Lent 2025 – Prayer of Repentance – Repenting of Rebellion – Purity 1607
Purity 1607 03/15/2025 Purity 1607 Audio Podcast
Purity 1607 on YouTube:
Good morning,
Today’s photo of the setting sun blazing its light over the grasslands and, prayerfully, what will be the last remnants of snow, just off of “Freedom Road,” comes to us from yours truly as I captured this scene during a walk down my favorite “byway” last week.
Well, it’s Saturday, and with the first full week of Lent ending tomorrow, I am here to report that my commitment to my intention to do a “Lenten Supper Fast” (eating on Sundays and Religious Feast Days only) has been temporarily dismantled as I was lured into temptation and compromise on Thursday by work place hospitality (free scones, muffins, and cookies – Oh My!) and the rebellious spirit of my flesh and mind that has, since Thursdays debacle, has declared my step son’s birthday yesterday (Happy Birthday, Benjamin) to be a “Feast Day” of its very own and since the party continues today at our countryside home, I have decided to begin fasting again after St. Patrick’s Day, proving once again that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
However, fasting is a personal decision, after all, so you can make up your own rules and give yourself grace to make exceptions, as needed, but at the same time, too much rationalization and compromise could defeat the purpose behind fasting in the first place – to draw close to God – to depend on Him. If we seek comfort from or relieve ourselves with the things of this world, we are subtly telling God that we need more than Him to sustain us. Refusing to abstain from material things is telling the spiritual things, God, that they don’t matter, that they can’t really meet our needs. And whether we realize it or not when we make this admission, we are admitting that we are addicted to the things we can’t give up.
My food addiction complicates this dilemma because the truth is that I do need food to live. So obviously, I will need to eat to live. But I don’t necessarily have to “live to eat” – meaning that I don’t have to get my pleasure and comfort or maybe even my identity (are you a “foodie”) from the things I eat. Also, there is a difference between eating a healthy diet and eating junk food and there is a difference between eating and overeating.
My failure on Thursday wasn’t triggered by the need to eat nutritious food – it was triggered by that almost irresistible combination of “present”, “free”, “tasty”, “timely” and “socially acceptable” junk food. In my head, I “knew” those foods weren’t good for me or my physical, mental, and spiritual goals, but the food was:
- Present – oh come on – the food is right here – ready for the taking!
- Free – No financial cost to me? It would be economically wise to eat this free food!
- Tasty – whether sweet, salty, or savory – the food looks tasty – so let’s eat!
- Timely – It’s here for a limited time only, and I would normally never do this – so it looks like – now is the time to eat!
- Socially Acceptable – The food was brought by a gracious host for the group. Others are eating. It would be rude to refuse this hospitality and socially awkward to not join the others – few or many – that are eating too. Also – it is a lonely road to travel when you fast, so let’s stop being so extreme and join the others in the “eating world”.
No while these may all seem like logical considerations the truth is that they are only compelling if we are tempted. If our mind is set on saying no to something, none of these “good reasons” would lead us astray. But if we are unsure, weak, or vulnerable in our resolve to resist the devil, he can lead us into temptation and sin.
While the original context of Jesus’ saying “let your yes be yes and your no be no” has to do with the making of vows, it can also apply to our besetting sins – meaning we have to make the commitment to let our “no be no” all the time when it comes to the things we are “giving up” if we want to be free. If we are less than 100% committed to saying “no” all the time, for the rest of time – and leaning on the Lord for help, we will be vulnerable to the world’s, the flesh’s, and the devil’s temptations. If we are less than 100% committed to our freedom, the enemy and our rebellious spirit of the old man will work together to cause us to sin.
Speaking of the spirit of rebellion, recently, we have been walking through the Steps to Freedom in Christ, and today’s prayers to increase our freedom addresses the area of rebellion. (I will offer commentary on the podcast as we walk through these prayers, so I encourage you to watch it on YouTube or listen to it wherever audio podcasts are found – I am also making these prayers available via a PDF download on the blog today: Rebellion ).
Dr. Neil Anderson writes:
Rebellion vs. Submission
We live in a rebellious age. Many people only obey laws and authorities when it is convenient for them. There is a general lack of respect for those in government, and Christians are often as guilty as the rest of society in fostering a critical, rebellious spirit. Certainly, we are not expected to agree with our leaders’ policies that are in violation of Scripture, but we are to “honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king” (1 Peter 2:17).
God established all governing authorities and requires us to be submissive (see Romans 13:1–5; 1 Peter 2:13–17). Rebelling against God and the authorities He has set up is a very serious sin because it gives Satan an opportunity to attack. God requires more, however, than just the outward appearance of submission; He wants us to sincerely submit from the heart to those in authority. It is for your spiritual protection that you live under the authority of God and those He has placed over you.
The Bible makes it clear that we have two main responsibilities toward those in authority over us: to pray for them and to submit to them (see Romans 13:1–7; 1 Timothy 2:1, 2). To commit yourself to that godly lifestyle, pray the following prayer aloud from your heart:
Dear Heavenly Father,
You have said in the Bible that rebellion is the same thing as witchcraft and as bad as idolatry. I know I have not always been submissive, but instead I have rebelled in my heart against You and against those You have placed in authority over me. I pray that You would show me all the ways I have been rebellious. I choose now to adopt a submissive spirit and a servant’s heart. In Jesus’ precious name, amen.
Being under authority is clearly an act of faith! By submitting, you are trusting God to work through His established lines of authority, even when they are harsh or unkind or tell you to do something you don’t want to do. There may be times when those over you abuse their authority and break the laws that are ordained by God for the protection of innocent people. In those cases, you will need to seek help from a higher authority for your protection. The laws in your state may require that such abuse be reported to the police or other governmental agency. If there is continuing abuse (physical, mental, emotional or sexual) where you live, you may need further counseling help to deal with that situation.
