PERSONAL JOURNAL:
SIN ( Luke 15:7, 10 ): Father, You talk so much about the repentant sinner being far more celebrated to You that the righteous man. I must confess, that although I have been confessing my sins to You through my journals and even often in prayer, that they have not been the more long-term sins that I’ve been trying to deal with on my own. I’ve dug into a depressive mindset every so often when my wife is going through things and instead of working through them or sharing, I just do nothing and allow my flesh and the enemy to control me. I’ve tried to do this life my way at times, thinking if I just do “this” it’d bring her joy and happiness, but then I fail to do those things. I feel like I’ve failed as a husband and spiritual leader of this home and I am so lost right now. Please help me, Father, to move forward in Your truth for me. Please forgive me for losing my way in this life according to Your will for me for so long. Help me to get back on track in not only the freedom You offer in this life from the craziness that the enemy can bring into my head, but also to get back on track to who You say I am and not who anybody else, especially the enemy and my flesh, says I am.
PROMISE ( Luke 15:32 ): Your promise to me today is that no matter what I do in this life to become lost, You are always there with open arms to celebrate my return to being alive in You again. I have had so many failures in this life, many of which have caused tremendous pain to others, especially my wife. In this, however, I have found that since I’m come to faith that none of those mistakes define who I truly am in Your eyes. Thank You for this amazing promise of redemption and love.
ATTITUDE ( Luke 15:7, 10 ): Just as You are harping on in this verses, I need to get better at truly embracing and living in an attitude of repentance. I have not been even remotely close to this in my life since coming to faith. I know You’ve been very gracious with me, but I feel my next big step is to truly live in real and honest repentance, which I have not been faithful to. Please continue to remind me of this, Father, so that I may truly embrace a heart of repentance in this life.
COMMAND ( Luke 15:7, 10, 18-19, 32 ): I feel all of these verses combined tell me exactly what Your command is today—embrace a heart of repentance and celebrate the healing and revival! WOW!
EXAMPLE ( Luke 15 ): This entire chapter is such a great example to live by as a whole, Father. I need to walk in repentance, but I also need to always be ready to celebrate the lost being found. I need to celebrate the convictions of my heart, but also act on them so that when I am lost I can also be found, just like the sheep, the coin, and the lost son in these parables. Thank You so much for such a powerful example, Father.
*DAILY NOTE: As always, Father, thank You so much for such a short but very powerful time in Your word today. Thank You for the truth being spoken into me from You as well as through other god-focused men by You. I would not be able to handle nor get through my current struggles in this life or any struggles, really, the way I should and have without what You’ve brought into my heart and into my life. Thank You.
EXPAND TO READ: GENERAL NOTE FOR MY QUIET TIMES
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