BROKEN RELATIONSHIP AND PRAYER!

When We Sin, Our Bond Of Intimacy With Christ Is Broken

(Until Repentance Is Made)

If we allow spiritual dullness and hardness of heart to set in, we begin to wander from God by growing indifferent to Him.

We find our heart easily drawn away by other things in this life.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  Prov 4:23

Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.  Heb 5:11

The Psalmist David had the right formula for the prayer, when he had failed. (As we all do from time to time, although sinning should not be the lifestyle of a Christian) He implored God for three attitudes of the heart

* Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Psalms 51:10

That is, he prayed that his relationship with God would be repaired. Rebuilt. He asked God for a spirit of stability, faithfulness, and firmness as he sought to be reestablished in his walk.

* Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Psalms 51:12

By this request, David was appealing to God to uphold, or sustain him in his spirit. He may also have been asking God for a renewed spirit of nobility.

You may recall that David, after 15 years of eluding King Saul’s murderous pursuits, was crowned King of Israel. Once his position as monarch was established, he inquired if there were any good he could do for Saul’s family. Aids brought Saul’s crippled son Mephibosheth to his attention. And in response, David offered to provide for his material needs which included sitting regularly at his table. Now, that is a noble spirit!

And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.  2 Sam 9:7

* The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.  Psalms 51:17

Here, David acknowledged the importance of a crushed spirit in repentance. When we began to grasp the cost Jesus paid for our redemption, we will find no place for a cavilier or “oops” attitude in our confession. Rather, we will be crushed over our sin.

One gentleman had lunch with a professed Christian businessman who had cheated clients in several financial transactions. The man had been told that the “Christian Business Man” had “repented” of his actions. Yet, while chatting over lunch, he chided the other man for not responding to him during his backslidden state in a manner that was to his liking. Upon reflection of their meeting together, it seemed to The other man that the element of “brokenness” was missing from the “Christian business man’s“ his so-called “repentance.”

Perhaps today, our prayer could be, “Lord, grant me a steadfast, willing and broken spirit.“