PRAY CONTRITELY

King David used the word “contrite” in the fifty-first Psalm. David sang a mournful melody, saddened and broken-hearted due to his wretched sin against Bethsheba and Uriah. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17, NKJV). In other words, when we approach the throne of God, we should do so with a contrite heart. As we address our perfectly Holy God, our prayers should be seasoned with repentance, remorse, and regret.

Nehemiah prayed, “I confess the sins we have committed against you. Both I and my father’s family have sinned. We have acted corruptly toward you and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances you gave your servant Moses”(Nehemiah 1:6-7).

Daniel “confessed: Ah, Lord—the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands—we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commands and ordinances. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the people of the land. Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but this day public shame belongs to us” (Daniel 9:4–7). Daniel admitted that he had “sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled…”

Ezra prayed with similar contrition. “My God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face toward you, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads and our guilt is as high as the heavens. ⁷ Our guilt has been terrible from the days of our ancestors until the present. Because of our iniquities we have been handed over, along with our kings and priests, to the surrounding kings, and to the sword, captivity, plundering, and open shame, as it is today” (Ezra 9:6–7).

“Thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite’ ” (Isaiah 57:15, ESV)

As we come to God, we must honestly and humbly admit our faults, failures, and frailties. We must confess our sin, agreeing with God about our wretchedness and His righteousness. 

So, what kind of prayer does God answer? Our God answers reverent prayers, persistent prayers, and contrite prayers.

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).