“The more you read the Bible;
and the more you meditate on it,
the more you will be astonished with it.”
Charles Spurgeon, 1832-1892
The more you read the Bible, the more God will reveal. Prepare to be astonished.
Good morning, Lord. Forgive me for neglecting Your Word, for coasting along on old insights. Grant me the discipline to study the Bible on my own and with others. Reveal Yourself to me, day by day, page by page, verse by verse — in Jesus’ name, amen.
Proverbs 28:13 (NLT}
People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.
Repent from your sins and prosper … maybe not financially, but spiritually? Absolutely!
Good morning, Lord. Repentance is good for my soul. It frees me from the hard work of pretending I’m better than I am. Sin may be fun or profitable for a time, but honest reflection leads me into the joy of Your presence. Nothing else offers me the hope of heaven. Thank You for Your mercy and grace.
Repentance … what’s the point?
Change.
Acts 3:19 (EXB)
So you must change your hearts and lives [repent]! Come back [Return; Turn back] to God, and he will forgive [wipe out; erase] your sins. Then the time [ times; seasons] of rest [refreshment; comfort; the messianic age] will come from [the presence of] the Lord.
Change of mind. Change of heart. Change of life. Change for eternity.
Good morning, Lord. I have sinned — forgive me. Change my heart, make me fully devoted to You. Change my mind, I want to focus on Your truth and not the whims of my culture. Change my will, keep my feet on the path of righteousness. I want to dwell in Your presence, today and forever. Amen.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
… if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Repentance starts when I tell God He’s right and I’m wrong.
Good morning, Lord. Repentance begins with humility … I was mistaken, I didn’t think, I was wrong. I’d like to think I’m always right — truth is, only You are always right. Be merciful to me, O God, for I have sinned.
Jesus said,
Luke 13:3 (NIV)
But unless you repent,
you too will all perish.
A bit of context: the folks around Jesus were pointing their fingers at someone else’s sin.
Lesson learned: Pointing out the sins of others will never make me look better in God’s eyes.
Good morning, Lord. I have to be honest with You, because You already know the truth. No excuses, no blaming others, no exaggeration, no twisting of the details will convince You that I’m innocent when I am guilty. My hope rests on Your grace, not my clever explanation.
“Just as I am, thou wilt receive,
wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
because thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.”
Charlotte Elliott, 1836
Repentance opens the door to eternal life. Confession sets me free from guilt and shame, thanks be to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Good morning, Lord. Thank You for accepting me just as I am … sarcastic, envious, foolish and yes, sometimes downright evil. If I had to earn my way to heaven, I’d be in trouble. Your mercy and grace are greater than my sin and shame, and I am forever grateful.
1 Corinthians 13:12 (ERV)
… Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me.
I imagine myself peering into my bathroom mirror, seeing my image up close and Jesus behind me. One day, the mirror will be gone and we will stand face to face.
Good morning, Lord. I want to live so that when people look at me, they see a reflection of You. Show me how to make it happen — for Your glory and not my own.
God is so great, and I am so small.
Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
Reflect — with gratitude — on God’s attention to our day-to-day lives.
Good morning, Lord. You rule over the universe, and yet You have time for my trivial concerns. You are worthy of my devotion; I am unworthy of Your mercy and grace. Thank You.
Haggai 1:5 (EXB)
This is what the Lord All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; of hosts] says: “Think about what you have done [Consider your ways].”
“Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that thou art.
Thou my best thought by day and by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.”
An Old Irish Hymn, translated by Mary Byrne, 1905
Written in verse by Eleanor Hull, 1912
Good morning, Lord. More of You, less of me, day by day — this is my Lenten prayer.
