Propelled Forward

[Do all that I have commanded…]

It’s time to lift our gaze. May we learn to soar on wings like Eagles, resilient in life’s storms, propelled forward by the Lords hand. Let the “flying lessons” continue.

As a child I loved “dot to dots.” Connecting the dots revealed the entire picture!  As an adult I still enjoy this, I’m just doing it in a different way: meditating on God’s word to reveal His greater plan. Metaphorically speaking, It’s our flight plan.

It would be amazing if we could all fly perfectly on our first attempt. However, there’s so much to learn, thus, wind shear and failing to depend on our Guidance System may cause us to sputter on empty and come in for a crash landing. Sitting close to our our Pilot God and referring to our flight plan (The Holy Scriptures) can help us get back up in the air again.

Confession and Repentance

That being said, when we find ourselves off course we can proceed in the right direction through confessing and repenting.  Being honest can be tough, but sin that’s concealed only holds us in a place where the suffering is far too great.  

“When I kept things to myself, I felt weak deep inside me. I moaned all day long.”

Psalm 32:3 (NCV)

Rejecting Sin

Sin will always ground us. For sin separates us from God.

Therefore, we not only confess our sins, but we also reject them. 

Sin that isn’t rejected isn’t true repentance. Repentance requires a change of heart—a complete turn around. It’s a full surrender to God (our Guidance System.) Whether we’ve stopped moving, or even gone backwards we will receive mercy when we confess and reject our sins.

“If you hide your sins, you will not succeed. If you confess and reject them, you will receive mercy.”

Proverbs 28:13 (NCV)

Powerful and Effective Prayer

The old Scottish saying “Open confession is good for the soul” may mean that confession frees us, but our own confession and repentance can do more than this. It can also free those who don’t know Christ. Not only does it set the example, but it also affects our prayers. Living in unrepentant sin hinders our prayers, but obeying God’s commands makes our prayers powerful and effective. 

“We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but He is ready to hear those who worship Him and do His will.”

John 9:31

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

James 5:16

Forgiveness 

We’re going to struggle in the flesh. Forgiveness may even be your struggle. But God patiently reminds us that unforgiveness is hypocritical. We all have trespassed against each other and God. God is willing to forgive us, but we must be willing to extend the same mercy and grace to each other.

“But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Matthew 6:15

“And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against another, forgive it, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses as well.”

Mark 11:25

Think of Others

I want my prayers to be effective. I want those who I’m praying for to receive the things that I ask for, especially those who still need salvation. This makes obedience of utmost importance to me. Not only because I love God, but because I love my friends and family as well. 

The Bigger Picture

When we connect the dots, we begin to see that as we strive to walk as Jesus walked, humbly submitting to God, and praying for those who don’t know Him, wonderful things can happen.

As we confess and reject our sins, let’s continue to pray for those who’ve gone backwards. Let’s pray for our enemies as well, then more of us can achieve lift off and soar off into the sunset together. ❤ Don’t you love a happy ending?

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“I also gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Do all that I command so that good things will happen to you.  But your ancestors did not listen or pay attention to me. They were stubborn and did whatever their evil hearts wanted. They went backward, not forward.”

Jeremiah 7:23-24 (NCV)

(Photo credit goes to Pixabay user Tama66)