Saturday, July 21, 2007

The Lord's Day prayer: 7/22/07

Great God, we ask you to be merciful to us now that we might approach You, not because we deserve it, but because You delight in being merciful, and because without your mercy to veil us, we would surely die in Your Presence.

We confess to you that we have rebelled against you, and that we have delighted in our sins. We confess to you that we love our rebellion more than we love You. We know that we will rebel again, and that as a dog returns to its vomit, we also will return to the sins that we so love.

We confess our individual sins to you now. Selah.

We ask You that You would be merciful to us: do not to treat us as we deserve, but remember that we are dust. Cleanse us of our sins for the glory of Your Great Name, that we may again delight in You, and lift our faces in joy and freedom.

We ask these things in confidence, knowing that You delight in forgiving our sins; indeed, You sent Your Son to die that You might be Just and the One Who Justifies; the innocent One Who makes us innocent. It is in the Name of Your Son that we pray, the Great and Gracious Name of Jesus the Christ. Amen.

“I remember my affliction and my wandering; the bitterness and the gall I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfullness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait on Him.’ ”

It is my privelege to tell you that your strivings are useless, and your good works are to no avail. We have broken covenant, and the penalty is death. But hear the gospel: the penalty is paid. And it is on behalf of the One Who both required and paid it that I declare to you that your sins are forgiven through Christ.

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