PRAYING

...and not hiding!

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God (Genesis 3:8).

God, why do we remain so silent when opportunities for repentance are offered since we know that it is the gateway to change? Deep inside, we all know at some level of our lives change is needed. Why do we so resist it? Are we tired of trying to change? Are we fearful of what change will bring? Are we still thinking that we must produce the change out of works, still failing to grasp the empowerment of Your dynamic grace? Tagically, the lack of repentance leaves us in hiding. Some among us have hidden so much for so long they no longer know which is the authentic self - the Christian they pretend to be or the person they are in the dark. Give us the courage to rid ourselves of our Christian masks. The duplicity is so exhausting. The harmless charade is not so harmless. How can we think we can hide from You? Your piercing eyes see through us, like lasers. You know everything about us. You not only see beyond our masks, You see the way we sometimes screen off our hearts to create private places for unclean things. Today, we ask for strength to end the game. To come before You to say, "I can't live this Christian life! I am not perfect and I am tired of pretending. I don't not want to be what I was before You found me. Have mercy on me. Live in me. Live through me. Grant me the humility to acknowledge my sinful ways, and the tenacity by grace to refuse to give in to them. I can't do it myself. Change me!" Amen.