Most Loving God, at one time I tried to earn my way into Heaven and this only led to frustration and discouragement. Since that time, I have found out that through Your sacrifice the door to my salvation was already open and I could find a place with the elect by putting my trust in You. My focus changed from performance to You. Now I see my old sinful self as dead and buried with You and I am motivated to flee from sin and live for You. I must now treat the desires and temptations of my old life as if they are dead and become unresponsive to their allure. Only then will I be able to enjoy my newness of life. In giving myself to You, I’ve allowed You to create a new person within me. It is the Holy Spirit that brings this new life to me and I will never be the same. I’ve become reformed, rehabilitated and re-educated … beginning a new life with a new master.
Things that were once hidden from my sight are being revealed because I’ve opened myself up to You. Before we became one, I neither heard nor understood the things of Your Kingdom, but now they are being made known to me and I’m able to bask in their goodness. I rejoice in the things You are sharing with me and I delight in the light now shining into my life. You have made eternity, safety, peace and abundance available to me. Because of Your love, I’m not overwhelmed … instead, I’m strengthened by Your compassion and support. Trusting Your faithfulness day by day is giving me the confidence of Your blessing becoming a part of my future. Giving myself to You has produced within me a singleness in devotion and purpose. My old hard, rebellious heart of stone has been transformed into a tender, responsive heart of flesh. The Holy Spirit has given me new motives, guidelines and a purpose.
Your solution to my problem in dealing with guilt from the past is to give me a new beginning. It is a new work that only You can do within me and not something I can do myself. If I renounce the direction of my life … filled with rebellion and selfishness … I can be confident You will give me a new direction, a new love and a new power to change. By my faith in You, I’ve given You the power to change my heart and mind to align with Yours. Each day will be filled with new, wonderful experiences if I turn control over to You. No matter how badly I’ve messed up in the past, my consolation is that … if I repent … You will wipe the slate clean and give me a fresh start. There is no use in trying to patch up my old life when You have given me a new one. As I measure myself against Your standards of righteous living, I am being motivated to make the best of my fresh start. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and keep my laws.