Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from Radical.net.

Hosea chapter 6, verse 1, come, let us return to the Lord, for he has torn us that he may heal us.

He has struck us down and he will bind us up.

What a powerful picture of God's grace in disciplining us. God's love in refining us.

Josea says, let us return the Lord, for he has torn us. Why? Why has God disciplined us in this way?

So that He may heal us. God has struck us down and he will bind us up.

God tears down in order to heal. God strikes down in order to bind up. God refines us with his discipline.

God purifies us. We know this from Hebrews chapter 12 and the

illustration that God gives us there of how any loving parent lovingly disciplines their children

for their good, for their refinement, for their joy, not because they wish their children ill,

but because they wish their children good and they want the best for their children.

So they discipline to teach them to walk in ways that are good for them and good for others

and glorifying to God. So let's do this in our relationships with God.

Let's return to the Lord. Let's pray, God, do whatever work is needed in each of our lives, to cleanse us of sin, to purify us from sin, to make us holy. God, I pray for that

in my life. God, I pray that you would purify me. I pray for your loving discipline in my life.

I want it. I need it. God, we pray for this in each of our lives. We want to be holy. We want to be pure. We want to walk

in ways that are good and right and just and loving and merciful. We want to be more like you, Jesus.

And we know we are prone to sin in all kinds of ways. We know that we often have blind spots

where we don't see our sinfulness.

So God expose our blind spots.

Help us to see our sin and help us to run from it.

God, we want to be pure.

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