Nov 28

Nov 28 Mercy Paves the Way to Repentance (Free 5x7 Printable Included!)

Annalisa V. Sawtell

Mercy Paves the Way to Repentance

For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.

2 Chronicles 30:9 NIV

Greetings! Let’s just cut to the chase, shall we?

I’m here to wage war on the misunderstanding of a beautiful word: repentance.

Is it just me or does this word get a bad rap sometimes?! Like it sounds harsh or intense or something? This word can conjure up images of angry men on the sidewalk shouting at people. Fire… brimstone… the whole nine yards.

I’m here to fight that imagery because the good, good truth is that repentance goes hand-in-hand with the lavish mercies of God.

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Repentance is the step that comes right before forgiveness, life transformation, victory, refreshment, and peace. (Luke 24:47, Acts 3:19, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Isaiah 30:15)

Repentance is diabolically opposed by the Enemy who hates you.

Repentance is a gift from a gracious God—who is for you.

Repentance is an act that produces fruit in your life and will be for your spiritual benefit!

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Now, just because repentance is so good for our souls, doesn’t mean it’s always easy. This intentional work requires time, thought, energy, and most of all—our very heart.

We aren’t able to just mozy our way through repentance. Polishing up the outside of our life without doing the hard work of digging deep would leave us with a pharisaical faux-faith that produces no fruit and robs us of any real life-change. (Matthew 23:24-26)

For us to bring our hearts into the process of repentance (or turning from our sin to the good ways of God), it’s crucial to remember just who this God is that we’re turning to; he is kind, merciful, and compassionate.

Remembering God’s mercy vitalizes our repentance and energizes us to embrace his ways in our life.

God has communicated this truth to us in so many beautiful pieces of scripture, but also (and ultimately!) by sending us his very own son. In giving us Jesus—while we were still completely tarnished by sin—God communicated that it’s our salvation he’s after. It’s our good that he’s for. It’s our very lives he longs to save. (Romans 5:8)

In the process of repentance, may we remember that God isn’t looking to shame us or condemn us. In fact, he has taken great lengths that we wouldn’t be condemned. It was in his abundance of grace that he chose to give us Jesus—according to his good pleasure—that we might escape the darkness of sin and shame. He is a God who longs for salvation, not condemnation. (Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:16-17, 2 Peter 3:9, Psalm 34:5)

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 NIV

Knowing the goodness of God can encourage our hearts to take hold of his ways in every area of our life, and actively turn from the sin that destroys.

And if you find yourself confused at where to embark on this part of your spiritual journey, that’s okay, too. God has compassion for our confusion. He sees our hearts to follow him, and he hears us when we come to him seeking his will. He is generous and willing to give wisdom and guidance to the one who asks. (Psalm 145:8-9, James 1:5)

After all, leaving us in unrepentance wouldn’t be love. Sin’s killer! Sin opposes the good and life-giving ways of God. Repentance is a rescue, not a punishment!

It really helps me to remember these things in my own prayer life. If I’m being honest, I can tend to live like God is angry towards me; when the topic of my own sin and shortcomings come up, feelings of shame and anxiety can be quick to follow.

Being intentional to remind myself of God’s character and kindness is a lifeline as I seek to take hold of God’s forgiveness and weed out harmful patterns in my life.

In case it’s helpful for you too, I’ve written up seven beautiful truths that help set the tone in my own prayer life. Of course, these aren’t magic formulas or hard-and-fast scripts, but simply lovely truths found in Scripture to help to remind us of the good and merciful God we can freely approach in times of repentance. (Hebrews 4:16)

I pray this collection of truths bring joy and peace to your heart, and allows you to experience the fruit that comes from a lifestyle of repentance—for your own good and for the glory of our sweet King.

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Seven Prayers to Posture Your Heart for Repentance:

I know you hear me when I come seeking your will. (1 John 5:14)
I know you are compassionate and full of mercy. (Psalm 103:8)
I know you don’t turn away the one who comes to you. (John 6:37)
I know you give wisdom to the one who asks. (James 1:5)
I know you have goodwill towards me and that you love me. (Ephesians 1:3-6)
I know that seeking you with earnestness brings reward. (Hebrews 11:6)
I know that continuing in repentance will produce fruit in my life. (Matthew 3:8)

(Download the free 5x7 printable of these prayers here.)

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Let’s sing it once more: it was the love and mercy of God that caused him to send Christ himself to atone for our wrongdoings. He is our saving help, not our accuser! As we repent, may we claim that freedom and forgiveness in every area of our life that sin has tried to wrongfully make its home and wreak havoc.

We are God’s beloved children; may we accept the invitation to bring every ounce of ourselves under the Lord’s rule and reign as we remember his loving and merciful heart towards us.