“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” Psalms 51:1 (NIV)
David came to the point of desperation after committing the sins of adultery and murder. God used the prophet Nathan to confront David. Nathan used a parable to personalize David’s sin and then injected the piercing accusatory statement, “You are the man!”
Have you heard these lyrics before? “It’s me! It’s me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer!” Both David and the prodigal son would have embraced this song. It is common throughout our earthly existence to go through seasons of personalization. In fact, if you want to become Christ-like and reach your God-given potential then you must be willing to acknowledge your sin personally.
Personalization is looking into the mirror and confronting the reality of your own sin before you start judging others. The next step is to personalize God’s mercy, unfailing love, and compassion.
Now let’s get personal. What specific area of your life is in desperate need of God’s touch? Identify the sin that entangles you and trace Satan’s strategy. How does the enemy attack you? When are you most susceptible to sin? Where are you when you are most vulnerable to the enemy’s flaming arrows? Is it when you travel? Is it when you are home alone? Is it when you are at work?
Personalize Psalms 51:1 and pray it to God right now. Go ahead and pray this Scripture and see how God reveals his mercy, unfailing love, and compassion.
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Pastor of Leadership and Pastoral Care