Day 9 – Lord, Cleanse Me
When I take an honest soul check before God, I often notice again that I need cleansing from my sins: Things I’ve done or left undone. Things I’ve said intentionally or unintentionally. Things compared with God’s holiness that appear as glaring failures or as careless neglectfulness.
Scripture tells me that my prayers will not be answered if I retain sin in my life (Psalm 66:18). God cannot look upon my sins with favor or approval. I can only stand before a holy God when I’m clean on the inside.
I can identify with David’s prayer: “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2).
A “Lord, cleanse me” prayer sets me in a right relationship with God again. While sin crushes my whole being, forgiveness releases my whole being. Praise God, the blood of Jesus purifies me from every sin (1 John 1:7).
Furthermore, as I do that honest soul check before God, I often realize that it’s not just specific sins for which I need cleansing. It’s deeper issues of my soul that confront me.
Like Mark Twain said, “We’re all like the moon, we have a dark side we don’t want anyone to see.”
When I’m at my best, I display the redeemed qualities of my authentic self, the way God intended me to be. All the things I celebrate for God’s work of grace in me – a healthy me.
When I’m at my worst, I reveal the unredeemed qualities of my base self, the dark side of my fallen humanity. All the things I would rather not admit – an unhealthy me.
Not only do I need cleansing from sins, I need to take a fresh trip to the cross and die out to my self-centered nature.
My heart is deceitful, and I can deceive myself (Jeremiah 17:9). I want what I want when I want it. The good I want to do, I don’t do. The bad I don’t want to do, I do (Romans 7:15-20).
It’s something more than specific sins I struggle with. It’s me – my fallen humanity – aspects of who I am that are fundamentally distorted and need correction or healing. “Lord, cleanse me.”
Gratefully, the promise for cleansing goes deeper than specific sins. God says, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols” (Ezekiel 36:25). Even the deeper issues of my soul get a deep clean from God.
Prayer: “Lord, cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).
~ Pastor Dave
