Godly Sorrow

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Redeeming Father,

I pray these children come to understand the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Worldly sorrow is guilt without an understanding of grace. Worldly sorrow focuses on our own failures as if everything depends on us. Since we are flawed human beings, the end result of worldly sorrow is hopelessness and, therefore, spiritual and emotional death.

But I ask that, when they wander from you, by your indwelling Spirit, you give them a healthy dose of godly sorrow - a realization that they have disappointed you. A realization that they have treated the sacrifice of Jesus casually and thrown it aside in order to choose to do what they wanted to do rather than to follow you. By this, may their hearts be convicted to fall upon your redeeming love and power as you joyfully reclaim them, as did the father of the prodigal son.  May they then understand that redemption is by your power and your grace, not of their own doing. That their role is simply to turn back to you, to fully accept your freely offered forgiveness and to live in the joy of freedom from guilt.

Amen