Luke 15:11-32
There are two kinds of repentance. The first is when we first come to Jesus Christ. Then we must turn away from the world and from sin, come to the Savior, and repent of our sins. But there is also a second kind of repentance. It comes after we have already become Christians. Along our life’s journey we can drift away from God once more. Then we must repent again. This is what is written in 1 John 2:1 and 1 John 1:9:
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. (1 John 2:1)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
At certain moments in the history of their walk with God, the Israelites were filled with enthusiasm for what God was doing. There were times of revival, but afterward they would turn back again to their idolatry. This constant returning to idolatry hardened their hearts to such a degree that they provoked God to anger, and God punished them. They were carried away into captivity in Babylon. The temple was destroyed. Whenever they strayed, they had to repent in order to restore their relationship with God.
In the New Testament the risen Christ speaks to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:5 and says to it:
5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Revelation 2:5)
God desires His people to repent. God desires His church to repent. God desires us to live a life of repentance.
The removing of the lampstand from its place means that where there once was a church, that church ceases to exist. We do not want our local church to cease to exist. We want God’s work to grow in our town. We want this building to become too small for us. We want to plant new churches. We long for everyone who has believed in the Lord not to draw back, but to press forward and to stay close to God. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit would come and descend upon every single person who is here—just as He descended on the day of Pentecost and pierced the hearts of all those who listened to Peter’s sermon (Acts 2:37)! When the apostles preached Jesus Christ after His resurrection, they proclaimed to the people, to the Israelites, to the Jews, to those who had gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost. The apostle Peter told them that Jesus had been handed over according to God’s set purpose, and that the leaders of the people, the elders, delivered Him to Pontius Pilate to be killed. But “God has made this Jesus… both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36), and “he has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). Glory to God! We preach a risen Anointed One. Let each of us this morning ponder this. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead (Romans 6:9)! He is alive! And the fact that He is risen means that He is the Son of God (Romans 1:4)! Jesus Christ is not merely a legend or a myth. Jesus Christ is not merely a historical figure. Jesus Christ is God (Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13)! And if He is Lord, then we must treat Him as Lord—especially those of us who have received Him as Lord. We must honor Him; we must follow Him.
An About-Face Toward God
We all need to return to God. Poor attendance at our church gatherings shows that our love for the Lord has grown cold. It is an indicator that we have fallen away from the faith. That is why we must repent and return to God.
The idea of repentance is already seen in the Old Testament. Repentance involves turning around. To repent means to make an about-face. Can we make an about-face this morning? Do you know how it is done? Back when we had military training, and in school, we learned it—one foot forward, the other back; you pivot on your heel and your toes, and you turn about. Whatever direction you were facing, you swing around—and there, you are turned the other way. If you are moving in a certain direction and you “turn about,” you now walk in the opposite direction. We need to make an “about-face” in our attitude toward God. If we have separated ourselves from Him, let us turn back to Him. That is conversion; that is repentance.
Sin is a departure from the target. As we said, there is a first repentance, but afterward, once we have already become believers, we can still lose our way and set off down the wrong road. We set out on God’s road, but then perhaps, little by little, we make this about-face away from God, drifting off the path along which we walk toward Him. Often this does not happen all at once, but gradually. If you walk along a straight line, and that is the road you are meant to travel, then even if you stray only slightly from it, at first you are not far—you can return with a single step. But if you keep drawing away from the right road along this side path that leads you off, then with every further step you find yourself further and further away; and if you lose the road you are meant to follow, you can veer off, and then in practice you begin walking in the opposite direction. I think this is exactly what has happened to many of us. And I do not exclude myself from that number. In many respects we have separated ourselves from God. We have made a detour; we have taken a step to the side. Perhaps we told ourselves that one step is nothing, that we can still turn back. But then we took two steps, three steps. And so we drifted away and set off down this crooked, sinful side road.
What happens in the Christian life—and we see it also in the life of Israel, the people of God—is this. At a certain point people drift; they fall away. And because we have committed this falling away, this cooling, this separation, we have grown distant from God. That is why we must return. This very returning to God is repentance. Repentance is when, having separated ourselves from God, we come back to Him. So let each of us examine his heart and return to God. In God’s Word we see various passages that speak to us about repentance.
