A prayer for the parent who feels guilt by Meg Booker, read by Liam Arton.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Psalm 51 10-12.

Parenthood is ridiculous, isn't it?

Here we are imperfect people raised by imperfect people trying to parent imperfect people in a very imperfect world.

We may look back upon the cringeworthy moments of our lives and desperately pray for an eraser.

But the hard things we've endured are exactly what qualifies us as parents.

Perfection was never a requirement. In fact, it's not even possible.

Psalm 51 recounts David's confession and repentance of his sin against Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband, 2 Samuel 12.

He prayed for God to have mercy on him.

We must be like David, willing to remember our sins and the serious consequences they create.

For David, the Old Testament scriptures were a very real part of his everyday life.

Scriptures like Genesis 9-6, whoever sheds the blood of a man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.

What would certainly be top of mind for David.

In Leviticus 2010, if a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulterer, shall surely be put to death.

David did suffer grave consequences, but God chose to have mercy on him.

In response, David vowed to praise God's righteousness. Psalm 51-14-15.

When we feel shame, fear or doubt, creeping into our parenting, we can wave the white flag.

In our weakness, Jesus is strong. He's with us always.

The words David spilled out of his heart to God in prayer echo the depths of our souls over the sorrow we feel for our sin and disobedience.

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