The Put God First Challenge

Day 6: God's Forgiveness

Psalm 103

1 John 2

Isaiah 43

Micah 6

Day 6: God's Forgiveness

Father,

I come before You today, deeply aware of my need for Your forgiveness. There have been times when I have strayed, my heart has been distant, and I have chosen my own way instead of Yours. But no matter how far I have wandered, You are always ready to welcome me home. Just like the father in Luke 15 who ran to his lost son, You run toward me with open arms, full of mercy and love. Thank You for never giving up on me.

Your Word says that when I confess my sins, You are faithful and just to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Yet sometimes, I struggle to believe that I am truly forgiven. I carry the weight of past mistakes, allowing guilt and shame to settle in my heart. But You don’t hold my sins against me. You blot them out, making me white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). Help me to receive the fullness of Your grace and to walk in the freedom that forgiveness brings.

Lord, I don’t want to take Your mercy for granted. Your forgiveness came at a great cost—the life of Jesus, given in my place. Because of His sacrifice, my debt has been paid in full. What an incredible gift! Let that truth change the way I live. Instead of running from You in fear, let me run toward You in gratitude. Instead of hiding my sin, let me bring it into the light, knowing that You are a God of compassion, not condemnation.

Your Word says that You cast my sins into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19), never to be remembered again. If You have forgiven me, who am I to hold onto my past? Teach me to forgive myself, to let go of regret, and to embrace the new life You have given me. And just as You have forgiven me, help me to extend that same forgiveness to others. So often, I want to hold onto resentment, but You call me to love as You love—to release the hurt and choose grace.

Thank You, Lord, for being a God of second chances. Thank You for Your kindness that leads me to repentance, for Your patience with my weaknesses, and for the unshakable truth that Your mercy is new every morning. Today, I choose to rest in Your forgiveness and to live as one who is truly set free.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.