James 5:16 | Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Psalm 139:23-24 | Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Mark 1:14-15 | After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
DAILY PRAYER REQUEST: Lord, help me to turn towards you.
DAILY THOUGHT: REDIRECTING OUR LIVES
To summarize: Repentance is all about rethinking the direction of our lives. It is not primarily feeling bad about ourselves, or wallowing in the mud of our sins, or thinking that we are worthless. Rather, it is about re-evaluating our lives on the basis that there is available to us another kind of life from Christ, life lived in the intimate presence of God. Lent is a time to decide where we really want to go. If we want to move more deeply into intimacy with Christ, we need to be willing to face our sins and turn towards God. Repentance is the way back to the Father. It is both the doorway and the pathway and there is no other.
DAILY PRACTICE:
Pray your prayer request. In your quiet time today write a brief letter to the Lord. Share with the Lord, as honestly and openly as you are able, your intentions in your relationship with him. What direction in life do you want to go? Would you like to move towards God or away from God? What sins hold you back and stand in the way of a surrendered life? Think about these questions as you write your letter. When you have finished think of one trusted friend with whom you can share something of what you have written.