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#6.2 PRAY WITH FASTING AND SUPPLICATIONS TO GOD FOR FORGIVENESS

Greek Word Study on μετανοέω, metanoeo, 'to repent'
Greek Word Study on μετάνοια, metanoia, 'repentance'

Repentance Index || Repent after believing || How to Repent

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Introduction 6.2

This bible study gives the second of nine steps to repentance, and teaches us to pray with fasting and supplications to God for forgiveness. This is the first thing to do after we believe that Jesus died and paid for our sins to be forgiven, and is usually the start of removing sin and the desire to sin from the heart of the individual. The more you become like Jesus, the less sin will be a problem in your life. This process of repentance will take you through that transformation - but be warned: it is no quick fix. True repentance is a slow ongoing process, dealing with each sin in your life as God reveals them to you. Total and utter destruction of each sin is what is required. It is the start of the crucifixion of "our old man" (Romans 6:6, Ephesians 4:22), the death of our spiritual "self" (Galatians 2:20), and requires serious and deliberate intention on our behalf. It will prepare for the growth of "the new man" (Ephesians 4:24) in us, which is the spirit of Christ: "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 13:14), building us up in faith and love. If you are a Christian who has struggled with sin in your Christian walk, making the same mistakes over and over again, then this study on how to repent is of the utmost importance to you. A true repentance will break your spiritual chain and set you free. It will set in motion "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:2) which will set you free from the law of sin and death.

#6.2 Pray with Fasting and Supplications to God for Forgiveness

1 KINGS 8:33-34
33 When your people Israel are smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you, and shall turn again to you, and confess your name, and pray, and make supplication to you in this house:
34 Then you hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again into the land which you gave to their fathers.

1 KINGS 8:38-39 (Solomon)
38 Whatever prayer and supplication is made by a man, or by all your people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
39 Then you hear in heaven your dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of all the children of men;)

2 CHRONICLES 7:14
14 If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

PSALMS 32:5-6 (David)
5 I acknowledge my sin to you, and my iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD; and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
6 For this shall every one who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come near to him.

DANIEL 9:20
20 And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;

MATTHEW 6:12 (Jesus teaching the disciples to pray)
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

LUKE 11:4 (Jesus teaching the disciples to pray)
4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

ACTS 8:22 (Peter to Simon the sorcerer)
22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

Note: In every one of these scriptures it indicates that a person must pray for forgiveness with supplications, which means humble entreaties. Some people never get repentance because they do not ask for it, so if you have tried to do it and failed, try asking God's help. There are some good examples in scripture of people who were serious about repenting, and who did it with fasting and humility:

(Job 42:5-6) "I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear: but now my eye sees you. Therefore I hate myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
(Joel 2:12-13) "Therefore also now says the LORD, turn yourselves to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
And tear your heart and not your clothes, and turn to the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and he repents of the evil."
(Jonah 3:5-8) "So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6 For word came to the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: do not let them feed, nor drink water:
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yes, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands."
(Luke 1:13) "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they would have a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes."
(Acts 9:9) "And he was three days without sight, and did not eat or drink."

This last scripture refers to Saul after he was converted by Jesus on the road to Damascus. Three days and three nights without food or water is a sincere seeking of God. The Ninevites also repented without food and water (Jonah 3:7). When a person sees the seriousness of the judgment against them, then God is calling them to repentance.

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