A Change of Mind
First of all, repentance involves a change of mind, a change of thinking. Besides the mental side, repentance also has an emotional side—tears of repentance; and it has a side of the will, which may be the hardest of all—this is the fruit of repentance. Because you must live in this repentance; you must remain in it—and that is the hardest part. The first thing, however, is the change of mind. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 15, Jesus Christ tells the parable of the Prodigal Son. In Luke 15:11-13 we read:
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. (Luke 15:11-13)
You see, the father in this parable is in fact a picture of God. When we desire our freedom, God does not stop us. It is said of the Holy Spirit that when He comes, it is always visible. For example, when the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4); when the Holy Spirit came upon Samson in power (Judges 15:14); at the parting of the Red Sea; at creation. When the Holy Spirit comes, it is something tangible and mighty. When He departs, however, it usually happens invisibly. He simply lifts off like a dove taking flight. The moment it flies away, its feet simply leave the spot. It is not felt.
The same thing happens in our life. We have had times in our lives when we felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in a very mighty way. We have had times in our lives when we were ready to die for the Lord. But something happened, and we grew indifferent. “Why should I go to church when I can sit at home and rest? I’m tired. I’ve been at work. The Lord—He is always with me anyway. I don’t have to read; I don’t have to pray…” But that is how you lose your connection with God.
In order for us to keep our communion with God alive, we need to practice the spiritual disciplines. The spiritual disciplines are contained in the Great Commission. As part of it, Jesus said that when we make disciples, we are to teach them to obey everything He has commanded.
- Has Jesus commanded us to gather together? (Matthew 18:20)
- Has Jesus commanded us to pray and to have an unceasing prayer life? (Matthew 26:40-41)
- Has Jesus commanded us to fast? (Matthew 6:16)
- Has Jesus commanded us to do good?
- Has Jesus commanded us to live a holy life? (Matthew 5:48)
When we break off the practice of these spiritual disciplines, when we do not practice them, then our spirit weakens. We separate ourselves from God. Then we grow cold. Our faith flickers out. We begin to ask ourselves: “Is there really a God, or not?” Is there a God? What else will you say this morning? The fool, as God’s Word says, “says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1) But we must be fully assured in our faith.
Where Is the Reverence for the Lord?
We say, “There is a God.” But the question is, “Is He Lord in your life?” For the titles of Jesus Christ are these: the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ means the Anointed One, the King. Jesus means Savior. He is the one who saves us; but for us He is not only Savior, not only King, but also Lord. Lord means God—the Son of God, the Master. If He is our Master, do we honor Him as such? In Malachi it is God the Father who speaks, but God the Father and God the Son are one—they are one and the same Trinity. And see what is said in Malachi 1:6:
6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty. “It is you priests who show contempt for my name. But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’” (Malachi 1:6)
We must not forget that we are priests of the Lord (Revelation 1:6). We are living stones being built together into the house of God (1 Peter 2:5). So you cannot tell yourself, “Well, the church gathers anyway; it can manage without me.” But it cannot manage without you, because you are a living stone in this house, in this temple. So if you are a living stone in this house, then be part of this house.
We rejoice that we are a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6) and a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9). If we are priests, where is our sacrifice to bring before God? So let each one examine himself.
We are not saved through the spiritual disciplines. We are not saved through our service; but our service is something we can do to show ourselves—and to see—that our faith is alive. Faith without works is dead (James 2:20-26). If our faith is alive, we will be people of prayer. If our faith is alive, we will be people of good works (Ephesians 2:10). If our faith is alive, we will be people of love—love that shows itself as love in action (1 John 3:14-18). The Lord gives us the freedom to live as we wish. But let us not abuse this freedom.
Hunger and Humiliation
Let us return to the Prodigal Son. It says (Luke 15:14-16):
14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. (Luke 15:14-15)
So from a son who was free, who had an inheritance, this prodigal son became a hired servant, became a slave.
16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. (Luke 15:16)
He had sunk so low that he was ready to eat the animals’ food. Yet they would not give it to him, because they considered him lower and less important than their pigs. So, even as he was dying of hunger, they would not give him even the animals’ food to eat.
This is exactly what happens when we separate ourselves from God. Satan will lure us in. He will do everything to entice us, to draw us away from God. But afterward he will trample us, he will crush us, he will enslave us. For he is a murderer (John 8:44). He is a liar. He hates us. He wants to destroy us (John 10:10). So let us be aware of Satan’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11); let us know what awaits us if we separate ourselves from God. For apart from God we can do nothing (John 15:5). We will be swallowed up by the adversary. Our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Just as antelopes, when they move in the herd, when they run together, are in a safe place—but if one antelope separates from the herd and is left alone, the lion pounces and seizes it and kills it. So ask yourself: Are you walking with God’s flock? Are you walking with those whom God has called? Are you following the Shepherd, Jesus Christ (John 10:27)? For He says:
I am the good shepherd. (John 10:11)
Who Has Bewitched You?
