Asking God to forgive and forget our sins from the past because of His compassion and lovingkindness (Ps. 25:6-7, 10-11): “Remember Your mercies, O Lord, and Your lovingkindness, for they are from old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to Your lovingkindness remember me, on account of Your goodness, O Lord. All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth, for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.” Loving Lord, how amazed I am each day for Your kind and generous provision of Jesus, who gave up His very life to allow my sins to be washed away.
Petition the Lord for deliverance:
- From the evil intentions of others (v. 15): “My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He will lead my feet away from the net.”
- From loneliness and affliction (v. 16): “Turn to me, and be gracious to me, for I am isolated and afflicted.”
- From trouble and distress of the heart (v. 17): “The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.”
- From the sins that have caused the pain and misery (v. 18) “Look on my pain and misery, and forgive all my sins.”
One last prayer of deliverance returns yet again to the soul, the place where my Psalm 25 journey began is also the place where it ends. In order to continually lift our souls to the Lord, we must ask God to guard our souls, for our mind, will and emotions can be our undoing apart from His help:
“Watch over my life, and deliver me! Let me not suffer shame, for I seek refuge in You. Truth and integrity will preserve me while I wait for You. (Ps. 25:20-21).
The evil that so strongly attempts to waylay us can only be thwarted by the power of the Holy Spirit moving upon our souls. We must wait upon the Lord and continually seek Him so that He may preserve us with integrity and uprightness.
*If you would like a very good, succinct explanation of the relationship between body, soul and spirit, click here for an excellent excerpt from the writings of Watchman Nee. {eoa}
© Harvest Prayer Ministries, 2016. Kim Butts is co-founder of Harvest Prayer Ministries and author of The Praying Family.