January 29, 2023

The Prayer of Cleansing

Pastor: Jeff Bedwell Series: Lord, Teach Us to Pray Topic: Forgiveness, Prayer Scripture: Matthew 6:9–13

Lord, Teach Us To Pray 
The Prayer of Cleansing 
Matthew 6:9-13

Guilt is a warning light that tells us something is wrong in our lives and needs to be corrected.

Ineffective Ways We Often Deal With Guilt

  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________
  • _______________

God’s Antidote for Our Guilt: _______________

This petition emphasizes our most urgent spiritual need

The Gospel Foundation Of The Prayer

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 3:23–24, ESV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”  (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

 “And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,” (Romans 4:5, ESV)

 “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” (John 1:12, ESV)

This is the model prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples.  It is intended for those who are genuinely a part of God’s forever family by ___________ through ____________

“Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling” from the hymn Rock of Ages

Two Aspects of God’s Forgiveness

  • ______________ Forgiveness
  • ______________ Forgiveness

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:8–9, ESV)

For a true follower of Christ, our sin does not cause us to lose our relationship, but it does impede our ______________

This Petition Reminds Us:

  • We need ______________________________
  • There is _______________ for forgiveness
  • God is __________________________________

Confess – “to say the same thing as – to agree with”

Genuine Confession:

  • Includes ______________ not just _____________

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV)

  • Is _______________ not just _______________
  • Flows out of _______________

“A legalistic conviction of sin arises from a consideration of God’s justice, but godly repentance flows chiefly from a sense of God’s love.”  Stephen Charnock

A Practical Way To Incorporate This Into Our Daily Time In The Word and Prayer

Read a passage then ask three questions and write out your answers:

_______________—What did you learn about God for which you could praise or thank him? 
_______________—What did you learn about yourself for which you could repent?
_______________—What did you learn about life that you could aspire to, ask for, and act on?

How Do I Experience This Kind Of Forgiveness?

A - _______________ 
B - _______________ 
C - _______________

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1, ESV)

Making It Personal:

  • How will I make spending time in prayer a priority for my life in this New Year?
  • What new perspective did I gain about what it means to ask for forgiveness from God from today’s teaching?
  • How can I apply today’s teaching to my personal prayer life?
  • Focus on prayer as we begin a New Year by working through the book, “21 Days of Breakthrough Prayer”.
  • Who can I share these truths with?

Ready to take your Next Step?

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