“What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Romans 4:3 (NIV)
My prayer: Oh Lord, now I see the point that you are making; you are teaching me that my works do not make me righteous; only faith in Jesus’ finished work makes me righteous. Lord, I believe, please help my unbelief!
Help me turn away from works and steps and laws and rules to gain your favor, help me turn away from diet programs for good, and help me look at the cross and believe that you have removed my sin and made me righteous. I see that believing what you say in the gospel makes me righteous.
Lord, how can that be possible? That you declare me, an unholy sinner, to be righteous and holy when I believe the gospel? This truth is shocking to me, yet at the same time, it causes me to overflow with thanksgiving. Oh, thank you, Jesus, for taking my sin and giving me your righteousness!
“Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.” Romans 4:4-5 (NIV)
Wende's heartfelt prayer of the above passage ministered to my heart:
"Father, all that striving and working I did for decades (books, gyms, 12 step programs, detox plans, diets, counting, weighing, measuring, etc.) blocked me from seeing the freedom in Christ that You have provided for me even before I was born! You have provided for my justification. There is absolutely nothing that I can add to it; nothing more is needed. The work was finished when Jesus declared it so and gave up His spirit. Thank you for relealing this Truth to me. Thank you that this is not complicated or confusing but straight forward and complete. Please protect me from myself and my nature that is bent toward worldly thinking and self reliance."
Here is the next passage:
“David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” Romans 4:6-7 (NIV)
My prayer: Father in Heaven, now I see that you have taught this truth all through your Word. As Abraham and David discovered, and as Paul taught, You do not declare us righteous through our works, but rather through faith in Jesus’ work on the cross.
Oh, Father, I see Jesus there on the cross being cursed by you for my sins, that You might bless me with forgiveness of my sins.
Lord Jesus, I see you suffering in my place, and I am in awe. I see you bleeding, and I believe the message that your blood is covering my sin. And I worship you!
So, now I see that I am forgiven, and my sins are covered, and therefore I am a righteous man now. This truth makes me want to jump and shout for joy, for I have been foolish and sinful, but you have now made me righteous and holy by faith in what Jesus did on the cross and through His resurrection from the dead. Yes, Lord, I, too, believe!
“Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” Romans 4:8 (NIV)