Fellow Christian, have you really repented?
I want to do 2 things here. First is to explain why I use Ho'oponopono in the book, and secondly I want to get you into the proper mind frame when you pray as you repent.
What I like about Ho'o... is how the prayer is one of efficiency and directness. It actually is a true prayer of repentance. It accomplishes it in 4 tasks.
"I'm sorry." I think this is one that you really have to feel in order for it to work. Let's face it, we are not always the best people when it comes to others. We rub certain people the wrong way, and it's like we are the superhero who has a mortal enemy. We have failures that only we know about and don't tell others. When you say you're sorry, you're going to have to really mean it. There won't be any kind of response or feel like it has taken effect, until you truly mean what you are saying. If you do it right, you should feel something.
In the book, I said it's not a prayer to yourself. However, you are trying to get yourself to where you would rather be, then yes, you're going to get yourself to believe it.
"Please forgive me." Did you know that you will never get anything you want until you ask for it? What is really interesting about this phrase is you are sending this message out to everyone, and even beings above and below.
"I love you." This can be harder than saying 'I'm sorry'. The hardest person to love is yourself. However, when you have finally learned to love yourself, then it starts emitting outward, and soon you'll just want to throw a pink blanket of comfort around everyone.
"Thank you." Gratitude is easier, but you have to know that it's not a conditional state, but a constant state of being. At all time, and in all things, I am now grateful.
If you did something wrong and wanted to wholeheartedly restore the relationship between you and someone, you'd probably says these 4 things as well. The point being made here, is that if you are trying to get the message across as to who you are, you need to say it.
Alright, with that in mind, I wanted to show you something when it comes to prayers of repentance. You probably know this as the sinner's prayer. Different organizations have come up with their own versions of this, but when we look for the 4 things that we would need to do to repent, we find them lacking.
I think it's a bit shocking.
From Wikipedia: Entry on Sinner's Prayer
Forgiveness, check. Sorry, Love and Thanks, not present.
"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be." - CRU (formerly Campus Crusade)
What I like about Ho'o... is how the prayer is one of efficiency and directness. It actually is a true prayer of repentance. It accomplishes it in 4 tasks.
"I'm sorry." I think this is one that you really have to feel in order for it to work. Let's face it, we are not always the best people when it comes to others. We rub certain people the wrong way, and it's like we are the superhero who has a mortal enemy. We have failures that only we know about and don't tell others. When you say you're sorry, you're going to have to really mean it. There won't be any kind of response or feel like it has taken effect, until you truly mean what you are saying. If you do it right, you should feel something.
In the book, I said it's not a prayer to yourself. However, you are trying to get yourself to where you would rather be, then yes, you're going to get yourself to believe it.
"Please forgive me." Did you know that you will never get anything you want until you ask for it? What is really interesting about this phrase is you are sending this message out to everyone, and even beings above and below.
"I love you." This can be harder than saying 'I'm sorry'. The hardest person to love is yourself. However, when you have finally learned to love yourself, then it starts emitting outward, and soon you'll just want to throw a pink blanket of comfort around everyone.
"Thank you." Gratitude is easier, but you have to know that it's not a conditional state, but a constant state of being. At all time, and in all things, I am now grateful.
If you did something wrong and wanted to wholeheartedly restore the relationship between you and someone, you'd probably says these 4 things as well. The point being made here, is that if you are trying to get the message across as to who you are, you need to say it.
Alright, with that in mind, I wanted to show you something when it comes to prayers of repentance. You probably know this as the sinner's prayer. Different organizations have come up with their own versions of this, but when we look for the 4 things that we would need to do to repent, we find them lacking.
I think it's a bit shocking.
From Wikipedia: Entry on Sinner's Prayer
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen" - From Billy Graham
"Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be." - CRU (formerly Campus Crusade)
Thank you, check. Sorry, Forgiveness, and Love, not present.
