Is there a Christian prayer for When You Need a Fresh Start?

Q: Is there a Christian prayer for When You Need a Fresh Start?

Prayer for When You Need a Fresh Start is a Scripture-based prayer in the In the Valley series from Ambient Bible. When you're standing in the rubble of something that didn't work and you need permission to begin again. When the past feels like a sentence instead of a chapter. A prayer for the courage to start over.

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In the Valley

Prayer for When You Need a Fresh Start

When you're standing in the rubble of something that didn't work and you need permission to begin again. When the past feels like a sentence instead of a chapter. A prayer for the courage to start over.

Scripture

Psalms 51

KJVModern

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¹[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.] Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

⁴Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

⁵Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

⁹Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

¹²Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

¹³Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

¹⁶For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

¹⁸Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

God, I need to talk to you about something I've been avoiding. I know what I did. You know what I did. And I've been carrying it around like maybe if I don't say it out loud it doesn't fully count. But it counts. I know it counts.

I'm not here to beat myself up. You don't want that from me. You want honesty. So here it is. I chose wrong. I knew better and I chose wrong anyway. And I can feel the distance it created. Between us. That's the part that hurts most.

Have mercy on me, God. According to your lovingkindness. Not according to what I deserve. Please, not according to what I deserve. But according to who you are. Your mercy is bigger than my mistake. It has to be. It always has been before.

Wash me. That's all I'm asking. Not just forgive me but wash me. Restore me to something clean. Because right now I don't feel clean. And I need to feel clean again. This is what David cried when he needed what I need right now. Psalm 51 says Create in me a clean heart, O God. Not a better version of the old one. Not a patched-up, try-harder heart. A new one. You said you could do that. You've done it before. I'm asking you to do it again.

Renew a right spirit within me. Because left to my own spirit, we can both see how that goes. I need yours. I need the spirit that says no when I want to say yes. The spirit that loves people I find hard to love. The spirit that chooses truth when lying would be easier.

Cast me not away from your presence. That's my deepest fear, you know. Not consequences. Not what other people think. That you would be done with me. But you're not done with me. You called me here tonight. You gave me the words. You're still listening.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. A broken and contrite heart you will not despise. Then here I am, Lord. Broken. Contrite. Yours. Do something with that.

In the name of Jesus, I pray.

Amen.

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