The act of repentance is part of a Christian’s life for the scriptures say that there is no one who is righteous (Romans 3:10). We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That is why we must learn how to repent in order to remain in His presence through Jesus Christ who paid the price for our sins on the cross of Calvary.
Before we knew God, we were living in sin thereby implying that we needed repentance. Now that we know God, we regularly fall prey to sin due to our weak bodies hence in need of repentance. Even the scriptures say that the righteous falls 7 times a day hence in need of repentance. It is true that our spirits are willing to follow God’s ways but we must not forget that every day, we are fighting against our body which is weak.
With all these at hand, we must acknowledge that we are poor sinners in need of repentance through the Blood of Jesus Christ on daily basis. At times we sin without even knowing. And these sins can disrupt our relationships with God. In some cases, they even prevent our prayers from reaching God, that is why we must always start our prayers by asking God to forgive us of our wrong doings.
What is sin?
Before we get into how to ask for forgiveness from God properly, it will be wise to start by pouring more light on the definition of sin. Should in case we are asked what is sin, we’ll say it is anything that we say, think, or do that does not please God neither does it brings glory to his name.
How to ask for forgiveness from God
As Christians who want to remain in a close relationship with God, we must learn to regularly repent and strive to do what is right before God.
1. How to repent: Cultivate humility
Being humble to recognize your faults before God is the first step to repentance. It is possible to lie to yourself and other people but it is not possible to lie to God. He is everywhere and He knows everything. There is just nothing that we can hide from Him. Thus, if we are guilty of wrong doings before Him, we should always acknowledge and be sorry about these wrongs.
2. How to repent: Reflect on the things that you have done wrong
Find some free time and isolate yourself for repentance. Do your best to remember the things you have done that are not in accordance with the Holy will of God. Try to remember every detail as this will help you to gain consciousness of wrong doings and better take precautions to avoid them in the nearby future.
3. How to repent: Desire not to get back to your wrong doings
Although we turn to fall prey to sin on daily basis, we must desire not to do the wrong things over and over. Here, we ought to pray and ask our Heavenly Father to give us the necessary strength in order to stay away from wrong doings.
4. How to repent: Ask God to forgive you
God is your Heavenly Father, talk to Him, confess your sins and beg for His mercy and forgiveness. Let your request for forgiveness come from the bottom of your heart.
5. How to repent: Trust in God for forgiveness
Although God hates sin, He loves us and He is willing to welcome us back to Himself after we have requested for His pardon through Christ. But does this mean that we have to regularly dwell in sin because God will forgive us? I don’t think this is what we are trying to say here, rather we are saying that you must be deeply sorry for your wrongdoings and desire not to get back to them. And when you ask for forgiveness from God, trust in His forgiveness and ability to help you in living a better life.
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