PRAYERS FOR REPENTANCE AND GOD’S MERCY
INTRODUCTION
Repentance still remains the means upon which God’s mercy is accessed. Proverbs 28:13; “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
The Lord at sundry times has made us to understand that He detests iniquity. Sin over time, has been the reason why the land is sold out to the enemy.
The enemy exercises authority upon the people when their lives are trapped down in iniquity.
Judges 4:1-2 When Ehud was dead, the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord.[2] “So the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. The commander of his army was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth Hagoyim.”
Nothing empowers the enemy like sin. The enemy here comprises everything that attacks, humiliates, frustrates, kills and destroys humanity in one way or the other.
In Deut 28:20-22, the word of God reads;
[20]“The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me. [21]The Lord will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess. [22]The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish.
These were part of the curses from the mouth of the Lord that will come upon the people that forsake God and choose to live iniquitous life. And now, we see it play out in our time because we have forsaken God and choose the way of wickedness.
Today, God is willing as He has always been to rescue us from this deadly virus of sin that has done great harm to humanity around the globe if only we can truly repent. This is a call unto repentance.
Psalmist cried out in Psalm 51:17; The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
It is only a repentant vessel that can be broken. Today if we can hearken unto the voice of the Lord, the Lord is still rich in mercy and slow to anger. He will have mercy upon us and deliver us. Concerning the city Nineveh, the bible says,
Jonah 3:10; “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; (repented) and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.”
This can also be the result we will get from God if we should do exactly what the people of Nineveh did. Repentance has not occurred as long as there is no change of action. The prove that we have truly repented is when our actions change positively. In the scripture above the bible says, “then God saw their ” work”... Our works proves our repentance.
SIGNS OF REPENTANCE
Scriptures: 2 Chron 7:14, Psalms 51:17, Jonah 3:10, 1 John 1:9, Luke 6:46, 2 Cor 7:10, Rom 6:13
- Humility
- Brokenness
- Change of action
- Willingness to confess
- Obedience
- Sincerity
- Unresentful
- Hunger for God
- Hatred to sin
- Godly sorrow
THE EFFECTS OF REPENTANCE
- Believe. Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel…” It takes first to repent then you can believe the word of God.
- Knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 2:25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant the repentance, so that they may know the truth. Genuine repentance brings one into the the real knowledge of the truth. Through repentance, one is able to acknowledge, recognize and obey the truth.
- Salvation. Rom 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” Salvation is only for those that have believed. And to believe in Jesus Christ we must repent and turn to God through him.
Prayer Focus.
Scriptures: Acts 3:19, 1John 1:9, Prov 28:13, Matt 3:8, 2Chron 30:9b, Matt 4:17, Rev 3:19, Joel 2:13.
Heb 4:16: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
- O God you promised us that if we confess and forsake our sins that you’re faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Today we acknowledge our sin. Have mercy upon us for we have sinned against you. (I John 1:9)
- We pray dear Lord that you deliver us from the bondage of sin that has kept us from following the ways of the truth. Col 2:14
- We bring repentance on our behalf as individuals and as a nation from wickedness, bribery, bloodshed, immorality, idolatry, all manner of sexual pervasion, hatred, greediness, etc we have done against your holy name. Luke 15:21
- O Lord create in us a clean heart and renew your Spirit within us. Deliver our life from the depravity of sin and restore us back to fellowship. Psalm 51:10
- O God, we come near before you today in humility of the heart to obtain mercy and to find grace to do your biddings. James 4:8
- O Lord you are right in allowing your judgement to prevail over our lives. judging us. But in your mercy, forgive us and allow your light to shine upon us again. 2Chron 30:9b
- O Lord we ask that you give us the grace henceforth to live according to your word in spirit and in truth. 2Pet:2:2