MEN OF CONTRITION Pray like this: . . . forgive us our sins . . . Matthew 6:9-12 (NLT) Theres a reliable rule of thumb in the Bible, and people who want to understand the deeper meanings of the Scriptures need to know it: Powerful principles for living will be illustrated in the lives of Bible characters. And when it comes to the principle of contrition, there are more than enough examples to go around. We see contrition in the prayerlife of David: Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, I will confess my rebellion to the Lord. And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. (Psalm 32:5 NLT) Daniel included himself in a prayer of contrition that He offered on behalf of His people: I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed . . . we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. (Daniel 9:4-5 NLT) And when the Jewish remnant returned to Jerusalem under Nehemiahs leadership, they made it a point to offer a chapter-long prayer of contrition: Every time you punished us you were being just. We have sinned greatly, and you gave us only what we deserved. Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey your Law or listen to the warnings in your commands and laws. (Nehemiah 9:33-34 NLT) Contrition is a powerful principle, and we see this evidenced in a multitude of lives. Men like David, Daniel, and Nehemiah were men of contrition. They were willing to own up to their weakness, and they went down in history as men of greatness. Heres the amazing part: When we purpose to be the same kind of people, well also benefit from this powerful principle.
Posted on: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 13:26:48 +0000
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