Times of Refreshing

Acts 3:19-20

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you–even Jesus.”

Do you feel heavy laden? Do you feel burdened by your past sins and mistakes? Peter knew that his audience needed a spiritual awakening and revival. He knew their sins weighed heavy against them. So he admonished the people to repent and turn to God.

Sin separates us from God and from everything He has in store for us. It creates a barrier. A wall that stands in the way of the blessings God has already provided. When we have unconfessed sin in our lives, we can’t receive from God. The flow of blessings has been closed off by our sin. We need to remove the barrier if we want the blessings to flow again. Repentance does this for us. When we repent, we change the way we think about our behavior, about our identity, and about God. The change within our hearts that leads us to repentance acts like a catalyst to a change in our behavior.

We turn away from our sin and toward God. When we confess our sins to God, He is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from them (1 John 1:9). He wipes them out. They no longer exist. He removes the barrier that separates us from Him. The flow of blessings is restored. We can receive spiritual refreshment directly from God. Not only that, but we receive Jesus himself in our hearts. We acknowledge Him as our Messiah.

If you are struggling a lack of refreshment in your life, take an inventory and see if there is any unconfessed sin in your life that might be hampering the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Repent, turn to God, and receive refreshment.

Father, I thank you that you sent your son Jesus to die on the cross as payment for my sin. I thank you that I can come to you, confess my sin, repent, and that you are faithful to wash it away. When I repent from my sin, you make it as though it never happened. You wipe the slate clean. I don’t want anything to separate me from your presence, Lord, so I ask you to examine my heart. If there is any unconfessed sin in my life, bring it to my attention. I confess it now. I repent from it. I turn my heart back to you, God. Send your refreshing Holy Spirit into my life. I thank you for it in Jesus’ name, Amen.