Recently I read The Kneeling Christian, and have been (and continue to be) impacted by it. The book asks the question – “why is there such a lack of prayer in our churches?” We say we are people of prayer, but most of our prayers revolve around supplication – we routinely short circuit Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving which may also tell us why we lack prayer in power, answers to prayers, dry-ness in our prayers.
My guess is that many of you find that prayer (corporate and personal) is more about us requesting things from God (not that that is necessarily bad in and of itself) but seldom listening for periods of time, reflecting on His beauty, grace, majesty, sovereignty; praising His wisdom and grace, expressing our thankfulness for His abundant mercy and provision and protection, and confessing our sins to God – but also to another person – naming the specific sin.
The book presses me to pray more, and when I pray more I become more aware of my sin nature – and my need to Battle – daily – my sin tendencies – and to share that battle with a brother. Our pastor on Sunday talked about the role of confession – and with that is implied a commitment to transparency and accountability with at least one other person. I do not think I have ever heard a sermon where confession was discussed.
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7-9).
Is your experience the same as mine – that when I confess my struggles to another brother, when I bring the (specific) sin into the light, where the Spirit works – I have experienced a degree of victory that I have never experienced when I kept the sin struggle to myself?
Is it possible that REVIVAL depends on REPENTANCE – and more specifically, repentance in the presence of another Christian? As a few of us have revitalized a purity ministry, the key element of healing seems (at least to me) to be the willingness of the individual to step forward and confess – to another brother – their struggle with pornography. While that is not the complete battle – it is the huge first step. Bring the sin into the light – begin to walk in the light, beginning the process of true fellowship, no longer in hiding and isolation.
I have also regularly used the word “battle” in my mind – that I am to battle sin in all its forms, that I am to put to death sin (not just cage sin, but kill it with the Spirit’s help). Capture that stray thought or that second look and put it under the blood - do not allow it to linger but battle sin.
I confess that I have made peace with sin in the past, perhaps small in the scheme of things, but compared to the holiness of the God I approach, filthy in His eyes, draining my prayers of power by staining them with impurity. "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart the Lord would not have listened" (Ps 66:18). Oh, how we rationalize.
My personal “revival” seems to be a combination of increased commitment to prayer – which has fostered an increased commitment to purity – which has fostered an increased commitment to repentance – which has fostered an increased commitment to transparency and accountability – which has fostered a renewed spirit, and a desire for more prayer, more light, more of God, more desire to see more brothers and sisters committed to more prayer. God’s storehouse is full of blessings, waiting for His children to ask with a pure heart.
Friends – I am asking that you pray about at least one person in Minnesota, and one person out of state, or several people, that might need to read this, or something you put together, and an exhortation for them to find a fellow believer to battle together sin. I believe God is waiting for us to take seriously the sin in our life, and battle for holiness.
If you do not have a true prayer brother or sister, pray and then approach someone. Dare to be transparent you will probably have to model this for them.
May God’s people strive for holiness and commit to robust, God-centered, God-exalting prayer, for his glory and the increasingly winsome testimony of His Bride, the church.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways” (2 Chron 7:14).
The book presses me to pray more, and when I pray more I become more aware of my sin nature – and my need to Battle – daily – my sin tendencies – and to share that battle with a brother. Our pastor on Sunday talked about the role of confession – and with that is implied a commitment to transparency and accountability with at least one other person. I do not think I have ever heard a sermon where confession was discussed.
“If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:7-9).
Is your experience the same as mine – that when I confess my struggles to another brother, when I bring the (specific) sin into the light, where the Spirit works – I have experienced a degree of victory that I have never experienced when I kept the sin struggle to myself?
Is it possible that REVIVAL depends on REPENTANCE – and more specifically, repentance in the presence of another Christian? As a few of us have revitalized a purity ministry, the key element of healing seems (at least to me) to be the willingness of the individual to step forward and confess – to another brother – their struggle with pornography. While that is not the complete battle – it is the huge first step. Bring the sin into the light – begin to walk in the light, beginning the process of true fellowship, no longer in hiding and isolation.
I have also regularly used the word “battle” in my mind – that I am to battle sin in all its forms, that I am to put to death sin (not just cage sin, but kill it with the Spirit’s help). Capture that stray thought or that second look and put it under the blood - do not allow it to linger but battle sin.
I confess that I have made peace with sin in the past, perhaps small in the scheme of things, but compared to the holiness of the God I approach, filthy in His eyes, draining my prayers of power by staining them with impurity. "If I had cherished iniquity in my heart the Lord would not have listened" (Ps 66:18). Oh, how we rationalize.
My personal “revival” seems to be a combination of increased commitment to prayer – which has fostered an increased commitment to purity – which has fostered an increased commitment to repentance – which has fostered an increased commitment to transparency and accountability – which has fostered a renewed spirit, and a desire for more prayer, more light, more of God, more desire to see more brothers and sisters committed to more prayer. God’s storehouse is full of blessings, waiting for His children to ask with a pure heart.
Friends – I am asking that you pray about at least one person in Minnesota, and one person out of state, or several people, that might need to read this, or something you put together, and an exhortation for them to find a fellow believer to battle together sin. I believe God is waiting for us to take seriously the sin in our life, and battle for holiness.
If you do not have a true prayer brother or sister, pray and then approach someone. Dare to be transparent you will probably have to model this for them.
May God’s people strive for holiness and commit to robust, God-centered, God-exalting prayer, for his glory and the increasingly winsome testimony of His Bride, the church.
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways” (2 Chron 7:14).
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