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Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life is stagnation. It happens when we quit moving. There are lots of reasons why we quit moving and growing. Sometimes it just isn’t easy and we decide to stay where we are. It’s easier to stay than go. The press of other issues in life sometimes cause us to stop right we are spiritually. Obstacles from situations or other people often bring our spiritual progress to a halt. One of the most dangerous reasons is simply lack of vision. We’ve been growing, we are doing things in the Kingdom, we are seeing God move and there can come that moment of feeling we have arrived. The failure to have the spiritual vision that challenges us to keep moving is deadly. Psalm 84 is a tool God has used to continually challenge me to keep moving – especially in my prayer life. I have used this powerful psalm to keep myself on a prayer pilgrimage. It is interesting that Psalm 84 speaks of pilgrimage (vs 5) because the whole psalm is really about dwelling in God’s house. How do you dwell somewhere, yet still be on a journey to that place? I think that apparent contradiction is why it appeals so much to me. You see, that’s where I am spiritually. Through Jesus, I now dwell in God’s house. Indeed, it can be said that you and I are God’s house in which He dwells through His Spirit. That is just solid biblical teaching. But in living this out, I discover that I am on a journey – a journey of awareness of Christ’s presence in me. And like any journey, I must keep moving if I am to arrive at my destination. Without setting my heart on the pilgrimage of continually being attentive to the truth that Jesus lives within me, I will forget the amazing truth that I not only can, but am even now dwelling in the House of God! It is prayer that keeps me walking in this state of alertness. “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.” (Psalm 84:5-7)

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries "Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” We have all made this declaration thousands of times, and yet, there are so many insidious ways that the enemy of our souls finds to take our hearts off of God’s heavenly will for His kingdom on earth. When I first married my husband, I was so grateful to God that I unintentionally allowed Dave to become an idol in my life. This is, I believe, not an unusual occurrence when people are deeply in love with one another; however, it never occurred to me that this had become so until my husband pointed it out one day. With great humility he sat me down and explained that I was putting way too much spiritual expectation on his meeting my needs and had begun to make my relationship with him more of a focus that my relationship with God. As he opened my eyes to this very glaring fact, I knew it instantly to be true. My love for Dave had superseded my passion for the presence of God. I was becoming more and more content in depending upon my husband to meet every need and fulfill every desire and to give me guidance and counsel. Some of this dependence is not inherently bad…but it was growing to a point of becoming spiritually dangerous for me, as well as for my husband. Dave was, of course, flattered and happy to be my “everything” but he began to see a lessening in how his wife was pursuing the presence of Christ in all things. How blessed I am to have married this man, for he was unpretentious enough to guide me back to the One my heart should always be fully captivated by. My kingdom life and work could have been damaged and/or delayed by the enemy’s attempt to distract me – even with something as wonderful as my new spouse! The Devil is devious and underhanded to do such a thing, but he is so successful at it that many Christians, myself included, can easily fall prey to it. Perhaps your distraction is not a person, but might be technology, a hobby, the busyness of your life, doing good and valuable kingdom things, etc. The Devil knows where we are weak and most likely to be tempted…sometimes it doesn’t take long before we are physically and/or mentally caught up in the presence of what is not God’s intent for us. The key is to recognize when this is beginning to happen to us and to find victory. For some of us, it will mean a greater effort, for we have already become addicted or distracted. We must help one another and encourage each other to be faithfully yoked to Jesus over all other distractions (even those that seem to be kingdom-focused). That said, how can we pray for God’s best kingdom life each day? Here are several to get you started: Father, help me to have a repentant heart for all of the times I have placed others and other things above or before You! Give me a deeper desire to soak in Your perfect presence so that I will want nothing more than I want You! Forgive me for my inattentiveness and neglect. Forgive me for my wandering heart and thoughts. Forgive me for straying from Your kingdom in favor of my own! “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Grace-filled God, help me to keep my eyes fixed upon Your face and my ears listening for Your voice today. Help me not to waver to the right or to the left but to walk in the way You guide me for Your kingdom’s sake. “Love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him” (Deuteronomy 30:20); “I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways” (Psalm 119:15); “Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:25-27). Father, protect me from the temptations and roadblocks the Enemy puts in my path to “cut in on” my journey to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those You put in my path. May I never be so distracted that I am not fully aware of a divine appointment or a task You place in front of me. You were running a good race. “Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth (Galatians 5:7)? Holy Spirit, help me to put on Christ daily and to clothe myself in the armor of God each day so that I might be prepared for the battle. May I be continually aware of wearing the righteousness of Jesus. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:10-17). Lord Jesus, give me the strength to turn away from the things that I tend to spend so much time with that they have become or have the potential to become idols in my life. Give me quick recognition right now of anything that I need to say “no” to in order to say “yes” to You! Help my everyday life to be a reflection of Your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven! “Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts” (1 John 5:21).