We see that this son fell into such a condition. But we must not wait until we fall into such a condition. If we have separated ourselves from God, we have already fallen into it. In verse 17 it says: “When he came to his senses…” So he had not been in his right mind. When we separate ourselves from God—no matter in what direction—we are under the influence of Satan. We must realize this, even though we often do not, because when we separate ourselves from God, we are under the influence of Satan. Satan means adversary (Zechariah 3:1; 1 Peter 5:8). He is the adversary of our souls. He wants to destroy us, to crush us. From the beginning he has been a murderer, a thief, and a liar. And in Galatians, in the Letter to the Galatians, see what is said in chapter 3, verse 1: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” (Galatians 3:1) Since the apostle Paul writes this to the Galatians, it is not something foreign to the human heart. It is characteristic of the human heart that it is “deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9). For out of the heart of man come evil thoughts, murders, thefts, adulteries, and every evil thing (Mark 7:21). That is why we need new hearts (Ezekiel 36:26).
We long to be born again. But once we are born again, once we have believed in Jesus Christ, we must care for this new creature within us. It is like a baby when it is born. It must be fed (1 Peter 2:2). It must be clothed. We must care for it. So it is with the new creature that is in us; we must care for it. This new spiritual man is born of the Holy Spirit (John 3:6). He is born of the seed of God’s Word—of the seed of the Word (1 Peter 1:23). So he needs to be fed with the words of the faith (1 Timothy 4:6). If we do not feed him, he will waste away. And then the flesh, our old nature, which still lives in us, will gain the upper hand. And see what the apostle Paul says to the Galatians—even though there the issue was a false teaching they had believed. But one way or another they had separated themselves from Christ, and the apostle Paul says to them: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” I believe this question is valid for our church today. “Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.” You who were on fire for God; you who were ready to testify about Him without shame. You who used to look for wherever there was a service that evening, so you could go to church—not only from Sunday to Sunday, not only on Wednesday and Friday, but on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Did you go to church like that when you first believed? Tell me! You did, didn’t you? But today—from Easter to Easter, and if you skip that, sometimes you skip Christmas too. You come only on the holidays. It cannot be so. Who has bewitched you? If you are in such a condition, you must recognize that you have been bewitched. And when the apostle Paul said, “Who has bewitched you?” clearly the one who bewitched you is someone who has cast a spell on you. You were one thing before, and now you are not what you used to be. You act like someone on whom a spell has been cast. But let us not allow ourselves to be manipulated by Satan.
The Snare of the Devil
Also in the letter to Timothy the apostle Paul says (2 Timothy 2:24-26):
24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26)
Do you see? Those who are opponents of Jesus, those who are opponents and have separated themselves from the church, have fallen into a trap. They are in the trap, in the snare of the devil. The devil has caught them like a fisherman with his hook, and he reels them in. They have taken his hook, and wherever the hook pulls them, there they go. They have been “taken captive.” Satan wants us alive, so that he can hold us captive.
The Advice of Balaam
Today I call on you, beloved in the Lord, brothers and sisters, because I am aware that I am speaking to immortal souls. Your souls are immortal. There is a battle for your souls. Satan wants to snatch you out of God’s hand. And he can snatch you only if you separate yourself from God. He cannot snatch you by force, because God is stronger than Satan. If God holds us in His hand, if we are in God, no one will harm us (John 10:28-29). We can tread on snakes and scorpions. God has given us authority over all the power of the enemy, and nothing can harm us; nothing can happen to us (Luke 10:19).
So it was with the nation of Israel—no one could defeat them. They were invincible, because God fought for them (Deuteronomy 11:25). But Satan has his tactics. Balaam could not curse God’s people. Although he wanted to take the money, he could not curse them. He said: “The one whom the Lord has blessed, even if I curse him, it will not happen.” But he said to the Moabites: “I will give you a piece of advice. Do not fight against God’s people; instead, make friends with them. Hold a feast. Invite them. Eat and drink—and when they begin to eat and drink and to bow down to your gods, say to them: ‘Fine, we will bow down to your god, but you must also bow down to our god.’” (Numbers 31:16) And when the Israelites began to bow down to their god, then they were defeated.
So too with those others spoken of in the book of Joshua. God had said that the Gibeonites were to be destroyed. All the cities in that land were to be leveled to the ground, because they were sinful cities. It is said that their iniquity had reached the ears of the Lord. The cup of God’s wrath had overflowed. But the Gibeonites disguised themselves. They put on old clothes. And they came to the Israelites and presented themselves as someone else. They said: we come from a three days’ journey; we come from far away. Make peace with us—and the Israelites made peace, without considering that they were not supposed to make a treaty with these people (Joshua 9:3-16).
Come to Your Senses!
