Most Merciful Lord, have compassion on me for I am a person of unclean lips and unclean hands. I am one who struggles to resist temptation. Your Spirit speaks words to heal and guide me, but they evade me at critical times. I know that, if I listen to sin and turn away from what He is saying, I will lose the light that You shine within me. Allowing sin to take up residence within my heart excludes You from the place You need to change my hard heart into something more pliable. Sins that are repeated without repentance invite disaster. I know that You honor all Your promises … those of blessings and those of judgement. Your desire is to help me see the fallacy of building my life on sand instead of building it on You. When all the pitiful trappings of this earthly life are stripped away, I know that I have the strong foundation of Your love and compassion to stand on.
I am thankful that I no longer need to live under the power and shackles of sin. The penalty of sin and its power over me has been miraculously removed by You on the cross. Through my faith in You, I have been declared “not guilty” and set free to walk in Your ways. Since You have not taken me out of the world, I face numerous temptations and sometimes sin. Before You redeemed me, I was a prisoner of sin and a slave to my flesh. But now that You have given me new life, I have also been given new opportunities to become like You. My eternity has been assured by Your loving act and my choice to give myself to You. When given a gift such as the one Your offer, it is inappropriate to ask “how much do I owe You?” My response should be “thank you” and begin living up to the calling You have made on my life. I show my gratitude for Your gift by seeking to help others and dying to myself.
My salvation comes as I look up to You as the Son of God sent to redeem me from the punishment that is owed because of my sins and I begin to walk in the freedom You have given me by eliminating the hold that sin had on my life. You acted in obedience and love and was unselfish … should not I do the same? You accepted the punishment for my sins and then offered me a way to escape the power that sin held over me. To be able to advance Your Kingdom, I must be willing to give up my comfort and earthly securities so that others can be given the experience of knowing You personally. Believing in You is more than agreeing You are God … it is trusting that You will honor Your promises and relying on Your power to change me. Though I struggle with many things, I know that I am free to become more like You and that excites me. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Romans 6:12 But now you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.