Asking God to forgive me
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We join with you in bringing this confession before the Lord and we thank you for your honesty in acknowledging your sin before God. It takes humility to admit that you have stolen knowing it was wrong, and God honors a broken and contrite heart that seeks His mercy.
The Bible is clear that stealing is sin, for God commanded, You shall not steal, Exodus 20:15. To take what is not ours violates His holy character and harms our neighbor, and we must call it what it is and turn from it. We also read, He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy, Proverbs 28:13. Your sincere apology is the beginning of forsaking that sin, and God desires not only confession with words but repentance that turns away from stealing and walks in honesty.
We rejoice to tell you that God is merciful and ready to forgive. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:9. In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, Ephesians 1:7. Yet we notice your request speaks of God in general and does not mention Jesus Christ, and we must lovingly remind you that it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father and receive forgiveness. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me, John 14:6. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved, Acts 4:12. To be forgiven we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died for our sins and rose again, and call upon His name in repentance and faith.
We pray together for you now.
Father, we come before Your throne of grace in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son. We confess before You this sin of stealing and we ask for Your mercy. Forgive this dear one through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross, cleanse this heart and create a new heart that loves righteousness and hates dishonesty. Grant true repentance that turns from this sin completely and help this one to walk in the light as You are in the light. Give courage to make restitution wherever possible, as Zacchaeus did when he said, If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much, Luke 19:8, and to live honestly before You and before others. Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need, Ephesians 4:28. Fill this life with Your Holy Spirit, with peace and assurance of forgiveness, and lead in the path of obedience. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
We encourage you to not only receive forgiveness but to forsake stealing entirely and to pursue restitution where you are able, returning what was taken or making it right with those you have wronged. This is the fruit of genuine repentance. Seek the Lord daily in His Word, confess quickly when you stumble, and walk in fellowship with other believers who can help you stay accountable. If you have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we urge you to place your faith in Him today, for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 6:23. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, Acts 3:19. God is faithful, His mercy endures forever, and He will cleanse and restore you as you come to Him through Jesus.
The Bible is clear that stealing is sin, for God commanded, You shall not steal, Exodus 20:15. To take what is not ours violates His holy character and harms our neighbor, and we must call it what it is and turn from it. We also read, He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy, Proverbs 28:13. Your sincere apology is the beginning of forsaking that sin, and God desires not only confession with words but repentance that turns away from stealing and walks in honesty.
We rejoice to tell you that God is merciful and ready to forgive. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:9. In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, Ephesians 1:7. Yet we notice your request speaks of God in general and does not mention Jesus Christ, and we must lovingly remind you that it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father and receive forgiveness. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me, John 14:6. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved, Acts 4:12. To be forgiven we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died for our sins and rose again, and call upon His name in repentance and faith.
We pray together for you now.
Father, we come before Your throne of grace in the name of Jesus Christ Your Son. We confess before You this sin of stealing and we ask for Your mercy. Forgive this dear one through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross, cleanse this heart and create a new heart that loves righteousness and hates dishonesty. Grant true repentance that turns from this sin completely and help this one to walk in the light as You are in the light. Give courage to make restitution wherever possible, as Zacchaeus did when he said, If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much, Luke 19:8, and to live honestly before You and before others. Let him who stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, producing with his hands something that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need, Ephesians 4:28. Fill this life with Your Holy Spirit, with peace and assurance of forgiveness, and lead in the path of obedience. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
We encourage you to not only receive forgiveness but to forsake stealing entirely and to pursue restitution where you are able, returning what was taken or making it right with those you have wronged. This is the fruit of genuine repentance. Seek the Lord daily in His Word, confess quickly when you stumble, and walk in fellowship with other believers who can help you stay accountable. If you have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, we urge you to place your faith in Him today, for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 6:23. Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, Acts 3:19. God is faithful, His mercy endures forever, and He will cleanse and restore you as you come to Him through Jesus.
Thank you for sharing this so honestly. It takes humility to name what you did, to agree that it was wrong, and to ask God for mercy. We hear the sincerity in your words and we are praying with you.
That desire to be forgiven and to turn in a different direction is a hopeful sign. God sees a heart that is not making excuses but is honestly seeking Him, and through Jesus His mercy is open to all who come to Him that way. Part of receiving that mercy is letting it shape what comes next.
A practical way to live out that repentance is to make things right where you can. If there is something specific that was taken, prayerfully consider returning it or repaying its value if it is possible and wise to do so. If you are not sure how to do that well, or if direct restitution is not possible, it can help to talk confidentially with a trusted pastor or mature believer who can help you think through the next step with integrity and stay accountable so the pattern does not continue.
You do not have to carry this alone. Keep bringing it to the Lord openly each day and keep walking in honesty.
Father, we lift this friend to You and thank You for a heart that wants to be clean before You. We ask for Your mercy and forgiveness through Jesus and for strength to walk in honesty from this day forward. Give wisdom about any way to make restitution and provide trusted support and accountability in the days ahead. In Jesus' name, Amen.
That desire to be forgiven and to turn in a different direction is a hopeful sign. God sees a heart that is not making excuses but is honestly seeking Him, and through Jesus His mercy is open to all who come to Him that way. Part of receiving that mercy is letting it shape what comes next.
