Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” —Luke 23:34 (NLT)
What I do with guilt
1. I
When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. —Psalm 32:3&5 (NLT)
2. I
The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” —Genesis 3:12 (NLT)
3. I
My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief. —Psalm 38:4-6 (NLT)
What Jesus wants me to do with my guilt
1.
The Lord gave us mind and conscience; we cannot hide from ourselves. —Proverbs 20:27 (GNT)
…let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the Lord. —Lamentations 3:40 (NLT)
2. Accept
…confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed. —James 5:16 (GNT)
3. Ask for
If we tell Him our sins, He is faithful and we can depend on Him to forgive us of our sins. He will make our lives clean from all sin. —1 John 1:9 (NLB)
Prayer
God, you know everything about me. You know my regrets, my mistakes, my sins. You know what I’m ashamed of and why I feel guilty. So today, I admit that I need your forgiveness. I agree with you that I’ve done wrong and I take responsibility for it. I’m not going to make excuses or blame others. I simply ask you to forgive me. Thank you for paying for my forgiveness by sending your son to the cross. Thank you for forgiving me instantly and completely. In Jesus name, amen.