A few weeks ago I wrote about going through the ACTS acronym when praying with my kids. We’ve done it a few times over the past two weeks and it has been a special time of prayer. It takes a long time and I don’t intend to do it every night. They need to be attentive and focused and my two year old needs to be occupied by Daddy. I want to teach them to converse more with their heavenly father, but I don’t want to turn prayer into a long or burdensome process. I have loved hearing their hearts though as they pray about about what is important to them.
The other night we spent some serious time talking about confession. It had been a rough day at the circus. A day were disobedience and meanness abounded. So, I spent time talking about sin. We talked out what they did wrong and their need to confess that sin and ask for forgiveness. We also talked about how the penalty for their sin had already been paid for by Jesus on the cross. Then I had them pray to God about their sins before asking each other for forgiveness.
I thought things went pretty well.
Then my three year old started praying.
“Dear God. Please help make my sister’s heart clean b/c it was really dirty today and she hit me and was unkind. And please God help clean my brothers heart because it is very dirty and he was mean to me and hurt me. Please clean their hearts God. In Jesus name, Amen.”
I know it’s not funny, but I must confess I had to bite my lip as I listened to her pray.
Reminded me of another prayer by a Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14.
Seems she missed the point as she was quick to point out the sin in her siblings hearts, but failed to confess her own sin.
While it’s easy to smirk, I must confess I am often guilty of the same thing. Oh, I don’t pray it aloud as she did. But how often do I look at others and see their wrong doing, yet fail to spend time in confession of my own? How much time do I truly spend contemplating and confessing my sins before my Holy Father? It’s something I plan to spend more time on.
1 John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (emphasis mine)
What are you thinking about this week? Why not use your last post of the week to highlight something a bit "deeper" then the average Momblog fair? I’d love to read your thoughts. Please feel free to write and link up a “thoughtful” post below. You can write a new post or link up one you wrote earlier in the week. Please include a link back to here in your post.
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