Asking God To Forget Past Sins

Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth.

Remember me in the light of your unfailing love,

for you are merciful, O LORD.

The LORD is good and does what is right;

he shows the proper path to those who go astray.

He leads the humble in doing right,

teaching them his way.

The LORD leads with unfailing love and faithfulness

all who keep his covenant and obey his demands.

Psalm 25:7-10

We all have something we’ve done or said in the past that we deeply regret—whether it’s a caustic, unloving remark or some selfish action. Often we allow such sins to impede our prayers today. We feel that we dare not ask God for too much, since we know we have deeply offended him. Even David had such thoughts. But instead of letting his past determine his future, David prayed for the Lord to forgive him and recognized that the Lord would show his people how to live in an upright way.

What sins still pester you? Today, ask the Lord to forgive and forget your past failures. But don’t end your prayer there. Ask the Lord to teach you how to live differently.

• Dear Lord, forget my sins and show me the right way to deal with my problems today . . .