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Prayer of repentance
King David was confronted with his sin, In 2 Samuel 12:13, David acknowledged his sin and repented before the Lord and the people. No one told him what to say; he prayed and searched the Lord in his own words and with a humble and broken heart.
This prayer from Psalm 51 is known throughout the world as David's prayer of repentance. It is a model prayer of the repentant heart, but God does not want us to read or recitie this prayer as if it were our own confession and prayer before the Lord.
Psalm 51
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
The lord wants each person to confess thier own sins to Him and pray in their own words from a humble heart , without trying to take someone else's words or prayer as their own. This is important in having a personal relationship with God.
One of the reasons why in many relegious organizations "churches" there are unconverted, unsanctified, and uncommitted "Christians", is that many of these people may have recited "a sinner's prayer" once or twice, and not prayed from the heart, with godly sorrow in their own words that they might truly repent and truly be saved.
Idolatry, Prayer & repentance: here
Help with prayer: About Repentance: Back to Gospel message:
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