"God our Father, I believe that out of Your infinite love You have created me. In a thousand ways I have shunned Your love. I repent of each and every one of my sins. Please forgive me. Thank You for sending Your Son to die for me, to save me from eternal death. I choose this day to enter into (renew my) covenant with You and to place Jesus at the center of my heart. I surrender to Him as Lord over my whole life. I ask You now to flood my soul with the gift of the Holy Spirit so that my life may be transformed. Give me the grace and courage to live as a disciple in Your Church for the rest of my days. In Jesus name I pray Amen." - St Paul Street Evangelization
"God our Father, I believe that out of Your infinite love You have created me. In a thousand ways I have shunned Your love. I repent of each and every one of my sins. Please forgive me. Thank You for sending Your Son to die for me, to save me from eternal death. I choose this day to enter into (renew my) covenant with You and to place Jesus at the center of my heart. I surrender to Him as Lord over my whole life. I ask You now to flood my soul with the gift of the Holy Spirit so that my life may be transformed. Give me the grace and courage to live as a disciple in Your Church for the rest of my days. In Jesus name I pray Amen." - St Paul Street Evangelization
Forgiveness, check, Thanks, check. Sorry and Love, not present.
You starting to see the problem here?
From www.crosswalk.com
Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your words are true. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior. Amen. - Dr. Ray Pritchard
You starting to see the problem here?
From www.crosswalk.com
Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear you knocking. By faith I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your words are true. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior. Amen. - Dr. Ray Pritchard
Thanks, check. Sorry, Forgiveness and Love, not present.
Sinner's prayer from Psalm 51
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your unfailing love;
according to Your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in Your sight,
so that You are proved right when You speak
and justified when You judge.
Surely I have been a sinner from birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me…
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me and I will be whiter than snow…
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from Your presence
or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
Then will I teach transgressors Your ways,
and sinners will turn back to You.
according to Your unfailing love;
according to Your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in Your sight,
so that You are proved right when You speak
and justified when You judge.
Surely I have been a sinner from birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me…
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me and I will be whiter than snow…
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from Your presence
or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
Then will I teach transgressors Your ways,
and sinners will turn back to You.
Sorry, Forgiveness, Thankfulness and Love are not present?
"Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and there is nothing that I can do to save myself. I confess my complete helplessness to forgive my own sin or to work my way to heaven. At this moment I trust Christ alone as the One who bore my sin when He died on the cross. I believe that He did all that will ever be necessary for me to stand in your holy presence. I thank you that Christ was raised from the dead as a guarantee of my own resurrection. As best as I can, I now transfer my trust to Him. I am grateful that He has promised to receive me despite my many sins and failures. Father, I take you at your word. I thank you that I can face death now that you are my Savior. Thank you for the assurance that you will walk with me through the deep valley. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen." John Barnett
"Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and there is nothing that I can do to save myself. I confess my complete helplessness to forgive my own sin or to work my way to heaven. At this moment I trust Christ alone as the One who bore my sin when He died on the cross. I believe that He did all that will ever be necessary for me to stand in your holy presence. I thank you that Christ was raised from the dead as a guarantee of my own resurrection. As best as I can, I now transfer my trust to Him. I am grateful that He has promised to receive me despite my many sins and failures. Father, I take you at your word. I thank you that I can face death now that you are my Savior. Thank you for the assurance that you will walk with me through the deep valley. Thank you for hearing this prayer. In Jesus’ Name. Amen." John Barnett
Thankfulness, check. Sorry, Forgiveness and Love, not present.
So, Jesus is called the man of sorrows, and none of these prayers show sorrow? You're not sorry for your sins? "There is none that doeth good. No. Not one." What is your reason for not being repentant? You think you're better than all the rest of us or something? Did you miss God's commandment and testament of repentance being the key to heaven? We were told by a man who is referred to as the man of sorrows!
So, Jesus is called the man of sorrows, and none of these prayers show sorrow? You're not sorry for your sins? "There is none that doeth good. No. Not one." What is your reason for not being repentant? You think you're better than all the rest of us or something? Did you miss God's commandment and testament of repentance being the key to heaven? We were told by a man who is referred to as the man of sorrows!
Why would you also not want to be forgiven? "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be open to you." If you didn't say it, you didn't want it.
Where is the love? Is there really any love in you? Do you even admire the creation of nature? To truly love is to turn the output of love all the way to 100. It comes from within you. It spreads from there, into the infinite reaches of this and every possible reality and returns back to you.
Thankfulness, is an expression of Love, but it comes from a different place. Where love is one of a soul nature, thankfulness is one of intelligence. The heart and mind, if you will.
Fellow Christian, have you really repented?
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