David

"Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak, And blameless when You judge."Psalm 51:1-4.

What a confession of sin. What a prayer That, dear people, is confession of sin, as it ought to be. There was no excusing or blaming others for his sins. David had sinned against Bathsheba. He sinned against Uriah. The bottom line is that he had sinned against God, and only God.

David must have felt in his heart that his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah was nothing in comparison to his sin against God.

Professing Christians need to be convicted of their sins. Those who have no conviction when they sin, need to "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith " 2 Cor. 13:5. Nathan confronted David with his sin by pointing his finger at him and proclaiming "You are the man" before he ever confessed his sin.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and (B)to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. " 1 John 1:9. "A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise" vs. 17.

Prayer:  Father, may we not deny or hide or blame someone else or alibi our sins but see the awfulness of our sins and confess them and be cleansed. In Jesus name.

Quote:  YOU are loved by God and me, all because of Calvary, Sumner Wemp

Passionately Seek God's Blessings

Jacob got alone with the Lord. He even wrestled with the angel of the Lord until he received a blessing. Our prayers are usually more fervent and more effective when we get alone with God. Spending time alone with God during the day is a desperate need for every Christian, including you and me.

Genesis 32:24–25 says, "Then Jacob was left alone, and a man [the angel of the Lord] wrestled with him until daybreak. When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him."

The man said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed" (24:26–28).

Then Jacob asked him and said, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And he blessed him there. So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved" (24:29–30).

Note that Jacob said to the angel, "I will not let you go unless you bless me" (32:26). This was not a simple prayer at the table for God to bless the food. This was a passionate plea for the blessing of Almighty God upon him.

Oh my, did God ever bless him! And God is still blessing His children today. Dear people, we must get alone with God. We must have a heavenly hunger for the blessing of Almighty God. We must make a passionate plea for it. Be a copycat; copy Jacob by praying his prayer. Fervently seek God's blessing.

Prayer: Father, teach us the importance of spending time alone with You. Fill us with a passionate desire to seek after Your blessings, not only for ourselves, but for others. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Quote for the Day: "When you pray, rather let your heart be without words than your words without heart." —John Bunyan