Day 42 – Have Mercy on Me – Psalm 51:1-19
This great psalm is the paradigm for a prayer of confession. We see elements of admission of guilt, all of which ultimately are against God, no matter who is the first one violated: Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. (v 4) What do you need to confess to God?
With confession comes great hope! God’s desire to love us is always present. Through the very actions of Jesus, we know that God’s love is deeper than our own sin. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. (v 1) Ask for forgiveness, knowing the certainty of God’s hesed or steadfast love, which only touches the surface of my favorite Hebrew word means (entire books have been written about the meaning of this word).
Finally the Psalm speaks to transformation. God loves us too much to leave us as we are. So the Psalm speaks to God’s transforming love: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. (v 9) What do you desire God to transform in your life?
Read the prayers of confession we use every week. Note the great care taken in crafting the weekly prayers of confession to follow the pattern of this Psalm: confession of sin, faith in God’s mercy, and a request for transformation.
In Christ,
Randy
Every part of my life needs transformed, not even my best part is worthy of him and his love. lord transform me, all of me, and forgive my final product.when you bring on the rain i know a better me is too come. rap your loveing arms around me Lord. AMEN.
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