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A Prayer for Forgiveness
Psalm 51:1-13
Good News Translation (GNT)
"Hebrew Title:
A psalm by David,
after the prophet Nathan
had spoken to him about his
adultery with Bathsheba.
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1 Be merciful to me, O God, because of your
constant love. Because of your great mercy
wipe away my sins!
2 Wash away all my evil and make me clean
from my sin!
3 I recognize my faults; I am always conscious
of my sins.
4 I have sinned against you - only against you -
and done what you consider evil. So you are
right in judging me; you are justified
in condemning me.
5 I have been evil from the day I was born;
from the time I was conceived, I have been
sinful.
6 Sincerity and truth are what you require; fill my
mind with your wisdom.
7 Remove my sin, and I will be clean; wash me,
and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear the sounds of joy and gladness;
and though you have crushed me and broken
me, I will be happy once again.
9 Close your eyes to my sins and wipe out all
my evil.
10 Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a
new and loyal spirit in me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence; do not
take your holy spirit away from me.
12 Give me again the joy that comes from your
salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
13 Then I will teach sinners your commands, and
they will turn back to you.
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Taken from 'word-on-the-web' supplied by
Scripture Union
A Prayer for Forgiveness
Psalm 51:1-13
The psalm is given the setting
of David's response to being confronted by the prophet
Nathan about his adultery with Bathsheba.
The shock produces ready repentance in David. Many of us will be
familiar with the journey he takes. He moves from full acknowledgement
of his sin to pleading for forgiveness and cleansing.
As I read the psalms in my daily devotions I hesitate
when I come to this psalm.
It is confronting to know I need to pray its confession regularly
even though I have not followed in King David's path,
but I also experience the overwhelming relief that confession and
forgiveness bring and long for the kind of restoration the psalmist
prays for which keeps open the door to unfettered fellowship with God.
What saves us is Jesus' cross, resurrection and ascension - all three.
Hebrews calls this looking to Jesus, the one who has opened the way
to God and continues to intercede for us.
God's grace enables the forgiven sinner to find acceptance and
strength to live differently. Hebrews warns us that we need
this promise of a way back to fullness of life.
Old Testament stories of the peoples' joy after public
acknowledgement of sin show the power of recognising
when people are hurting in our communities and then doing
something about it.
We can also be reminded that even apparently 'private sins'
interfere with all relationships. This is obvious for the 'bigger'
David sins: murder impacts the extended family of the one killed;
adultery robs children of a secure family life because the community
is weakened when God's guidelines for moral living are undermined.
The same applies to the 'lesser' sins of jostling for power, backbiting
and favouritism that can undermine a church.
Father forgive and restore us!
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