Originally published as a blog post by Harvest Prayer Ministries I am amazed at the clear insight God granted King David in so many areas, including giving and possessions. In his later years, David gathered everything needed for his son Solomon to build the Temple of God, a place of worship. As you read his heartfelt prayer (and, I suggest, you read all of 1 Chronicles 29 to get the full picture of this extraordinary generosity that was displayed by the people of Israel), we can learn three important principles about generous, prayerful giving. “David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.” “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you” (1 Chronicles 29:10–17). Extraordinary generosity comes from the realization that everything we have comes from our great, powerful and majestic God. So few people today understand this, but David nailed it more than 3,000 years ago! It is this understanding of God as the Owner of all things that forms the basis for extraordinary giving…not just of our finances, but also our time and our talents. Prayer: Father, I recognize that all of my finances, possessions, time and talents come from You alone. Help me to continually remember this! Show me how to hold loosely to all of these things, so that giving them up for Your use is a pleasure and a joy rather than something I dread or do out of guilt or a sense of “duty.” Help me to consider the amount of time I waste each day that could be utilized for Your purposes! Give me a passion for Your kingdom and ideas about how to use my discretionary time. And Lord, please give me wisdom and creativity to use the talents I have to bring honor and glory to You! Extraordinary leaders give generously by example from willingness and from the integrity of their hearts. King David had insight to know that he needed to lead the way. He could not simply ask others to give without demonstrating his own desire to be generous. David went above and beyond, freely out-giving everyone! His generosity was an encouragement to others. Prayer: Father, I know I can never out-give You! Show me how to lead those at work/school/in my home/at church, etc. in generous giving whenever there is a kingdom task You direct Your people to step into. May I have the courage and privilege to be extravagant in whatever ways You direct my heart. Use me to help others see how Your people can make a difference in our culture simply by giving in extraordinary ways of their time, talents and finances! Extraordinary giving is birthed out of joy and a desire to please and worship God. The building of the temple was a joyous process, as the people of Israel knew it was to be a place where the Lord their God would come to dwell. From David’s extravagant worshiping heart came a prayer that God’s people, following his lead, would give beyond their means, their fears and their uncertainties. And give they did! As an act of worship, both rich and poor gave in abundance and with great joy to build the House of God in Jerusalem. They did not give under compulsion or coercion. According to David, generous giving tested their hearts spiritually and revealed “uprightness of heart.” Prayer: Lord God, help me to become a joyous, worshipful giver in every way. Teach me to expand my heart to embrace Your kingdom with excitement and anticipation as You allow me to have the privilege of serving You as You have created me to be – a generous, talented creation with so much to offer others! When You look at me, may You see only “uprightness of heart” and continue to build me into a house of prayer – the temple that now exists in the world to glorify You and extend Your kingdom to the ends of the earth! Here is a prayer that incorporates all three of these principles: “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.” Lord God, I believe with all my heart that everything I have comes from You. Help me to live as a good steward of all that comes from Your hand. May my generous giving of time, talent and finances bring pleasure to You. Teach me to give joyously, as an act of worship and gratitude. In the powerful Name above all names, Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen! This blog has been adapted from The Giving Church by David Butts.

