world; it sounds foolish to them because their hearts are unmoved. In fact, the gospel can sound rather offensive to them, especially if they grew up in the church but may not yet have authentic faith. So, knowing this has changed my prayer life. Before I meet with people who have criticized my faith, I pray that their hearts would be softened, receptive, and open, and I don't worry about looking like a fool anymore, though I am careful to speak the truth in love.
Since God has changed me with "the message of the cross," it has been easy to see how it shows up as "the very power of God" in my daily life. Sometimes I pray for the simple tasks like, "God, give me the strength to finish washing these dishes, because I'm feeling overwhelmed right now." Or, after an especially weary day of mothering and working, I pray that God will give me just one more half-hour of energy for time with my husband. And once those prayers have been answered, I know that God's power worked through me, because I had no power of my own on reserve. When I see God's power in those small things, it gives me hope that my "bigger" prayers will be answered, such as my prayer for the past 10 months that our spec house would sell.
Often my mom friends from church and I discuss, "What if we had to face our mountains without knowing God's power is available to us? It would feel so lonely and overwhelming." I feel so blessed knowing God will give me his power in both the small things as a wife and mother, and more so in the big things, and that He is with me all along the journey. How do you see the power of God working in your life, if you have been saved by the message of the cross?
Copyright 2009
Have you ever been branded a fool for sharing your faith? At times, I have played the fool for faith. I used to feel frustrated when those who criticized me for my faith didn't understand my perspective. I mean, I wasn't making fun of them for what they believed...didn't they owe me the same measure of respect? But through my Bible study, I started to learn that they cannot understand the message of the gospel until the Holy Spirit enlightens their hearts. Indeed, the gospel is "foolish" not because its message is unclear, untrue, or irrelevant to today's world; it sounds foolish to them because their hearts are unmoved. In fact, the gospel can sound rather offensive to them, especially if they grew up in the church but may not yet have authentic faith. So, knowing this has changed my prayer life. Before I meet with people who have criticized my faith, I pray that their hearts would be softened, receptive, and open, and I don't worry about looking like a fool anymore, though I am careful to speak the truth in love.
Since God has changed me with "the message of the cross," it has been easy to see how it shows up as "the very power of God" in my daily life. Sometimes I pray for the simple tasks like, "God, give me the strength to finish washing these dishes, because I'm feeling overwhelmed right now." Or, after an especially weary day of mothering and working, I pray that God will give me just one more half-hour of energy for time with my husband. And once those prayers have been answered, I know that God's power worked through me, because I had no power of my own on reserve. When I see God's power in those small things, it gives me hope that my "bigger" prayers will be answered, such as my prayer for the past 10 months that our spec house would sell.
Often my mom friends from church and I discuss, "What if we had to face our mountains without knowing God's power is available to us? It would feel so lonely and overwhelming." I feel so blessed knowing God will give me his power in both the small things as a wife and mother, and more so in the big things, and that He is with me all along the journey. How do you see the power of God working in your life, if you have been saved by the message of the cross?
Copyright 2009
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