It is very important to understand that the way to get peace with God, hear back from God, and have rest in your spirit, is to repent. I don’t think that any element of Christianity is more needed, yet more forgotten. It’s not about having the correct words like a mantra, but it is so necessary to hit some key points when the process for repentance is taking place. It’s more than just saying, “Sorry, Lord,” and not giving another thought to what you’ve done, at the least – we must look at what we’ve done. You need to keep asking God for forgiveness until you’ve specifically said that you were wrong, and asking God to help you make it right. So, since I’ve sinned numerous sins, and made more mistakes than I can remember, I have learned at least how to say, “Lord, forgive me,” to the point where I can get my conscience clean. Here is some of the process of how to find moment-to-moment rest over specific and general sins. I suggest that this be done as much as needed, repenting during the day, before bed, or when you wake up, or when you get a moment to reflect. But, for your own good, I suggest that it occur as much as possible: when you honestly think you have sinned, and can find proof that whatever the sin is,that it is a sin based on the Bible, or the infringement of conscience based on personal conviction, that is reasonable and good.
1. Acknowledge God somehow, that God is your God, and the Father, and that Jesus is the Son. You must have a recollection (or realization by thinking about topic for a while) that a specific sin, as defined in the Bible, is indeed a sin. For example, if you had lied to someone and told false information, or been dishonest, you would remember where the Bible speaks against lying. You could pray like this: “Lord, I sinned when I lied because Your Word speaks against lying lips.” Mark 8:22: “(out of men’s hearts come) greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly.” Deceit is dishonesty; and so I repent of the lie in Jesus’ name.
2. Actual repentance: “Forgive me Father, by the blood of your Son, Jesus, for my lying, or dishonesty.” When you pray this, have invisible faith that your sins are forgiven, and that the blood of Jesus has washed you clean. It’s not enough to feel or believe in God, without acknowledging Him as Lord. Similarly, it’s also not enough to have conviction of sin and not ask for forgiveness. It literally takes 15 seconds to do so! If there is something you need to repent for, do it and get it over with. Acknowledging it is the hard part, and all that’s left is getting rid of it. Then it is erased forever, gone, and even if there are repercussions for the sin that can’t be avoided, in God’s eyes you are no longer accountable for it at all, because it disappeared completely off your record.
3. Now you can ask God to help you, and think for yourself also, on how to do the opposite of the wicked thing. For example, if it is a difficult sin that needs overcoming by much prayer, you can ask God to give you Holy Spirit power to overcome it. Like if you are repenting for cussing, something that you could do to prevent yourself, is stop listening to music riddled with profanity. If it is a sin, not easily overcome like lustfully looking at the opposite sex, or getting drunk with addiction to alcohol, ask God over and over if you have to–until the door of Heaven is broken, and you overcome it. Fasting can REALLY help with certain demons, and I imagine, the more powerful ones.
Matthew 17:21, NKJV: “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
I suggest praying something like, “I thank You God in the name of Jesus, that by Your power I’ve overcome and shown repentance by “not getting drunk on wine but being filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 2:18). Or again, “I thank You God in Jesus’ name that I’ve shown true repentance by “loving my wife” or “not looking at a woman lustfully in my heart” (Eph. 5:25; Matt. 5:28). Find a verse that states doing the opposite of the wicked thing, and pray according to that Scripture that you will do the righteous thing. We need the application of Jesus’ blood for forgiveness as we ask for it, but just as importantly, we need the power of the Holy Spirit to resist a billion temptations that will come our way in this life. So, ask for help!
Here are some examples:
1. The Sin of Gluttony. Repent of gluttony as it is mentioned in the Bible.
Ezekiel 16:49: “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”
Proverbs 23:2: “Put a knife to your throat (figurative) if you are given to gluttony.”
Ask God to forgive you by the blood of Jesus. Pray, “I ask You God in Jesus’ name that by your Spirit You will help me prove true repentance by…
…practicing the fruit of the self-control as a fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23).
…taking care of my body as a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
…acknowledging that my stomach is not my god” (Philippians 3:19).
The verse references are put into the form of Scriptural prayers. I don’t think God requires us, per se, to use Bible verses when we pray, but do what you think is right.
2. The Sin of Pride. Repent, in Jesus’ name, of being prideful, unyielding to God, and stubborn, in the way that pride is mentioned in the Bible.
Ask God to forgive you by Jesus’ blood for the specific sin of pride. Pray, “I ask You God, in Jesus’ name, that by Your Spirit, You’ve helped me to prove truly repentant by…
…submitting myself to God, and resisting the devil, so that he will flee” (James 4:7).
…not being proud, but humble, to find favor with God” (James 4:6).
…humbling myself before the Lord, so that He will lift me up” (James 4:10).
So, it’s easy. Acknowledge that you are guilty. Repent of specific sins in Jesus’ name. Pray according to the righteousness available to us, by grace in Jesus, as it is shown in the Bible.
These are examples of sins that easily beset us or hinder us from going forward. There are so many sins in the world and so many demons, real literal demons, like the bible talks about. Ask God for wisdom every day that you can and regularly reflect on your actions, thoughts, words, dreams, etc. to see if you are in the wrong or in the right. God will bless you in this and give you continuing revelation. Don’t be so preoccupied with a list of sins, so that you feel like if you forget something, then you’ll be sent to Hell, because the grace of God and the blood of Jesus is much bigger than that; and we have no need to be that anxious. The Lord will even remind you of what you need to hear, to get yourself clean and flowing in His Spirit, with goodness and light all around you.
Here are some good verses that help with acknowledging sin, repenting of sin, and overcoming sins by His blood.
Hebrews 12:1: “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
John 16:8: “And when He (the Holy Spirit) is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”
Hebrews 10:26: “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left.”
1 John 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 3:4: “Whoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
Psalms 32:5: “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and You forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Psalm 139:24: “See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
1 Corinthians 11:31-32: “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.”
Jesus still saves! That’s good news! He can make us live free if we will be honest and accept forgiveness, by confessing our sins and our need of His holy help!
Rebekah's Reflections 