Mike,

I want to ask you a question about prayer. Everyday I tell God, “I have sinned and I pray that you would cleanse me of this unrighteousness and wash me in the blood of Christ.”
I don’t say this because I think I’m not forgiven. I know I have been imputed with righteousness Rom 4:17 etc, but when the day starts this is like a fresh repentance to me. Is there anything wrong with the above prayer? I almost never ask God to forgive me because I know he already has. How do you pray in this manner of repentance? Do you ask God to forgive you? Cleanse you?
What is the difference? Should I rather just thank God of justification instead of saying cleanse me?
Sometimes I feel it is wrong to ask God to forgive me, cleanse me, or wash me in the blood of Christ. Am I not already cleansed, forgiven, and washed in the blood? Sometimes I feel like I should just confess that I have sinned, repent, and thank him for justification.

J____

Hi J____,
Thank you for your questions concerning how we ought to pray.

The “once in grace, always in grace” mindset of many has them thinking that a ten second sinner’s prayer is all the heart searching that is ever needed in this life to be as close to God as possible. But is there any Truth at all to such thinking? The Biblical answer is, absolutely not! How would any husband or wife feel if their spouse uttered the words “I love you” one time at the altar and never spoke those words again during their marriage? Would that one statement be sufficient to cover every time we offend our spouse? Are the words “I do” being uttered once at the marriage ceremony, in response to a minister asking, “Do you vow to love this person…;” does anyone think that replaces the need to say “Forgive me” for all of life’s daily self- centered actions? Of course not, and no thinking person would think otherwise.
Now, before we see what Christ’s own answer to your questions is, let’s remember what He said about all of His answers and all of His words:

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

So whatever Christ had to say about prayer is the same today as when He first uttered those words. What did Christ tell us concerning our prayers?

Mat 6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Mat 6:10  Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11  Give us this day our daily bread.
Mat 6:12  And forgive us our debt s, as we forgive our debtors.

But hasn’t Christ already forgiven us our debts, or our sins? Doesn’t He already know that we need to “die daily,” and be forgiven daily?  Yes He has already forgiven us of our sins, and sure, He does already know that we need to be forgiven daily, but He also knows that we need to humble ourselves before Him daily and beg for the things we need from Him daily. Any who are too proud or too ignorant to do so will have all of that burned out of them, in due time. Even if that means that it is done in the purifying lake of fire, they will eventually learn that God expects us to humble ourselves before Him on a daily basis. God expects us to “die daily” as we come to Him to ask Him for forgiveness daily, and for any thing else we might need on a daily basis. He tells us so right here in this same chapter of Matthew:

Mat 6:7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [ do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Mat 6:8  Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

It is immediately after this statement that we are told to ask for forgiveness “when you pray.” Don’t allow that proud beast within to convince you that our Lord’s words here are nullified by a superficial understanding of the ultimate salvation of all. There is a reason why the multitudes who come to Christ still want to stone Him. Here is a large part of that reason:

Joh 8:43  Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Mat 7:21  Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Being cleansed and washed by the blood of Christ is not a ten second process; it is a process that is being done daily “when you pray” for the rest of your time in this vessel of clay known as sinful flesh and blood.
I hope that this has helped you to see that even though God already knows what you need, ” when you pray… after this manner pray you…”

Luk 11:4  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

… because Christ’s words do not pass away.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike