Day 11: Prayer as Repentance
As you begin to spend time with God, settle yourself somewhere quiet and comfortable. Take a few deep breaths. Spend a few moments gathering your thoughts, becoming aware of God’s presence with you and in you.
Journal for 5 minutes on yesterday’s experiment of focusing on God’s promises and persisting in prayer. What did you notice and learn? What challenged you? Did God say anything to you throughout the day?
Then, begin today’s devotional.
Read: Mark 1:14-20, Psalm 51, Romans 2:4, Philippians 2:12-13
“I’m not perfect.” “I’m only human.” Have you ever heard or said these phrases before? What do you think about these statements? What do you think it means to be human?
When we read the Bible, we see God make humanity and say that humanity is very good. To be human is not to mess up or sin. To be human is not to be messed up or sinful. The Bible actually proposes that when we sin, we are living outside of our design. When we sin, we are actually living less than human. To be truly human is actually to be everything that God intended us to be.
Yet, we live a lot of our lives as less than human. We live in sin, failure, shame, guilt, and the list goes on. I know—I have been there and am often there. We all need a way out.
God shows up in flesh in the person of Jesus. The name “Jesus” actually means “Yahweh saves His people from their sins”. Can you imagine what that meant to the people who met Him? Finally, the Savior we need has come to restore us to who we are meant to be!
People gathered around Him to hear what He had to say, but Jesus’ first sermon was not what most of us would want it to be. He didn’t show up and preach, “God loves you.” His first sermon was not, “God has a plan for your life.” It wasn’t “every little thing is gonna be alright.” It wasn’t even, “You’re forgiven and there’s grace.” Jesus’ first sermon held these unforgettable words: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
To repent is to change one’s mind; to turn and change direction. Repentance is the starting place for every follower of Jesus. Contrary to the “turn or burn” theology of most picketing street preachers, repentance is not a word that should be based in fear. When you hear “repent and believe the gospel,” what is the tone of voice that you hear? Is it intense? Is it scary? Is it condescending? That is not Jesus’ voice that you hear. Jesus is the most loving person of all time. He is the kindest person of all time. He is the most gracious person of all time. He is the most forgiving person of all time. It is that voice that calls us to repent and believe the good news.
To be able to repent, to be able to change one’s mind and turn directions, is a loving grace that God gives us. To be able to repent means that life can be better. It means that we can actually change. It means that we are not at the mercy of our own self-destruction. Repentance means that there are other options for life. Repentance means that God is near and is inviting us to let Him work in us.
Repentance is the starting place for a follower of Jesus, and it is also the continued posture for a follower of Jesus. Repentance is our lifestyle. It is a life of constantly accepting God’s loving voice that says “My ways are higher.” The forgiving voice that says “life can be better.” The merciful voice that says “rethink, turn, change your mind, and trust me.” The voice that brings good news and walks us into good things.
Most importantly, repentance is not just turning and changing away from something bad. It is moving towards something good and Someone good. Jesus says to “repent”, and in place of what you were doing and thinking before He invites us to “believe the gospel.” So, let me challenge you to repent about your thinking and actions towards repentance (see what I did there) and believe the gospel.
Prayer: Father, You are good. Everything You invite me to is for my good and your glory and that includes repentance.
Most merciful God, I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed,
by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved You with my whole heart;
I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name. Amen.
Today’s Experiment: Often the first step in repentance is stopping and being slow long enough to hear what God is saying about our sinful nature and specific sins. Every time you see a stop sign and/or the color red today, stop for a moment and talk with God about what you may need to repent of and what you may need to believe the gospel about.
By Rev. Christian Dawson, Campus Pastor