Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. -Psalm 68:19 (NIV)
Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you. -1 Peter 5:7
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
In the ACTS prayer model, which covers the essential elements of prayer (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication), confession of sin is necessary to lighten our souls and cleanse them before coming to God with any petitions.
Imagine your sins and burdens as physical luggage
It helps me when I come to the Father and picture myself unloading physical burdens and loads I’ve been carrying on my back. I think of them sometimes as bricks that I take out of a heavy sack or backpack, and I lay them on the ground before me. And with each one I pray up, my load on my back is that much lighter. When I’m done, I’m unencumbered by the sins and burdens I’ve been carrying around in my own strength. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for making it possible to go directly to the Father!
Remember that each of us is a living work in Christ. Yes, we all fall short (Romans 3:23), and He always loves us through it all. He’s not done with us yet. This is a journey toward Christlikeness, climbs, stumbles, mountaintops, valleys, and all. And we have the very best guide and companion in Christ the entire way.
This Our Daily Bread video on redemption shows what it feels like to put down the burden of sin and follow Christ.
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