THE CRY OF THE STRUGGLING BACKSLIDER, Part 2: from the Book of Lamentations, Chapter 3

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NOTE:  This prayer has been recorded ONCE, first for listening, agreeing, and praying. 

This prayer is based closely on the book of Lamentations, chapter 3. But where Lamentations tells of the travails of Israel as they suffered punishment for their rebellion against God, this prayer describes the cry of an individual believer who is experiencing the just and righteous chastisement of the Lord.  

The struggle against besetting sin can be a long and vicious wrestling match. The believer who relapses into sin, because of the overwhelming force of the enemy, must at one and the same time never lose their determination to repent, keeping faith in the Word and the sovereignty of God, but keep in mind that true seekers of God from the beginning of the world have suffered from these same failures and doubts. 

Heaviness, affliction and sorrow, because of sinful failure, are in fact causes for hope and not for despair. 

HEBREWS 12:5-13:

5. My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 

6. For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.

7. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 

8. But if you are WITHOUT chastening -- of which ALL have become partakers -- then you are bastards and not sons. 

9. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits, and live? 

10. For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He chastens us for our good, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 

11. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been corrected by it. 

The first and foremost message preached by all of the prophets, including John the Baptizer and Jesus Christ himself, was and is "Repent". There are times when the Lord allows us to be confronted by the fathomless wickedness of our own hearts; but that is not to send us into despair, but to drive us TO him, to the one who alone can save and has saved us from our deserved destruction.