Our lesson from the Directory of Public Worship regarding prayer is to remind us of something that is central to our faith, and that is that Christ forgives sin. That seems a like an obvious thing to confess, but we often don’t because we don’t really see ourselves as needing forgiveness. We ask for it because we are supposed to. It’s kind of like when your mom used to make you say you were sorry to a sibling or a neighbor. We do it, but don’t mean it. The reason we hesitate is for the same reason we don’t with God, we know we were in the right. 

Delivering our sins unto the Lord can be emotionally, mentally, and spiritually draining. Being honest with God can hurt at times. Opening ourselves up to the exposure of our unworthiness to the holy and righteous One takes a lot of trust. Often our heart’s desire is to hide. That’s often what we see even good men do in the Bible. Adam leads Eve to go behind the bushes. Abraham tries to act like he didn’t just lie to Abimelech. Peter swears he won’t deny Jesus. Yet, in the midst of all of this our lesson from the Directory of Public Worship regarding prayer is to remind us of something that is central to our faith, and that is that Christ forgives sin.

That seems a like an obvious thing to confess, but we often don’t because we don’t really see ourselves as needing forgiveness. We ask for it because we are supposed to. It’s kind of like when your mom used to make you say you were sorry to a sibling or a neighbor. We do it, but don’t mean it. The reason we hesitate is for the same reason we don’t with God, we know we were in the right. It is not until men and women comprehend their weakness and like the women with the issue of blood, seek Christ, that we will ever really know what it means to be forgiven ourselves. Part of praying is learning. The DPW calls us to ask Jesus for help in this work.

Let’s read today’s selection:

Notwithstanding all which, to draw near to the throne of grace, encouraging ourselves with hope of a gracious answer of our prayers, in the riches and all-sufficiency of that only one oblation, the satisfaction and intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ, at the right hand of his Father and our Father; and in confidence of the exceeding great and precious promises of mercy and grace in the new covenant, through the same Mediator thereof, to deprecate the heavy wrath and curse of God, which we are not able to avoid, or bear; and humbly and earnestly to supplicate for mercy, in the free and full remission of all our sins, and that only for the bitter sufferings and precious merits of that our only Saviour Jesus Christ.

That the Lord would vouchsafe to shed abroad his love in our hearts by the Holy Ghost; seal unto us, by the same Spirit of adoption, the full assurance of our pardon and reconciliation; comfort all that mourn in Zion, speak peace to the wounded and troubled spirit, and bind up the broken-hearted: and as for secure and presumptuous sinners, that he would open their eyes, convince their consciences, and turn them from darkness unto light.

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