Prayer Reset by Bob SorgeSample

Day 4: REPENT 

Reminder: Yesterday was militant. We decided to take on everything that tries to divert our prayer focus.  Again, ask the Lord to help you win the war on distractions.

Jesus’ first call to His generation was to repent, and it’s still the first thing He calls us to. Repentance is something we do regularly and repeatedly. Its basic idea is change. Repentance says no to the sinful behaviors He’s showing us, and yes to the new actions and attitudes He’s inviting us into. 

Repentance is often a response to seeing more of God. For example, Jesus once told His disciples to lower their nets for a catch of fish. They had caught nothing all night, but at the word of Christ they obeyed. Immediately, they caught so many fish their nets began to break. Peter just stared at the Lord, fell to his knees and confessed that he was a sinner. Stopped by Christ’s glory, all he could do was repent. 

The same happens with us. When Jesus gives us fresh glimpses of His magnificence, repentance is our natural response.

PRAY. 

• Ask to see Him. 
• Express the cry of your heart for greater insight into the majesty of Christ.

Repentance hides nothing. True disciples open their soul to the Savior’s search. David prayed, Search me, O God, and know my heart. (Psalm 139:23)  He wanted the Lord to know every dark place in his heart. He knew he could never overcome that which remained hidden. When we repent by acknowledging our sin, grace immediately empowers us to turn from it and toward Jesus in affectionate obedience. 

Another important part of repentance is carving out new ways of thinking. When we allow God’s word to change how we think, we gain power over sin. The best change happens from the inside out—first in the heart, then in actions.

PRAY. 

• Say to the Lord, “Search me, Lord. Know me.”
• Resolve to never hide anything from Jesus. 
• Whisper a prayer along these lines: 

“Lord Jesus, as I meditate in Your word, I commit to turn from anything that needs to go, and to turn toward You. Help me by Your grace to live a life of repen­tance. I love You.”