Day 1 · Preparing for Confession
Inviting God to Search
“Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”Psalm 139:23-24
Reflection
Before we set out to examine ourselves, we can ask God to do the searching alongside us, for his gaze is gentler than our own self-suspicion tends to be. He does not study us to find reasons for condemnation; he looks in order to heal. Today we simply open the door and let him in, trusting that the One who knows us most fully also loves us most faithfully.
A prayer
Loving God, you already know me better than I know myself, and still you draw near. Search my heart today, not to shame me, but to make me whole. Quiet my fear of what you might find, and help me trust that your light is kind. Lead me, step by step, into your everlasting way. Amen.
Carry this with you
What part of your heart have you been hesitant to let God look at, and what makes it feel unsafe to show him?