Re: POWER of PRAYER- No Matter Which Faith You Follow=GOD is With You
Turning Back to God
Some Christians believe repentance means simply to "turn around" and go in the opposite direction, but the Bible tells us repentance is much more than this.
The full, literal meaning of the word "repent" in the New Testament is "to feel remorse and self-reproach for one's sins against God; to be contrite, sorry; to want to change direction." The difference in meanings here rests on the word "want." True repentance includes a desire to change.
Moreover, simply being sorry does not constitute repentance. Rather, true sorrow leads to repentance. Paul stated, "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death" (2 Corinthians 7:10, NKJV).
Paul was speaking here of a sorrow that is without regrets, one that is genuine, that "sticks" in the life of the repentant person. This kind of godly sorrow naturally produces a repentance that includes a hatred for sin, a righteous fear of God, and a desire to right all wrongs.
It should not surprise us, then, that Paul preached repentance to believers. He delivered a strong message of repentance to the Christians in Corinth. The Corinthian believers had been richly blessed by God, having sat under mighty teachers of the Word, yet their congregation remained rife with sin.
First, Paul testified to the Corinthians, "Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds" (2 Corinthians 12:12). But then Paul told them very directly, "For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish..." (2 Corinthians 12:20).
What was Paul's fear? It was simply this: "lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced" (2 Corinthians 12:21).
This tenderhearted shepherd loved the compromising saints in Corinth, yet he knew they had been well-taught that a lifestyle of gross sin was wrong. He told them, "When I come to visit you, you're going to see me hanging my head in grief. My eyes will flow with tears, and my voice will wail in sorrow. If I see you continuing to indulge in uncleanness, fornication and lust, I'll be utterly broken because the gospel has not done its work in your heart. You haven't yet repented of your sin. And I will call you loudly to repent!"
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I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people -- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:1-4
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