After Sinning: What do you do? Psalms 51: 1-19

After David betrayed his solider by committing adultery and impregnating Bathsheba, the psalm of repentance Psalm 51: 1-19 was written.  It was only after the prophet Nathan called out his sin, that David truly went to a place of acknowledging and feeling sorrowful for his sin against God.  He did not finger point to Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband, blaming him for being away at war. He did not blame Bathsheba for be a seductress, exposing herself while bathing or for being lonely. He could have made a million excuses. But David recognized the magnitude of his personal sin. He repented and took the punishment through the death of the conceived child. God is merciful when we humble ourselves, by being sorry and doing better.  You can read 2 Samuel to read the entire story of David’s biggest sin.

What I love about Psalm 51: 1-19, is that it gives us a clear path of what to do when we sin. We are all sinners, as the psalm reminds us of our struggle since birth, as we were all born sinners.  It is clear that we must reach the place of a broken spirit which leads to reconciliation with Abba Daddy.  A broken spirit seems harsh, but our egos, stiff necks and stubbornness can keep us from being good with God.  Shame is not always bad because true acknowledgment, authentic repentance, is key to receiving a spiritual washing or start over. We’ve all had a child or friend half-heartedly apologize. It is worthless and meaningless, doesn’t bring any true assurances. We too must really mean it when we approach God about our sin and backsliding. 

First, I encourage you to open your bible or bible app and read this psalm. I did cut and paste it to the bottom of this post to make it easy. As you read, take notes. Then, compare your notes to the ones I noted from my personal study of the passage this morning. 

Action After Sin: 

1. First, plea with the Father to have mercy on you or _______, reminding God of His unfailing love and compassion. 
2. Ask God through the blood of His Son, Yahshua to blot out the stains of your sin & to wash you clean of guilt 
3. Ask God to completely purify your mind, body and spirit. 
4. Verbally through prayer recognize your rebellion and realize that you sinned against God and God alone. (Although, you may need to make amends through asking for forgiveness on those your sin impacted)
5. Make a list out your evil deeds and evil thought patterns, acknowledge errors in repentance prayer.
6. Ask God to give you a clean heart and a Spirit that is consistently loyal to Him. 
7. Plea with God NOT to take the Holy Spirit from you and realize that rebellion can jeopardize the Holy Spirits role in your life. Protection can be lifted, heavenly parental discipline/punishment activated, and sin opens door for more intense repercussion from Satan.
8. Praise the Father and His Son. Acknowledge what is good, what he has done for you.  (Make a Thankful for list, keep you in a place of gratefulness)
9.  Ask God to give you a BROKEN SPIRIT so that you can clearly see the ERRORS of Your Ways.
10. Ask Him to give you a heart of authentic repentance, true accountability for your actions and ongoing self-analyzation and improvement without finger pointing to others. 
11. Bless His Kingdom in words and actions. 
12. Ask that He activates His path and agenda for your life.
13. Ask Him daily to sustain and strengthen you to live a pleasing righteous life, so that you do not stumble again.

Prayer for Friend or Family Member Trapped in Sin: Say Out Loud. Power in Spoken Word. 

Heavenly Father, you are full of mercy, love and compassion, I ask through the blood of your beloved Son, that you blot out the stains of sin in the life of ___________. Wash the stains of guilt away from him/her.  Father we plea with you to completely purify the mind, body and soul of my (person)

I plea with you to save ______ and to place a broken spirit in the heart of _______, so that he/she will see the error of their ways. Put in them an everlasting loyal spirit, one that praises, worships and finds joy in pleasing you in all things. I declare that ______ will authentically and humbly repent for all the sin done against you and you alone, purifying themselves completely, yet reconciling through action with those impacted. Forgive ____ for _______________.  Don’t take the Holy Spirit from him/her.  But let (him/her) recognize that great loss comes when one abandons your “Way.” Father, activate your Spirit in _________, light the path to purification and activate the higher calling for ____________.  We praise you in advance for the washing, the forgiveness and the complete transformation out of darkness and into the light. 

Not from passage but consider adding this: Fight the unseen battles for ______________. Send the warrior angels to fight the evil that torments, influences or oppresses. Send the spiritual oppressors to the desolate place, never to return again. We also ask that all instruments being used to influence badly, including people will be immediately removed.  With your mighty hand and compassionate heart, purify _____ spiritually so that they are not held back or restrained in any way from complete transformation.

 Psalms 51: 1-19

1Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3For I acknowledge my transgressions: And my sin is ever before me. 4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me. 6Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: And in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8Make me to hear joy and gladness; That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities. 10Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy spirit from me. 12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 16For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: Build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: Then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.