Joyful Expectation - Church Prayer Leaders Network

An Unlikely Key to Finding Joy in Prayer

By Pierre Eade

Is it possible to experience a refreshing joy in prayer? I am convinced that our times with the Lord are always meant to be exuberantly joyful. Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

One of the greatest keys to the joy available to every believer is a word not typically associated with joy but with the exact opposite. And that’s where the problem lies.

This word, put into action, contains the power of overwhelming joy for the believer. But many have sabotaged the word, making us feel it will actually bring us greater misery! One day, however, God helped me see this ancient practice from a different vantage point.

Drum Roll, Please!

What is this one mystical, powerful, ancient word and practice that can provide us with greater joy than we may have today? It’s repentance.

Wait! Don’t run off quite yet. Don’t turn the page to a different article. Don’t put down the magazine and pick up the remote control. Hang with me for a moment so I can explain why this one aspect of our prayer life has gotten such a bad rap.

First, when many of us think of repentance, we think about all the bad things we have done. Who wants to talk about their “stuff”—to a human or to God? We all have issues, hang-ups, faults, and weaknesses. And if we want to be downright biblical, we can call them sins. We become uncomfortable talking about our sins to anyone—God, spouse, kids, friends.

Second, for me, anytime I start thinking about my own misgivings, two nasty little gremlins tend to pop up: guilt and shame.

The voice of guilt says, “You have done something bad” or “You have not done enough good.”
The voice of shame says, “You are something bad.”

In either case, it is bad news, not good news. Guilt focuses on what I have done wrong, and shame focuses on who I am as a person.

So it’s common to avoid confession in prayer unless it becomes absolutely necessary—like when we’ve had one of those really bad slam-a-door, lay-on–your-horn, pull-out-your-hair (or wanting to pull out someone else’s) type of days. Confession requires talking about the things that cause guilt and shame. It feels like being sent to the principal’s office. Unless forced to go there, we avoid that place!

Changed Perspective

Several years ago my view of repentance began to change as I studied the words of Jesus in order to answer this question: What does Jesus have to say about the nature of God the Father?

This simple inquiry led me to start a Bible study at our church. The things I learned about the nature of the Father, through Jesus, revolutionized my understanding so much that I wrote a book titled, Our Good Father: Seeing God Through the Eyes of Jesus.

One of the quintessential passages that changed my view of confessing my sins in repentance to God was Jesus’ story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. In this chapter, Jesus first tells two somewhat related stories of a lost coin and a lost sheep. Both stories contain a common theme: those who find what is lost have exuberant joy over what they have found! (See verses 6 and 9.)

Following these joyful stories, Jesus tells us of the prodigal son. I had heard the story so many times that I could recite it by rote: the young and immature son spends his dad’s hard-earned money (his own inheritance) on riotous living. He ventures back home, full of guilt and shame, figuring he could at least become one of his dad’s hired servants (vs. 17–19).

This story is a perfect picture of the way I used to see the practice of confession in prayer—coming to God with my head down and my heart filled with guilt and shame. In a low, depressed, sulking voice I would talk to God, “Here I am Lord—a sinner.”

That all changed when I studied this passage from the Father’s perspective. The line that blew my spiritual doors off the hinges was Jesus’ description of the father’s response: “While [the son] was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (v. 20, brackets and italics added).

Imagine! The father “threw his arms around him and kissed him”!

Read that again. The message here is revolutionary. When we, as God’s children, come before God in prayer—admitting our faults, failures, and sins—the Father throws His arms around us and lands a kiss on us! Now why was I never taught about that God in Sunday school?

This one astounding truth transforms the practice of confessing and repenting of our sins. Instead of an exercise of dread, it’s one of overwhelming joy! Every time I repent of my sins and turn to God, He greets me with His overwhelming mercy, grace, love, and acceptance. The Father welcomes me back, not scolding me with an “I told you so” sermon, but giving me a hug and a kiss. Talk about good news!

Three Reasons for Joy

So how can confession in prayer bring overwhelming joy in our walk with the Lord? Here are three takeaways from the story of the prodigal son:

1. Confession is meant to take away guilt and shame, not add more of it. I have to remind my young boys to take showers because they often overlook the importance of this area of personal hygiene. Yet they always feel better when they come out, all clean.

In the same way, repentance cleans us up and makes us feel much better! Repentance is like a good shower. It is meant to remove the dirt and grime, not add to it. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, italics added).

2. The focus of repentance is not my sin. It is God’s forgiveness. If I see confession as “all about me,” I walk home to God like the prodigal son—head down, shoulders hunched over. I’m focusing on what I have done wrong, how I have fallen short, and the punishment and servitude I deserve.

If I take my focus off me and my sins and shift my focus to God and His grace, the whole narrative of repentance changes. Jesus took the penalty of our sins upon Him at the cross. Therefore, confession is no longer a story about the lost son (or daughter) who has been such a bad child; it is about the joy the Father feels, welcoming us home!

3. God greets me with open arms and even a big kiss! Satan works hard to convince us that the more bad we do, the further we should run from God. He wants sin to create a wedge between us and our Father.

The gospel tells us that our sins should actually drive us closer to God, knowing His grace is sufficient to provide forgiveness—and to restore the intimacy lost every time I sin. “Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8).

Freely and Frequently

With the story of the prodigal son in mind, we, as children of God, can run freely and frequently to the Father. We can confess our sins and shortcomings, knowing He is welcoming us home with open arms!

Here are three ways to incorporate repentance into your prayer time:

Take time to sit quietly before the Lord. Ask Him to bring to mind any sins that have grieved Him. “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him” (Ps. 62:5, NLT). As the Lord reveals impure thoughts, words, or deeds, humbly acknowledge your faults before Him and receive His grace and forgiveness.
If you enjoy journaling, take time to write out your sins and failures. As a way of recognizing God’s forgiveness, rip the page out of your journal and put it through a paper shredder! • Slowly and thoughtfully read through Psalm 51 as your own prayer to God. When a particular verse speaks to your heart, take time to pause, reflect, and meditate on what God is saying to you.

Whatever means of prayer dialogue we choose, we can find joy in remembering that confession and repentance of our sins in prayer is about the joy our Father feels in receiving us back home. He will fill us with joy in His presence.

Welcome home!

PIERRE EADE is a conference speaker on the topics of spiritual growth and renewal. He is the author of Born to Grow and Our Good Father. He blogs at discipleshipnetwork.com.