by Katherine J. Kehler
**Do you have unconfessed sin in your life? We would love to pray with you and help you. http://retirementwithapurpose.com/chat/share.html
“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).
We moved to a different house last year. We’d only been in our new home a few days, when our garbage disposal stopped working. So, I got on my knees and peered under the kitchen sink until I found a little red reset button. I pushed it and the garbage disposal worked once again.
We all have appliances that can easily be restarted by simply pressing the reset button.
Unconfessed sin, like the broken garbage disposal, can stop us from being joyful and leading productive lives. King David states in Psalm 38 that he suffered because his sin led to health problems and separated him from God. He confessed his sin and repented.
That is what we must do to reestablish our relationship with God. Although, when we accept Christ to be our Lord and Savior—we will always be His children (John 1:12), but sin separates us from fellowship with God.
We can use the reset button and have fellowship with God again. It is called repentance. When we confess (and repent) our sin(s), we can be sure that God will forgive us and cleanse us from all sin. He gives us a new, clean beginning and restores fellowship with Him.
I encourage you to take a moment to ask God if there is anything in your life that displeases Him. Listen to His voice. If He brings specific things to your mind—take the time to admit to the act or attitude as being sinful and receive His forgiveness. It is like a reset button.
When my brother, at the age of 40, understood for the first time that his sins, past present and future, were forgiven, he jumped up and down, shouting, “I’m free, I’m free!” We all can be free.
~Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. Help us to remember to confess our sins as soon as we are aware of them and to walk in new freshness and the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen
Question: Would you like to reset your fellowship with Jesus today?
For more resources see: http://thelife.com/study/knowjesuspersonally.html?section=lesson2&ft=BSG-OS
About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/katherine-kehler/
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July 4th, 2008 at 5:20 am
This is a very clear way to explain the act of repentance. Thank you
July 4th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Thankyou Lord for our freedom today.(((( Happy 4th of July!!!!))))
July 4th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Happy 4th of july, ladies.
This message fits so perfectly in my idea of this day. For last two years, i take independence day personally. I meditate and pray for God to show me the things in my life that make my spirit not independent and the ways to get free. Usually it’s “sins” that hold us back, its realization and surrendering to God is what sets us free. On this day I will push all the reset buttons that I’ll find.
God bless!
July 4th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
My dear, dear sisters,
As you celebrate 4th of July please pray for those places around the world that can’t share in the freedoms you and I enjoy. Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that we live in countries that enjoy freedom from tyranny. Thank you Lord that we are free to gather, worship and read your Holy Word. Father, God I want to pray for those around the world that are suffering today…Lord please make your presence known to them, where they are fearful give them courage, where they are hungry feed them, where they are under tyranny free them. Lord I pray that you would be working in these situations to change living conditions, health, poverty and hunger. Thank you Lord for your goodness to us. In Jesus name I pray….
July 5th, 2008 at 1:21 am
Happy 4th ladies.
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise to you our Great and Mighty God. I am in full agreement with Donna in her beautiful prayer. Thank you for our free country and bless those that are in such a horrible and sad life in the countries where there is not enough to eat and a good and safe place to live. They are in such poor living conditions that we need to pray for them every day. Help them Father to soon be in a free state in their country and all the trranny gone . Put smiles on their faces and help them to know you if they don’t. Let them feel your love. I pray for churches to take the Love of the Lord over to them on Mission Trips. I pray for the team from the church that I am a member of that is on a Mission Trip right now. Help them to bring many to you, and give them a safe trip back home here. Thank you Father, In Jesus name
July 5th, 2008 at 1:37 am
Thank you Katherine for this reminder that we can Hit the “Reset Button” and God will be right there to reset it with us. There are some things that I can think of that I need to press that ” Reset Button”.
I am impatient sometimes and get too emotional over it. I am in a wheel chair and sometimes it is hard to do something I need to do. Of course I pray and cry out for the Lord to help me, but I know it upsets my husband to see me in that state of mind even though he says he understands.
Larry just quit smoking a few months ago and I would like prayer for him for this additive feeling to soon be gone from his body. I never took up the habit, so I can’t imagine what smokers go through when they are stopping smoking. Thank you, Hannah
July 5th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I loved this devotional, because it helped me remember that yes, we are to repent sometimes of things. It’s easy as Christians to keep going and let little things slide, which kind of build up over time, then can cause bitterness, etc. Thank You God, for reminding us. I hope you are all well. In Jesus’ Amen.
July 5th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
oh yeah, and as I always ask for prayer (why not when you can, but I can use it too), if you can lift-up a prayer that I would stop doubting what God has done in my life. You know how when, it’s been so long a certain way, you sort of get used to things being a certain way, even if it’s not necessarily right or the best for you at the time. Sometimes we are in transition seasons, yet we get so used to being in transition, that when God actually does something else, you sort of doubt and question whether it was God, and are reluctant to move. Some of you might know a bit about my situation before, but I do pray (& ask you to pray for me) that once God does move and do things, that I would not doubt, but do what I’m supposed to and also believe. Also, that I would not be intimidated by others, as sometimes you know people can doubt b/c they think others might still think of them the same way. I pray for courage and change in this area. I feel like God doesn’t want us to stay stuck, but have courage, faith & move on to where we’re supposed to be. May I do this (and you too!) Thank you, God bless.
July 7th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Greetings all! Hope you enjoyed your July 4th Holiday? Being Canadian ours is on July 1st so we’re close together. LOL
Anon, your prayer request has touched my heart and I do pray for you dear sister. As well I was wondering if you enjoy reading for there is an awesome book entitled: Boundaries: When to Say Yes, When to Say No, To Take Control of Your Life. It is written by 2 Christian doctors, Henry Cloud and John Townsend.
It truly helps believers to understand how Christ doesn’t want us to live a life dictated by others; but rather one that is submitted to HIS will and plan and purpose.
Many years ago there was a poster that read:
“God loves you and I have a wonderful plan for your life”
This book is probably the best I’ve ever read to help me to lovingly be able to say no to the plans of others AND it helped me to discover more of my true identity in HIM. I hope you’ll check it out.
Hannah, we smoked for many years. An alcoholic friend of ours told us that giving up alcohol was easier than the cigarettes so keep praying for Larry and I’ll pray for him as well.
Blessings to all! :-)
July 8th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
God will forgive us of all of our confessed sins
July 10th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Andi (and anyone else who prayed for me), thank you so much for your prayers and reaching out through your words. God bless you for taking the time to consider someone else who might be going through things. Thanks for encouraging me.
You know what’s funny is, God seems to keep bringing up the word ‘boundaries,’ (and I know that book!) and I know this, but of course it takes time, and also to work through them and understand what God is specifically saying to me right now, in my life. I do pray for continued answers, wisdom, direction. Thank you again for taking the time to pray for a sister.
God bless all of you!
July 12th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Hello Anon!
It’s the same thing w/me. God was giving me the word ’simple’ in all of it’s variations the past few months. So for you it’s ‘boundaries’ huh?
Five years ago it was the name of the town we were moving to, ‘Acton.’
I did not want to move here but God split the name of the town into its 2 components and HE said to me.
If you will Act ON your hope in me
If you will Act ON your faith in me
If you will Act ON your trust in me
then I WILL Act ON all these things in your life and relationship w/ME and I will bless you as a result.
So I pray for you once again that God will continue to help you to grow and understand thru HIS wisdom the lessons and truths that will come as a result of your walking thru this tuff path w/your eyes, mind and spirit focused upon HIM and HIS ways alone. Amen
HE will let you know when you should read the book.
love Andi