Our Daily Need for Repentance

“John said, ‘Change your hearts and lives because the kingdom of heaven is near.’” – Matthew 3:2

Saying and feeling sorry can be very difficult, especially for humans because the Bible says that “a person’s mind is evil (Jeremiah 17:9).” Being sorry is what it takes for God to forgive us. We will need to ask for forgiveness because, “we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23-24).” Repentance is the first step in receiving God’s free gift of salvation. When we confess our sins, “He will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done (1 John 1:9).”

We must truly be sorry and not half-hearted to receive God’s forgiveness. Every day that we are not sorry is detrimental for us. John the Baptist reminds us that, “the kingdom of heaven is near.” We do not know when we will die, or when Jesus will return. Then it will be too late for apologies because all the unrepentant people will perish because Jesus cannot and will not reign over people who cling to their sins (Luke 13:3).

To repent of our sins on a daily basis takes a lot of humility. Who likes to admit they have done something wrong? When we are humble enough to admit that we are wrong and have sinned, God will keep His promise to forgive, restore, and save us (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Prayer of the day:

Dear heavenly Father,

You are the Father of forgiveness. No matter what we do, You are willing to forgive us if we confess our sins and are sorry for what we have done. Help us not to forget to repent every day because Your kingdom is near. We are waiting for that day. It will be the day when we will be set free eternally from sin. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!