Examine your heart and see with whom you have made peace. Understand in what way Satan has bewitched you. See what his snare is in your life. See how far you have drifted, and in what direction you are going—and break the snare. In one of the psalms it says, “the snare has been broken, and we have escaped” (Psalm 124:7). So let Satan’s snare be broken today. The snare can be broken, but you must turn to God with all your heart (Joel 2:12-14). The Holy Spirit can fill you again, but you must turn to God with all your heart. So come to your senses; come to yourself. As it is said of the prodigal son, that he “came to himself.” He came to himself… He had been bewitched, but he came to himself. So come to yourself and come to your senses (Luke 15:17).
17 When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! (Luke 15:17)
You see, he thought logically. He came to himself and began to think soberly. He said to himself: “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!” And see, he made his decision. “I will set out and go back to my father.” He decided to return to his father (Luke 15:18-19).
18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants. (Luke 15:18-19)
Decide to return to God! There are many verses in the prophetic books of the Old Testament that speak of returning to the Lord. Especially in Hosea, where it says: “Take words with you and return to the Lord.” (Hosea 14:2) Return to God.
And he said: “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him.” See, he thought: “What will I say to my father?” This morning, think about what you will say to God in your prayer. What will you say to Him? With what words will you return to Him? The prodigal son decided what he would say to his father: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you!”
No matter that we have separated ourselves from God. No matter that we have perhaps become, so to speak, “prodigal sons” (this son is called “prodigal” because it is said of him that he “squandered his wealth in wild living” (Luke 15:13,30))—in spite of this, we have not ceased to be God’s children. God still loves us. We still belong to Him. We can turn to Him with the words: “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9), “Father, I have sinned against You. I let things draw me away. I let the gratifying of my fleshly desires separate me from You. I let myself grow cold. I let myself become part of another company—not the company of believers, but the company of Your adversaries. I let myself sit in the company of mockers.” (Psalm 1:1) Take words, find words, and with them return to the Lord. See, he said: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you! I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”
Be Ready to Bear the Consequences
The prodigal son was ready to bear the consequences for his sin. We too can say: “Lord, forgive me! If You must, punish me. I am ready to bear the consequences for my sin. But receive me to Yourself.”
If we sin, we must be ready to take responsibility and to bear the consequences of our sins. Look at David, when he repented. God said to him: “You have raised a sword against an innocent man, against My servant Uriah. Because of this, the sword will not depart from your household. You will have trouble within your own house. Your son will rise up against you and will seek to kill you.” (2 Samuel 12:9-12) Later David lost Absalom, his beloved son. But even so, he chose to bear the suffering and be with God, rather than—as he himself puts it—have his “bones waste away” and be without God’s presence (Psalm 32:3-4). David longs and says: “Restore to me the joy of my salvation.” (Psalm 51:12) Where is your joy, where is your longing? Jesus Christ says: “Do not rejoice that the demons submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in the book of life!” (Luke 10:17-20) When we repented, when we were saved, was this heavenly joy in our hearts? And where is it now? If the joy of salvation is gone, it means that sin has separated us from God. The Holy Spirit, as I told you, has simply flown away from us like a dove; He has simply departed. And perhaps, like Samson, we think that God is with us and that we will be as before, but a moment may come when, trying to do things in our own strength, we find that we cannot do them.
Let us be ready to bear the consequences of our sin, and let us come to God and repent of our sins. If we repent, the good news is that God will not reject us. Yes, He may punish us, but He will bless us!
In verse 20 it says: “And he arose and came to his father.” Let us have not only words of repentance, not only thoughts of repentance, not only feelings of repentance, but let us have deeds of repentance. For true repentance includes mental awareness, emotional expression—tears of repentance—but it also includes deeds of repentance. And see, Jesus says of the prodigal son: “He arose and came to his father.” He carried out what he had resolved (verse 20). “And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; and he ran, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”
20 So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)
His father threw himself on the prodigal son’s neck and kissed him. Glory to God! In this same chapter, in verse 7, it says:
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (Luke 15:7)
If today one person returns to God, there will be joy in heaven.
The Deception of Sin
If you have separated yourself from God and you realize that you are far from God, do not tell yourself: “I am a sinner, and because I am a sinner, I will just live my sinful life.” This is a deception and a lie of Satan. The deception of sin is that there will be no consequences for your sin—but this is a lie. In Galatians 6:8 it says: “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction.” This son thought that, having his father’s inheritance, he could go and multiply it, prosper, make something of it. But living this dissolute life, he lost everything and became a slave. So if you live in sin, in one way or another you will be punished. The benefit of repentance is that, thanks to it, you will not be condemned to eternal destruction.
