Nehemiah 9

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Nehemiah 9:3, They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

As God’s people stood and listened to the Book of the Law, they knew that things needed to change.  After listening to God’s Word, they corporately spent time in confession and worship.  And then, they began to move toward aligning themselves with the law.  This was repentance.

We talked about repentance in worship last Sunday.  It’s when we move away from sin and wrongdoing and move toward God.  When we repent before God, we are saying that we will change.  When we repent of our sin, we cannot go on consciously committing that sin without remorse.  Repentance brings results that affect our behavior. 

When we continue to live in sin, we are short-circuiting God’s power in our life.  Lack of repentance can keep us from thriving and experiencing true awakening.  Sin is like a millstone around our neck as individuals and as a church. 

For what do you need to repent? 

Let’s confess our sin, repent of it, become cleansed and available for the Holy Spirit to fill us and use us. 

Let’s pray…Lord Jesus, Forgive us for the many ways in which we sin against you.  Forgive us for apathy, complacency, cynicism, unforgiveness, laziness, not caring about the lost, gossip, arrogance, selfishness, materialism, and prayerlessness.  Forgive us, Lord Jesus.  Free us for joyful obedience.  Free us and fill us with your Holy Spirit.  Cleanse us, fill us, use us.  In Your Name, Amen.