“神啊,求你为我造清洁的心,使我里面重新有正直的灵。不要丢弃我,使我离开你的面。不要从我收回你的圣灵。” - 诗 51:10-11
我们在向神祷告时偶尔会使用华丽的词语,我们或许试图给人留下一个好印象。但还有些时候,我们在祷告中是直接和毫无遮掩的,以破碎的心承认我们的罪,因为我们知道自己得罪了神。
《诗篇》51篇是一个直接了当的、诚实的祷告。诗人把罪描述为他生命中的一个大污点。他知道自己所犯的罪糟蹋了他生命的美。罪是对神的冒犯,它需要被洗净。
罪会玷污一个人的生命,而神有能力将这个生命重新擦拭干净。诗人祈求宽恕,请求神洁净他,使他的生命重焕美丽。真诚的认罪之所以可能,因为我们相信神必会垂听并饶恕。
因着耶稣在十字架上向我们显明的恩典,我们也能以毫无遮掩的诚实向神祷告,承认我们罪的污点,请求神再次赐予我们清洁的心。神应许要洁净我们,使我们重新变得美丽。神应许带走我们的罪孽和羞耻,更新我们的灵。我们诚实的忏悔会迎来神信实的恩典和爱。
祷告
神啊,我需要你的赦免。我若诚实,就知道我犯罪得罪了你。藉着你的恩典和爱,请除去我的罪,使我恢复美丽和完全。奉耶稣的名,阿们。
诗篇 51:1-12
1神啊,求你按你的慈爱怜恤我,按你丰盛的慈悲涂抹我的过犯!
2求你将我的罪孽洗除净尽,并洁除我的罪!
3因为我知道我的过犯,我的罪常在我面前。
4我向你犯罪,唯独得罪了你,在你眼前行了这恶,以致你责备我的时候显为公义,判断我的时候显为清正。
5我是在罪孽里生的,在我母亲怀胎的时候就有了罪。
6你所喜爱的是内里诚实,你在我隐密处必使我得智慧。
7求你用牛膝草洁净我,我就干净;求你洗涤我,我就比雪更白。
8求你使我得听欢喜快乐的声音,使你所压伤的骨头可以踊跃。
9求你掩面不看我的罪,涂抹我一切的罪孽。
10神啊,求你为我造清洁的心,使我里面重新有正直的灵。
11不要丢弃我,使我离开你的面,不要从我收回你的圣灵。
12求你使我仍得救恩之乐,赐我乐意的灵扶持我。<
God Cleanses
"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me." - Psalm 51:10-11
Sometimes we use fancy language in our prayers to God. It can sound as if we are trying to make a good impression. Other times, though, we are direct and brutally honest in our prayers, confessing our sin with a broken heart because we know we have failed.
Psalm 51 is a brutally honest prayer. The psalmist describes sin as a great stain on his life. He knows that the sin he has done messes up the beauty of his life. Sin is offensive to God, and it needs to be washed away.
Just as surely as sin stains a person's life, God has the power to wipe that life clean again. The psalmist prays for forgiveness, asking God to cleanse him and make his life beautiful again. The honesty of the confession is possible because of the trust that God will hear and forgive.
Because of the grace of Jesus shown to us on the cross, we can also pray to God with brutal honesty, confessing the stain of our sin and asking God to give us pure hearts again. God promises to cleanse us and make us beautiful again. God promises to take away our guilt and shame and to renew our spirits. Our honest confession is met with God's faithful grace and love.
Prayer
God, I need your forgiveness. When I'm honest, I know that I have sinned against you. By your grace and love, take away my sin and restore me to beauty and wholeness. In Jesus' name, Amen.