Beware Lest You Lose Your Salvation
The most grievous thing that can happen to a person who refuses to repent is to lose his salvation. In the letter to the Hebrews 6:4-6 it says that if we have been saved, our responsibility for our obedience to God is great.
4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age 6 and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. (Hebrews 6:4-6)
If, after you have once known God, you have fallen away, this is tantamount to crucifying the Son of God, Jesus Christ, a second time. It is a fresh public disgracing of God’s name. He was raised. “God has made him… both Lord and Messiah” (Acts 2:36). But if you decide to send Him to the cross again, if you decide to throw Him out of your life again, if you desire to disgrace Him again, then God’s Word warns you that your end will be terrible (Hebrews 6:7-8).
7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. (Hebrews 6:7-8)
The danger for us is that if we do not repent, if we do not live a life with God, we will lose our salvation. But as the author of Hebrews says in verse 9:
9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation. (Hebrews 6:9)
Therefore I believe that the Lord desires that every single person who is here should not lose his salvation; should not fall away from his faith; should not be cursed and burned in hell, but should turn to God. Turn to God and live (Isaiah 45:22)! Turn to God and give your heart to Him. Confess your sins (James 5:16). Turn away from sin (Ezekiel 14:6). For if we do so, then there will be a feast in heaven. Then heaven will rejoice. In Luke 15:21-24 we read how the meeting between the prodigal son and his father unfolded:
21 The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” 22 But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate. (Luke 15:21-24)
Repent Now!
When a person is in sin, he is not only lost, but he is dead. When he repents, he is not only found, he comes alive. Let us today have sons and daughters of God who have come alive! If up to this day you have felt how you have gradually separated yourself from God, how Satan has drawn you away, how you have been bewitched, and today you realize that the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, then repent and turn to God with all your heart. For I do not wish merely to say something or merely to preach some sermon so that I can do my job or something of the sort. Today I am speaking to you from God’s heart. I want the Lord to set us on fire! For we live in a time when Satan gradually desires to put out the fire of the church. We sing a song:
“Light your lamp, let it burn!
Know that the devil does not sleep, he wants to put it out!
Let your lamp keep burning.”
The Lord has lit the lamp of faith in your life. But if your lamp has grown dim, if it has begun to go out, light it! If you have no oil, now is the favorable time to buy some. Be prepared (Matthew 25:1-13). Jesus Christ is coming soon (Revelation 3:11; 22:7,12; 22:20). You do not know how long you will live. You do not know tomorrow (James 4:13-14). We live in a time of growing cold, we live in a time when, as God’s Word says: “The love of most will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12)
- We live in a time when people will have a form of godliness but will be denied its power. (2 Timothy 3:5)
- We live in a time when there are many false teachings. (2 Peter 2:1)
- We live in a time when Satan desires, like jelly, to turn us to jelly and to make us jelly Christians, who look good but do not have the freedom to move.
Break the chains! Break the jelly! Break the trap! Break the snare! Break free! Swim against the current! Be alive for the Lord! So that you can succeed in this hard time.
Prayer
God, we desire that You be Lord in our lives every day. We desire to live, and move, and have our being in You! Therefore make our hearts alive! The things that have piled up—remove them. “Mold, cockroaches,” every kind of filth that has settled in, every repulsive thing that has accumulated over time in our lives, demons—cast all of this away, Lord! Cleanse us! Remove every filth and make us worthy of the calling we have, the calling of saints, the calling of God’s children!
Please, God, renew our strength! Renew our dedication! Renew our anointing! Grant us to be like the psalmist who says: “I will be anointed with fresh oil!” Give us the fresh oil of the Holy Spirit! Now we confess that without You we are nothing, without You we can do nothing! We ask You to forgive our growing cold, our negligence, our laziness, the deeds of the flesh, and grant us to be new creatures! To be alive, like spiritual newborn infants, to crave the pure spiritual milk through which we can grow up into salvation. Not to give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing. But to meet together all the more, as we see the Day approaching. Not to let our faith turn into tradition. But to live our living faith in You. May You be our God every day, the God of every decision in our lives. May You be the God of every deed. May You be God every day, every hour, in everything we do.
Forgive us if we have wished to put You in some closet in our heart. You deserve the throne room! You deserve every room in our heart! You deserve everything, because You gave everything for us. You gave Your blood, You gave Your life. You have redeemed us with Your precious blood! O God, we are Yours! You are our Lord! Therefore we ask You, God: reign, rule! Be King! And grant that we may truly be Yours! Teach us how to find words and return to You—what to say, Lord, so that we can be Yours, so that we can be accepted by You. In the name of Jesus, Amen!