Blog Archives
Prayer when you don’t “feel” forgiven
Copyright by Bob Rogers.
Heavenly Father, You said that if I confess my sins, that You are faithful and righteous to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness.1. Yet I still feel dirty. You said that even if my sins were red like scarlet, You would wash them white as snow.2 Yet I still see the blood-guilt on my hands. You said that You will remove my sins as far as the east is from the west.3 Yet other people still bring them up. So teach my heart to listen to You. Remind me, God, that if my heart condemns me, that Your truth is greater than my feelings.4 Reach down to my lowest depths with Your covenant love, and lift me up.5 If You say that I am forgiven, then I am forgiven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Scriptural references and allusions:
- 1 John 1:9
- Isaiah 1:18
- Psalm 103:12
- 1 John 3:20
- James 4:10
Monday, Day of Cleansing
Article copyright by Bob Rogers
Mark 11:15-19 says that Jesus returned to the temple on Monday of Holy Week, and when he found the money changers and people selling animals in the temple complex, he overturned their tables, and ran them out, cleansing the temple.
Mark 11:12-14 specifies that Jesus did this on the day after Palm Sunday. He does it with authority, demanding that the house of prayer should not be turned into a hiding place for thieves. All of this buying and selling was going on in the court of the Gentiles, the only place that Gentiles were allowed to worship near the temple. So their merchandise was a distraction from others being able to pray.
Just as Jesus cleansed the temple that day, He wants to cleanse our lives today.
Psalm 24:3 asks, “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?” The answer comes in the next verse: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol, or swear by what is false.”
Do my actions prevent others from worshiping God? Am I a distraction? Then I must repent and change my ways. For many Christians, the 40 days before Easter are a time of repentance and reflection, called Lent. Truly, for all Christians, Monday of Holy Week should be a day for us to take a hard look at our own lives, and ask ourselves if we are a keeping anybody from seeing Jesus, and repent.
Monday, the day of cleansing, teaches us to cleanse our lives.
Bob Rogers 