{"id":3941,"date":"2017-07-17T12:27:54","date_gmt":"2017-07-17T16:27:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/?p=3941"},"modified":"2017-07-17T12:27:54","modified_gmt":"2017-07-17T16:27:54","slug":"prayer-grace-forget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/2017\/07\/prayer-grace-forget.html","title":{"rendered":"A Prayer for Grace to Forget"},"content":{"rendered":"

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"12756271993_0c12fbeb37_z\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Coulda, shoulda, woulda\u2026 Those words (though they aren\u2019t real words) plague us often. Certainly our regrets can be valid, and we would very much like to go back and re-do errors in our past. But the fact is we cannot.<\/p>\n

We can\u2019t undo what has been done. So do we just make the most of it? That\u2019s one approach, but Jesus provided a much better one:<\/p>\n

Repent and believe the good news.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The art of repentance is twofold. First is it recognizing where we missed the mark, acknowledging and owning precisely where we were at fault. It is as though we plead guilty in God\u2019s court for a specific crime. The devil accuses us, we go before the Judge, and in some cases, we have to acknowledge that the accusations are valid. We\u2019ve messed up. Blown it. Done the wrong thing at the wrong time. Or the right thing at the wrong time. Or didn\u2019t do what we were called upon to do\u2026 Sins of commission and omission.<\/p>\n

But repentance is a good deal more than just being or saying sorry. The second step of repentance is a heart and mind alteration. We literally ask the Lord for a renewed mind that won\u2019t get us in the trouble we find\u00a0ourselves in presently.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the beauty behind repentance begins: we reach forward to believe the Good News. What is that good news? That Jesus absorbed all our \u201cstuff\u201d on the cross, he paid not only the fine I accrued through my sin, but he took the sin itself so that from God\u2019s perspective my slate, my record, is totally wiped clean.<\/p>\n

God is so good.<\/p>\n

Once we have repented and believed the Good News \u2013 the news that our sins are forgiven and wiped away \u2013 what\u2019s next? Move forward! Lesson number one in driving a vehicle is keep your eyes on the road ahead of you. If we over-focus on the rear view mirror, we will miss what is in front of us and find ourselves in even more pain and trouble. As difficult as it is to forget our sin, we are told to focus instead on the path God has marked out for us, our destiny and purpose in Him.<\/p>\n

Feeling stuck in the past and regret? Pray this plain and simple prayer with us today.<\/p>\n

Our Father,<\/em><\/p>\n

May Your name be praised! You have made a way for me to be forgiven. Jesus took all my sin upon Himself, and I get to go free.<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not fair. It\u2019s not just. It\u2019s just grace.<\/em><\/p>\n

I throw myself at Your mercy today for all You have done for me and all You have won. You have cleared the path of my rubble and given me a second chance at a strong new start on life.<\/em><\/p>\n

Upon repenting of my sin, I choose to believe the Good News. That news declares that I can change bad habits and sinful patterns through Your power at work in my heart and mind and soul.<\/em><\/p>\n

I choose to leave the past in Your dumpster, and pick up where I left off, only this time hand-in-hand with the One who loves me! The only One who can help me! The One who will never leave me or forsake me.<\/em><\/p>\n

The One who forgave me!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Holy Spirit, be my constant guide, dearest friend, closest confidant, truest companion, my source of strength, and all the supply of grace I need to overcome the enemy\u2019s temptations and accusations.<\/em><\/p>\n

I choose to forget what\u2019s behind me and reach forward to You, with You! Pressing ever onward to the prize for which You have called me.<\/em><\/p>\n

I love You. I celebrate Your grace at work in my life today. This is truly the Good News and it’s the Best News!<\/em><\/p>\n

In Jesus\u2019 Name,<\/em>
\nAmen!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photo credit:\u00a0Darron Birgenheier<\/a>\u00a0via\u00a0Foter.com<\/a>\u00a0\/\u00a0CC BY-SA<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. (Philippians 3:13) Coulda, shoulda, woulda\u2026 Those words (though they aren\u2019t real words) plague us often. Certainly our regrets can be valid, and we would very much like to go back and re-do errors in our past. But the fact…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":478,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,15,9,7,4,25,3,1],"tags":[142,2147,2148,2149,343],"class_list":["post-3941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bible","category-bible-prayer","category-breaking-news","category-daily-prayer","category-god","category-jesus","category-prayer","category-uncategorized","tag-fear","tag-fear-of-future","tag-fear-of-past","tag-living-in-the-past","tag-regret"],"yoast_head":"\nA Prayer for Grace to Forget<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/prayerplainandsimple\/2017\/07\/prayer-grace-forget.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Prayer for Grace to Forget\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. 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