Confess, Repent, Pray

Confess, Repent, Pray by Randolph Jason for Gospel News Network

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

The entire Holy Bible is a living, breathing organism that teaches us how we are to live. Some people just refuse to engage, still others have attempted and, for whatever reason, walked away. Our lives were created by God. The Holy Bible is His inerrant, infallible Word that describes us living as God designed us.

When we step away from it we get lost, confused and all sorts of things happen that could easily be avoided.

We have been going through the book Alcoholics Anonymous that some would argue, is a book inspired by God Himself. Even Dr. Bob, one of the founding members of AA stated he had nothing to do with writing the Steps that it was an inspired moment and he just happened to be holding the pen.

On page 75 of the Fourth Edition of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, we find the following passage that is a series of promises that anyone can experience, if they follow the steps that lead to this point.

We pocket our pride and go to it, illuminating every twist of character, every dark cranny of the past. Once we have taken this step, withholding nothing, we are delighted. We can look the world in the eye. We can be alone at perfect peace and ease. Our fears fall from us. We begin to feel the nearness of our Creator. We may have had certain spiritual beliefs, but now we begin to have a spiritual experience. The feeling that the drink problem has disappeared will often come strongly. We feel we are on the Broad Highway, walking hand in hand with the Spirit of the Universe. Source

The very next paragraph moves us through Step 6…

Returning home we find a place where we can be quiet for an hour, carefully reviewing what we have done. We thank God from the bottom of our heart that we know Him better. Taking this book down from our shelf we turn to the page which contains the twelve steps. Carefully reading the first five proposals we ask if we have omitted anything, for we are building an arch through which we shall walk a free man at last. Is our work solid so far? Are the stones properly in place? Have we skimped on the cement put into the foundation? Have we tried to make mortar without sand?

If we can answer to our satisfaction, we then look at Step Six. We have emphasized willingness as being indispensable. Are we now ready to let God remove from us all the things which we have admitted are objectionable? Can He now take them all, everyone? If we still cling to something we will not let go, we ask God to help us be willing. Source

Which is immediately followed by the Step 7 prayer. These three Steps, in this journey, happen in rapid succession. With that it can be easy to overlook something that could important. We wanted to insure we didn’t overlook anything.

When ready, we say something like this: “My Creator, I am now willing that you should have all of me, good and bad. I pray that you now remove from me every single defect of character which stands in the way of my usefulness to you and my fellows. Grant me strength, as I go out from here, to do your bidding. Amen.” We have then completed Step Seven. Source