Adapted from Simply Prayer (copyright 2020), by Bill Elliff. Used with permission. A National State of Emergency is a governmental declaration which usually suspends some normal functions of executive, legislative, and judicial powers; alerts citizens to change their normal behaviors; or orders governmental agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. In response to COVID-19, every nation suspended normal functions, alerted citizens to change their normal behavior, and implemented emergency plans. As God looks at the state of our nation, we must think deeply about His evaluation of our land. If Scripture is any indication, He would tell us that we are in a state of National Spiritual Emergency. So what should we do?Simply go on with business as usual? Or should we agree about the nature of this dramatic problem, change our normal behaviors, and implement emergency plans? EXTRAORDINARY MOVEMENTS Throughout history, God has chosen seasons to “rend the heavens and come down.” These times of revival in the church and massive spiritual awakening among the lost are used by God to remind us of what heaven is like and to make His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. It is His great mercy that brings such times. When the church and a nation sink to desperate spiritual lows, the cry of our hearts should be for such revivals and awakenings. Richard Owen Roberts described revival as “the extraordinary movement of the Spirit of God among His people that produces extraordinary results.” God is at work everywhere all the time. But seasons of revival accelerate the movement of God, accomplishing in a matter of days or months what could not be accomplished in decades. There have been five nationwide seasons of extraordinary revival and spiritual harvest in America to date: The First Great Awakening, 1735–1742 The Second Great Awakening, 1800–1825 The Prayer Revival, 1857–1858 The Welsh Revival, 1904–1905 The Jesus Movement, 1969–1971 Notice that every 50–60 years in our history, God has graciously come in power to our nation, bringing the course correction we desperately need. The telling mark of these movements has not been just the change in the churches, but the rapid expansion of the gospel. Awakening implies that a man is in spiritual slumber, unable to find God. God in His grace quickens his heart, bringing him to an awareness of his sin, a deep desire for repentance, and faith to believe in Christ. In times of national spiritual awakening, this happens with stunning speed. SETTING OUR SAILS FOR REVIVAL. Campbell Morgan said, “We cannot organize revival, but we can set our sails to catch the wind from Heaven when God chooses to blow upon His people once again.” Humble, repentant, united prayer is one of the best ways to prepare our hearts for what God wants to accomplish through revival.

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 3 by James Pool, OneCry National Prayer Director “On the lips of the discerning, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him who lacks understanding” (Proverbs 10:13 NASB). Loving parents often use a number of disciplinary approaches in helping their children overcome willful disobedience. Sometimes, the method used depends on the nature of the child and what it will take to see that particular child repent and change their ways. Some children only need a clear, strong, verbal reminder of the rule that has been broken, and they sorrowfully repent. Others who are more strong-willed may require the application of the “rod” described above in Proverbs 10:13. I can testify through my own struggles as a parent that it is not always easy knowing the best way to discipline each child; but one thing I know with certainty is that our omniscient, loving God always knows the best method to use in bringing a sinful individual, church, city, or nation to repentance. We must begin by underscoring the truth that God’s fatherly methods are always just and timely. They are also easy to recognize because they are often birthed out of the very nature of the sins being committed. An example of this is found in Jeremiah 11:10-11, where God’s people refused to hear His words. Their remedial consequence was that God then refused to listen to them when they cried out to Him. One of the psalmists understood this remedial approach all too well when he penned in Psalm 66:18, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” For Christians today, our failure to see prayers answered should push us to spend time with the Father, asking Him to reveal to us specifically if and how we may have failed to hear and obey His commands. We see a great example of God’s discipline in the life of the patriarch Jacob. With Jacob, his character was faulty in that he often cheated and deceived people, even his own brother and father. In order to help Jacob understand his sinfulness, God placed him in the midst of some very trying circumstances with Laban, an uncle who was also a deceitful man. After serving Laban for seven years, Jacob himself was deceived when Laban gave him Leah for a wife instead of Rachel, the daughter he truly loved. Laban then had him work another seven years for the privilege of marrying Rachel (Genesis 29:16-28). Later in his life and after many other remedial lessons from the hand of God, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, and God blessed him greatly (Genesis 