Most Merciful Lord, as a sinner I was a disappointment to You because You gave me life with a purpose. Instead of appreciating Your desire to give me a reason for living, I was disobedient and would not accept Your corrections. I was arrogant and wanted everything to go my way. How easily I violated Your laws and minimized the laws of men. I attended church but did not understand why. I heard Your Word but rejected it as not applying to me. I was unrepentant and ignored the consequences of turning my back on You. I guess it was my pride – an inflated sense of self-esteem – that kept me from turning to You. I was so absorbed in my life that I could not hear nor accept Your words as being meant for me. It was hard to make time for reading Your Word, much less listening to how Your way would benefit my life. I didn’t want to be responsible for my actions, the quality of my example, or the words of my mouth.
The Good News is that You never gave up on me and continually invited me to become a part of Your Kingdom. The problem was I had allowed sin to harden my heart so I was reluctant to follow Your ways. I refused to heed Your warnings and would not “truly” repent. I said I was sorry but had no desire to change. It seemed that the more You reached out to me the further I drifted from You. Slowly I came to understand that You resist the proud and seek the humble and contrite. What You really wanted was for me to trust You. The hurdle that needed to be overcome was my self-reliance and pride. I sought the things of the world for my happiness, all the while cutting myself off from You. I’ve come to realize that the only “true” happiness can come from following Your lead and obeying Your commands … the chief of which is surrendering my life to You.
The antidote for sin is turning to You, listening to what You say, accepting Your guidance, and obeying Your instructions. If I “truly” repent and accept You as my Lord, I can escape the consequences of my sins. Material comforts, adhering to worldly philosophies and falling for the deceptions of my enemy have been barriers to my making a commitment to You. Prosperity can produce an attitude of “why do I need you?” The only means of overcoming such thinking is to realize that there is no way to save myself from the punishment that is due for my sins. When I finally submitted myself and my life to You, peace and hope made their way into my life. What I know is that no matter how difficult my life becomes, You will stand with me bringing hope and optimism. You alone have restored a life that was lost. That day and every day that follows will forever be a day of rejoicing. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
Revelations 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.”