The prayers
1. Lord, forgive me where I fail you, or forgive me for ____________.
2. Dear Jesus, forgive me for all my sins.
What if I said...stop!
Christians should stop praying these prayers.
I find it interesting that Christians often ask God for forgiveness (me too), but after Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, we are not instructed to ask God to forgive us of our sins.
Further, asking God to forgive "all your sin" is a generality that keeps us from dealing with any.
Why stop?
"In Him (Jesus), we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will according to His purpose which He set forth in Christ." (Ephesians 1:7-9)
"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His believed Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14)
The payment is complete (it is finished) for ALL sins through Jesus Christ on the cross.
Past.
Present.
Future.
Once you have been redeemed, you have been forgiven.
If someone were so kind as to pay off your debts and provide an abundance that would never run out, would you continue asking the creditors to erase your debt? That would be unfruitful (and laughable).
Yet, we do the same when we pray these prayers. It would sound like, "Lord, forgive me for what you have already forgiven me. I am just not sure Jesus took this all into consideration."
What then?
How do we change our prayers?
1. Thank you, Lord, for forgiving me!
2. Lord, I agree with you concerning my sin of ______________ (confession). I have acted in rebellion, and it does not bring you glory. You are holy and worthy of my life, so I turn from this sin (repentance) and rely on you to guide and strengthen me in your way.
Conclusion
If you are redeemed, be thankful for the forgiveness already given, confess your sins (specifically), change your mind about your sin and His holiness (repentance), and change your ways in the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you have not been redeemed, humble yourself before God and confess your sin and your desperation for His forgiveness. Confess openly that Jesus Christ is the boss of your life and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved.
If you surrender your life to His authority and follow Him, He will redeem you from the penalty of your sins, reconcile you to Himself, and forgive you for all your sins (past, present, and future).
Thank you, Lord!