35:9-15). Another great example can be found in God’s dealings with Miriam, Moses’ sister, when she and Aaron inappropriately spoke against Moses. God heard her complaining and disciplined her by immediately covering her with leprosy (Numbers 12:1-15). Aaron humbly confessed their sinfulness and asked Moses to pray for her healing, which he did. By God’s grace, Miriam was immediately healed but was kept away from others outside the camp for seven days. Notice in both examples that the purpose of God’s discipline is not cruelty, but correction. The father heart of God is correcting behavior, developing character, and cultivating righteousness, all the while demonstrating His faithfulness. In the New Testament, you see God continuing this fatherlywork of disciplining His wayward children.As we saw last month, there were some individuals in Corinth who were weak, sick, or who had died prematurely because they failed to examine themselves and repent before observing communion. Do you remember what happened to Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5? They both agreed to lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping for themselves some of the money they had pledged to give to the early church in Jerusalem. When confronted by Peter regarding the price of the land they had sold, both of them in individual settings lied about the amount and then fell at Peter’s feet and breathed their last (Acts 5:1-10). Were these disciplinary measures too harsh? In answering this question, we again have to realize that our holy, omniscient God knows whether or not we will repent. In protecting us from being condemned along with the rest of the world, hurting others, or harming the reputation of His holy name, God sometimes sees that it is better to just call us home to be with Him. Please don’t hear me say that every sickness or early death is the result of someone’s personal failure in repenting from sin. Many of the challenges we face with health, finances, relationships, and daily struggles are there because we live in a fallen world whose ways and activities have been influenced for generations by people who have been disobedient to God and His Word. Still, what should a Christian do when he thinks he may be facing some type of remedial judgment from God? The short answer is, exactly what Jesus and His first disciples preached on a regular basis. We should examine our hearts before God and His Word and repent when the Holy Spirit reveals to us our specific sins! More on that to come. Next month, we will explore what the Bible says about God’s discipline towardgroupsof Christians when their ways and deeds become sinful. Read Part 4: Does God Discipline Entire Churches?

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 2 by James Pool Have you ever noticed that everything about Christianity is relational? Personally, I believe this is one of the main reasons Jesus taught His disciples to view and refer to God as “Father” when they prayed. When a person genuinely begins a love relationship with God by believing in Jesus and following Him as Lord of their life, that individual becomes God’s child (John 1:12-13). Now, when you put this biblical reality into the context of revival, what you get is a caring, heavenly Father who loves His true children far too much to ever let them depart from the glory of His manifest presence with them. So what does He do when one of His children slips back into the kind of lifestyle where that child’s love relationship with God is not healthy or growing? What does He do as a Father when His children stop listening to Him and lovingly obeying His commands (John 14:21)? If you are like me, every time I disobeyed my earthly father, I was disciplined; and it would certainly appear in Hebrews 12:5-6 that God treats His spiritual children in just the same way. One reason God established the structure and authority of having parents as leaders in the home (Ephesians 6:1-4) was so that children would have a working, experiential model from which they could learn about the consequences of sin. It is within the context of this wonderfully designed model that an individual is to learn how disobedience and sinful attitudes always put a strain on the fellowship and joys that were intended to be experienced by family members who truly love each other. It is also in this same dynamic of family love where God, the only One who knows everything about us and is always right and just in His judgments, steps in as our heavenly Father to discipline us when we begin doing things that are harmful to our relationships with Him and others. Hebrews 12:8 even tells us that if we are not experiencing this remedial discipline from the hand of God, we are “illegitimate children and not sons.” So, what does God’s discipline look like? The Bible tells us that, before we actually become a child of God, the final discipline for sin is extremely severe: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Those who never receive this gift of having a relationship with God will forever “pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). Being forever separated from the presence and love of God is by far the most severe, final discipline a person could ever receive for his or her sin. However, the good news for the true children of God, who have been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3), is that