If authorities abuse their position by requiring you to break God’s law or compromise your commitment to Him, then you need to obey God rather than man (see Acts 4:19, 20). Be careful though. Don’t assume that an authority is violating God’s Word just because he or she tells you to do something you don’t like. We all need to adopt a humble, submissive spirit to one another in the fear of Christ (see Ephesians 5:21). In addition, however, God has set up specific lines of authority to protect us and to give order to our daily lives.
As you prayerfully look over the next list, allow the Lord to show you any specific ways in which you have been rebellious to authority. Then, using the prayer of confession that follows the list, specifically confess whatever the Lord brings to your mind.
- Civil government including traffic laws, tax laws, attitude toward government officials (see Romans 13:1–7; 1 Timothy 2:1–4; 1 Peter 2:13–17)
- Parents, stepparents or legal guardians (see Ephesians 6:1–3)
- Teachers, coaches, school officials (see Romans 13:1–4)
- Employers (past and present) (see 1 Peter 2:18–23)
- Husband (see 1 Peter 3:1–4) or Wife (see Ephesians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:7) [Note to husbands: Take a moment and ask the Lord if your lack of love for your wife could be fostering a rebellious spirit within her. If so, confess that now as a violation of Ephesians 5:22–33.]
- Church leaders (see Hebrews 13:7)
- God (see Daniel 9:5, 9)
For each way in which the Spirit of God brings to your mind that you have been rebellious, use the following prayer to specifically confess that sin:
Lord, I confess that I have been rebellious toward (name) by (say what you did specifically). Thank You for forgiving my rebellion. I choose now to be submissive and obedient to Your Word. By the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that all ground gained by evil spirits in my life due to my rebellion would be canceled. In Jesus’ name, amen.[1]
You can download these prayers as a free PDF download here: Rebellion vs. Submission
Amen. As disciples of Jesus in the season of Lent, let’s submit to God and resist the devil and all our rebellious ways. If we fail in our intentions, like I did, let’s not give up or go into despair. Let’s look at how we compromised and see what our failure reveals. Mine reveals that I need to be prepared for sudden appearances of food and be steadfast in letting my “no be no” and I need to ask the Lord to help me to change my mind and heart in this area and to see the lies of the enemy and his world system for what they are- lies that lead to sin causing pain, guilt, and shame.
We may fall down but we can get back up. We may stray from the path, but we can get back on it. We may rebel, but we can submit. I pray that these prayers from Dr. Neil Anderson will help you on your walk. God bless.
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For those who want more evidence for Christianity than my simple encouragements provide, I offer apologist, Frank Turek’s website, https://crossexamined.org/.
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Today’s Bible verse comes to us from “The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling” By John G. Kruis.
(While Bible verses on various topics of Counseling can be found with a quick Google search, we encourage you to purchase this resource to support the late author’s work. (The Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling By John G. Kruis on Amazon )
This morning’s meditation verse comes from the section on Loving and Serving Others.
Matthew 7:12 (NLT) Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
Today’s verse falls under the fifteenth point of our counseling reference guide resource’s section on Loving and Serving Others.
15. Follow the golden rule.
Today’s Bible verse presents the “golden rule” – do to others as you would have them do to you – treat others as you would like to be treated.
As selfish human beings who are brought up in a world with a dog-eat-dog mentality, we may struggle mightily in the areas of care and compassion for others. We can be so obsessed with getting our own needs and wants met that we can be totally oblivious or indifferent to the needs of others.
God knows this about us, and so He sends Jesus to show us a different way, and because He is wise and all knowing, He speaks to us in a way we can understand by putting the thing that matters to us most at the center of this simple but profound teaching.
While the suggestion “to do good to others” could be a matter of debate, Jesus silences those questions by putting it in a context that we can understand – ourselves. Do go to others as you would have them do to you. We would want others to be kind and gracious to us, so we, in turn should be kind and gracious to others.
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As always, I invite all to go to mt4christ.com where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk.
Today we continue sharing from “Day by Day Along the Way” By Jay E. Adams.
As always, I share this information for educational purposes and encourage you all to purchase Adams’ books for your own private study and to support the late author’s work. This resource is available online for less than $20 at many sites.
Day 106
May the Lord make your love … increase and abound … – 1 Thessalonians 3:12
How much do you love others? Is your love increasing and freely abounding? Or is it stifled by sinful self-centeredness? Paul’s desire for the church at Thessalonica was no small one; he wanted the best for them, as God also wants the best for you, fellow-believer. But are you willing to settle for too little—for mediocrity when God has so much more for you instead? The ability to love others as you should is yours for the asking. Notice, God is the One who makes love to increase and abound. Therefore, you should seek it from Him. But don’t expect it to come without effort on your part. When you ask, He will surely give you opportunities to learn how to express love that you must not neglect. But don’t expect God to send the answer to your prayer in a package delivered by an angelic UPS delivery truck. It comes gradually as it “increases” day by day. Many want to move from point zero to point one hundred all in one jump. If you are at so low a point, you will have to spend time catching up. But as your love for others increases, it does so at a greater pace as time goes by. Today is the day to begin a forward movement toward the one hundred percent mark.[2]
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[1] Neil T. Anderson, The Steps to Freedom in Christ, ed. Pam Weston and Patti Pennington Virtue, Revised (Gospel Light, 2001), 23–25.
[2] Jay E. Adams, Day by Day along the Way (Cordova, TN: Institute for Nouthetic Studies, 2020), 114.
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