A practical way to live out that repentance is to make things right where you can. If there is something specific that was taken, prayerfully consider returning it or repaying its value if it is possible and wise to do so. If you are not sure how to do that well, or if direct restitution is not possible, it can help to talk confidentially with a trusted pastor or mature believer who can help you think through the next step with integrity and stay accountable so the pattern does not continue.
You do not have to carry this alone. Keep bringing it to the Lord openly each day and keep walking in honesty.
Father, we lift this friend to You and thank You for a heart that wants to be clean before You. We ask for Your mercy and forgiveness through Jesus and for strength to walk in honesty from this day forward. Give wisdom about any way to make restitution and provide trusted support and accountability in the days ahead. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Spurgeon
Beloved of All
There is forgiveness with God, and your cry for mercy is itself a hopeful sign that His Spirit is at work in you. You have done well to come honestly, confessing that you have sinned in stealing and that you knew it to be wrong, and to ask for His mercy without excuse.
Hear what the Lord Himself declares to such as you, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." The deed of mercy is a divine forgiveness. It is not that you must make yourself worthy, but that for His own sake, for the sake of His dear Son who bore sin upon the cross, He blots out transgression. O man, there is forgiveness for your sins, whatever they may have been. Though you have sinned against light and knowledge, yet still there is forgiveness with Him, and that forgiveness is to be obtained from God through Jesus Christ His Son alone.
Yet take care to weigh your repentance before God with great care and jealousy. There is a carnal repentance that comes only from fear, and a true repentance which is the work of the Spirit of God. True repentance gives God glory. It says, Lord, I have no claim upon You, I have no rights but the right to be punished, yet I cast myself upon Your mercy in Christ. It is a repentance unto life, not a passing regret, but a change of nature. When the Son removes guilt, the Spirit removes guile. The forgiven man cultivates heart searching and practices daily repentance, and his sorrow for sin endears Christ to his heart as the great Savior of unworthy ones.
Faith and repentance are inseparable. The repentance which ejects sin as an evil tenant and the faith which admits Christ to be the sole master of the heart must go together. Look out of self to Christ, and to Christ only. He can save you, be your sin as great as it may be, and it is a falsehood to believe you are past the mercy of God. If you are now convinced of this sin, and are repenting of it, and desire to be delivered from its power, then God speaks to you this morning and says, Return unto me with unfeigned repentance, and I will have mercy upon you.
Therefore trust His dear Son now. Confess your sin plainly to God, ask Him to wash you in the blood of Christ, and believe that He does forgive all who come through Him, for His forgiveness is not only for the first moment but is a continuous and eternal forgiveness. And let your repentance be practical and lasting, yielding works meet for repentance. Where it is possible, and as God gives you opportunity, make restitution for what was taken, as Zacchaeus did, and forsake the sin entirely, for true repentance avoids present sin because of the love of God who died for us.
I pray for you that God in His infinite mercy will bring you to follow Jesus, trusting in His blood and treading in His footsteps. May He grant you a lowly estimate of yourself and a high esteem of Christ, assure your heart that your transgressions are blotted out, and keep you by His grace from returning to this sin. Cast yourself upon the mercy of your Judge at the mercy seat through Christ, and you shall find mercy, for there is forgiveness with Him.
Hear what the Lord Himself declares to such as you, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." The deed of mercy is a divine forgiveness. It is not that you must make yourself worthy, but that for His own sake, for the sake of His dear Son who bore sin upon the cross, He blots out transgression. O man, there is forgiveness for your sins, whatever they may have been. Though you have sinned against light and knowledge, yet still there is forgiveness with Him, and that forgiveness is to be obtained from God through Jesus Christ His Son alone.
Yet take care to weigh your repentance before God with great care and jealousy. There is a carnal repentance that comes only from fear, and a true repentance which is the work of the Spirit of God. True repentance gives God glory. It says, Lord, I have no claim upon You, I have no rights but the right to be punished, yet I cast myself upon Your mercy in Christ. It is a repentance unto life, not a passing regret, but a change of nature. When the Son removes guilt, the Spirit removes guile. The forgiven man cultivates heart searching and practices daily repentance, and his sorrow for sin endears Christ to his heart as the great Savior of unworthy ones.
Faith and repentance are inseparable. The repentance which ejects sin as an evil tenant and the faith which admits Christ to be the sole master of the heart must go together. Look out of self to Christ, and to Christ only. He can save you, be your sin as great as it may be, and it is a falsehood to believe you are past the mercy of God. If you are now convinced of this sin, and are repenting of it, and desire to be delivered from its power, then God speaks to you this morning and says, Return unto me with unfeigned repentance, and I will have mercy upon you.
Therefore trust His dear Son now. Confess your sin plainly to God, ask Him to wash you in the blood of Christ, and believe that He does forgive all who come through Him, for His forgiveness is not only for the first moment but is a continuous and eternal forgiveness. And let your repentance be practical and lasting, yielding works meet for repentance. Where it is possible, and as God gives you opportunity, make restitution for what was taken, as Zacchaeus did, and forsake the sin entirely, for true repentance avoids present sin because of the love of God who died for us.
I pray for you that God in His infinite mercy will bring you to follow Jesus, trusting in His blood and treading in His footsteps. May He grant you a lowly estimate of yourself and a high esteem of Christ, assure your heart that your transgressions are blotted out, and keep you by His grace from returning to this sin. Cast yourself upon the mercy of your Judge at the mercy seat through Christ, and you shall find mercy, for there is forgiveness with Him.
Jonathan_M
Beloved of All
I prayed for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.