God’s remedial disciplines—the kind of disciplines designed to help teach us God’s ways and conform us to the image of Jesus—are far less severe and are designed for correction instead of final, eternal judgment. Space in this article will not permit us to look in detail at the disciplinary methods of God, but in preparation for next month’s edition, we at least need to see what was happening to the Corinthian believers when God stepped in to bring remedial discipline on them. In the context of the Corinthian church’s inappropriate observance of communion, Paul wrote, Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason, many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world (1 Corinthians 11:27-32). Is it possible that you or your church could be under the remedial discipline of our holy and loving God? Read Part 1: It All Starts With God Read Part 3: When God Disciplines Individuals

A Biblical View of Revival - Part 1 by James Pool, OneCry National Prayer Director Have you ever tried describing the unique beauty of a precisely cut, high-quality diamond? With every turn of the gem, a new facet of light and design emerges. This same experience happens when we look intently at biblical and historical revival. For the Christian, every view of God’s supernatural work in reviving His children reveals an inspiring glimpse into His compassionate glory and power. Over the next several months, our goal is to examine some of the key facets of that for which so many are praying—revival and spiritual awakening! The best place to start is with God, for revival always seems to be present in His loving heart. Throughout the pages of Scripture, God is seen calling His children into an intimate love relationship with Himself. The Greek word for “know” used in John 17:3 expresses this so clearly; when Jesus was praying to the Father, He said, “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Knowing God and His Son is so much more than just discovering and agreeing that the biblical details about His existence, character, and actions are true. When this particular word for “know” is used, it indicates that at some point in time, a genuine love relationship between God and an individual begins and then continues growing and maturing throughout that person’s lifetime. God desires that both today and throughout eternity, His followers experience the same kind of personal intimacy with Him that He experiences with His own Son. Jesus again underscored this high level of intimacy when He said in John 14:20-21, “In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. He who . . . loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” And once again in His high-priestly prayer of John 17, Jesus continued accenting God’s divine plan of intimacy when He said in verses 22-23, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” The apostle Paul certainly understood this oneness with God. He defined the goal of this divine intimacy in Romans 8:29-30. “Those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” In other words, God is calling His children into this glorious love relationship in order to transform them into the image of His Son. When God’s called followers live in the fullness of this Spirit-filled relationship, like Jesus, they will bear the kind of spiritual fruit that proves them to be God’s children and brings Him the greatest amount of glory (John 15:8). So why is revival always in God’s heart? God so longs for this intimacy with His children that when they depart from Him through disobedient sin or neglect, He cannot idly stand by and watch His beloved followers hurt themselves or bring dishonor to the covenant relationship He has established with each and every one of them. In Psalm 85:6, the psalmist indeed asked the right question: “Will You not Yourself revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?” For individuals and groups of Christians, God alone is the author of revival—the only One who can take earthen vessels and fill them anew with the treasure of heaven (2 Corinthians 4:7). Now, if all of this is true, and God alone is the One who brings revival into the lives of His children, how does He go about bringing this to pass? What does He do to get His children to cooperate with His plan? We’ll answer these questions in Part 2 of this series next month! Part 2 - God’s Discipline Flows from His Love

Ever since Adam and Eve first disobeyed God, the tendency to cover our sin has been a part of our sinful human nature (see Genesis 3:7–8). We don’t have to be trained how to hide or pretend—it comes naturally. Even after we are redeemed in Christ and the Holy Spirit takes up residence within us, we often battle the urge to deceive. But God cannot bless or revive a heart that refuses to acknowledge the truth. King David learned this lesson the hard way. Though handpicked by God to be a leader, David rejected God’s law and committed the heinous sin of adultery (see 2 Samuel 11). As damaging as that was, however, he could have spared his household and his kingdom many months of anguish had he simply been honest about his failure. Instead, he chose to hide, cover up, and deny his wrongdoing. He lied to Bathsheba, the woman with whom he had committed adultery. He lied to her husband, Uriah. He lived a lie before his people. He lied to himself by acting as if what he’d done really wasn’t all that bad, that he could get away with it, and that there would be no major consequence to suffer. Above all, David lied to God by attempting to cover his sin and refusing to acknowledge and confess it. Psalm 32 is David’s firsthand account of the process he went through to discover the profound joy of experiencing God’s mercy and forgiveness. Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. For nearly a year David lived with God’s convicting Spirit pressing down on his soul. Being silent about his wrongdoing—refusing to confess his sin—only deepened David’s anguish. He deteriorated physically, emotionally, and spiritually. If it can happen to David, it can happen to us. We are as vulnerable to sin’s entrapment as he was and just as apt to try to conceal our failure. Refusing to be honest will reap the same rewards for us as it did for David. But here is the wonderful truth: We have another choice! As we read the opening verses of Psalm 32, we can almost hear the joy and relief returning to David’s spirit. When he finally let go of his pride, humbled himself, and got honest with God and others about his sin, heaven-sent relief poured over him. The weight of his iniquity was lifted, and his sin was carried away. That can be your experience, too. As this passage indicates, God is willing to “cover” (with the blood of Christ) every sin that we are willing to “uncover” before Him. If David could experience the freedom and joy of a restored relationship with God after committing such great sin, you can know that blessedness, too! Simply begin with the matter at hand—whatever sin God may be convicting you of, whether “large” or “small.” Remember, no sin is so large that God cannot forgive it; and no sin is so small that you can afford to keep it hidden. Do you need to pause right now and be honest with God about some sin or failure in your life? How blessed is the person in whose spirit there is no deceit!

Confession of our sin is a very important exercise. It should happen every day, because we sin every day. But there is great confusion about real confession. Biblical confession is not doing good works to get God to approve of us. It is also not a light, mindless recounting of our sins to make sure we get everything covered. The word confess in the Greek language means to “say the same thing as.” When a criminal confesses, he says the same thing that everyone else has been saying about his crime. It is honest agreement. But spiritual confession is more. It includes godly sorrow. It is not only saying the same thing God does about our sin, but having a broken heart that sees sin for what it really is and does with sin what God desires, which is to repent. Nowhere is this seen more vividly than in David’s prayer of confession in Psalm 51, following his adultery with Bathsheba, which was exposed by his confrontation with the prophet Nathan. 1. Spiritual confession takes full responsibility. The natural response of our flesh when our sin is exposed is to find a way to blame someone else. David used personal pronouns thirteen times in the first six verses of Psalm 51. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me (vv. 2-3 NASB). If we are still shifting the blame to others or to our circumstances, etc., we have not yet come to see our sin as God sees it. 2. Spiritual confession relies on God’s mercy. No man can atone for his own sin. When we see the depth of our sin, we realize there is nothing we can do to make it better. Only God can forgive, cleanse, and restore. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions (v. 1). All of our sin was dealt with on the cross. When we see our sin, it breaks our heart for what we have done to Christ. When we see our sin clearly, we realize that our depravity is complete—that apart from God’s work, we will always sin, because we are sinners by nature and by birth. But it also fills our heart with gratitude, knowing that our sins have been dealt with by His sacrifice. God is eager and willing to forgive if we will turn to Him (1 John 1:9). 3. Spiritual confession sees the root of our sin. It is not merely external forces that have caused this. It is in us. I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me (v. 5). 4. Spiritual confession cries out for more than just forgiveness. When we see our sin rightly, we not only want forgiveness, we long for cleansing. We cry out to God to remove the sin and its roots from our lives forever. Create in me a clean heart, O God (v. 10). 5. Spiritual confession longs for a sustained life of obedience. If we are deeply repentant, we want to obey God fully in the areas where we’ve sinned. We long for a spirit that will help us persevere in the future so we do not commit the same sins. Where there was unwillingness to obey, we pray for divine grace to be willing to follow the prompting of God’s Spirit and the illumination of His Word. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me … and sustain me with a willing spirit (vv. 10, 12). 6. Spiritual confession longs for the return of God’s presence. When we sin, the greatest loss is the sense and help of God’s presence. For David, in the Old Testament age, that could mean that God would lift His Holy Spirit out of David’s life. For New Testament believers, once He enters, God’s Spirit will never leave us. But He can be quenched and grieved. Our sin pushes Him off the throne of our lives and takes control, and His work in us is momentarily stopped. To lose God’s presence is the greatest loss. Often, this loss is the warning alarm that awakens us and leads us to repentance. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me (v. 11). 7. Spiritual confession longs for useful ministry in the future. Every person was made to minister for God and to serve others. Sin corrupts this ministry and sometimes destroys it altogether. If we are truly repentant, we not only long for forgiveness and renewed obedience, we have a desire to be restored to ministry—to be able to praise the Lord in ways that speak of Him to others. Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise (vv. 14-15). 8. Spiritual confession is fueled by brokenness. The brokenness David spoke of in Psalm 51 is not the mere crushing that comes from the circumstances of life. It is the spiritual surrender of one’s own will to the will of God. True confession isn’t penance for our sins (as some teach). God is not impressed by us trying to atone for our sins with good works. He is looking for a heart that is broken and surrendered to Him, understanding that forgiveness comes only from God’s mercy. For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise (vv. 16-17). 9. Spiritual confession leads to joy! When we genuinely deal with our sin God’s way, it does not lead to morose self-inspection, but to ultimate joy. We are saved from our sin, and joy floods our hearts once again as we experience God’s redeeming, cleansing work. Make me to hear joy and gladness. Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.… Restore to me the joy of Your salvation (vs. 8, 12). 10. Spiritual, personal confession leads to corporate revival. When God’s people begin to deal honestly with their sin, it opens the way for His presence and power to return. This is personal revival. And when His people are full of Him, it leads to the church doing its work among those far from God. This leads to spiritual awakening among those who do not know Him. In this sense, revival and awakening begin with personal repentance! David ended his confession with a prayer for God’s work to extend to his whole city. By Your favor do good to Zion; build the walls of Jerusalem (v. 18). If we are feeling distant and disconnected from Christ but we long for revival in our hearts, our families, our churches, and our nation, we must begin with an honest look at our own lives and a ruthless dealing with all that is displeasing Him and aborting His work. It is worth the time, and nothing will be restored to rightness and usefulness until we deal thoroughly with our sin. Making it personal: What sin has God put his finger on in your life? What immediate steps do you need to take to follow Him in obedience? What joys and freedoms will result from your honest confession?

Pursuing God There are certain things God plans to do that are not conditioned upon any response from man—steps He plans to take regardless of our responses. But there are many things He promises to us that are completely conditional. One of these is seeing and experiencing Him in increasing intimacy. Consider both an Old Testament and New Testament instruction: “To him who orders his way aright I will show the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23 NASB).Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). Both of these verses (and many more) remind us that God will not reveal Himself in greater intimacy to an individual who is not interested ... to someone who will not pay the price of holiness. This in no way implies that we can earn an audience with God by our works. We come into His presence (which we can do) because we have an introduction, through Christ Jesus, into this “grace in which we [now] stand” (Romans 5:1-2).But, we must COME. Those who see Him most clearly and deeply are those who long for Him; who pursue Him; who listen to His instructions for their lives and, by His grace and through the power of His indwelling Spirit, cooperate with Him.Why would God continue to reveal Himself to one who has no interest, who will not seek for Him while He may be found and call on Him while He is near? The Choice Is Yours If you sense that you are distant from God, He is not the One who has moved. And the instructions of Scripture are clear to us on the action that must be taken: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to You” (James 4:8). Pay attention to holiness. Be intentional about all that He has already said to you. Set aside deliberate time to fast, pray, and read and meditate on His Word. Be extremely careful about your obedience. And then, cry out to Him for greater intimacy. For as clear as His conditions are for you to see Him, they are clearly promised! He desires to reveal Himself to you more than you are aware, for He is a God of perfect love toward you. It is hard for our finite minds to grasp, but He longs for intimacy with those He created, and that includes you. He made you to walk with Him in the coolness of the day. It is only our prideful independence and willful disobedience that are aborting this intimacy. Responding in Prayer: Father, search my heart. Show me the ways that I have been negligent in pursuing intimacy with You. I cry out to You for the grace to seek You in holiness. Give me a heart willing to pay whatever price the joy of Your presence requires. In Jesus’ name, let it be so.