psa 19v12 Who Can Understand His Errors
That question is its own answer. The corruptions of our hearts, minds, and lives are so many that we cannot number them, so evil that we cannot describe them, and so much a part of us that we cannot even understand them. We are so sinful by nature that we call evil good and good evil. Yet, if we are children of grace, men and women whose heart have been made new in Christ, we truly desire to live in holiness, righteousness, and truth before God and man. So we offer these three sincere petitions to the Lord. I hope they truly express the desires of your heart and mine.
"CLEANSE THOU ME FROM SECRET FAULTS." O Lord, wash me thoroughly and continually in the atoning blood of Christ. The sin that my conscience detects I confess unto thee. But the evil of my heart is so great that much that is wicked goes unnoticed by me. Purge me with the blood, wash me, an I shall be clean.
"KEEP BACK THY SERVANT ALSO FROM PRESUMPTUOUS SINS." You and I, though true believers, might readily fall into the most obnoxious evils unless we are restrained by the hand of grace. Therefore we should pray in words like these continually. This is but another way of saying "Lead us no into temptation; but deliver us from evil". There is a constant proneness to sin in the best of men, and we must be held back, as the horse is held back by the bit, or we will run into every manner of evil. Yes, we are even prone to Sin presumptuously, knowing full well the evil of our actions! O Lord, restrain us by almighty grace from the great evil which is ever the tendency of our nature.
"LET THEM NOT HAVE
DOMINION OVER ME." I know that so long as I live in this world, I will
have to struggle with my sin. Sin is a part of me. Sin is mixed with all that I
am and all that I do. I cannot be free from this body of sin until the body of
flesh is laid in the ground. So I ask, Lord, that while I live in this world
you will keep me from falling under the dominion and reigning power of sin.