DO YOU NEED TO PRAY "TAKE ME BACK"
I was sitting at my computer this afternoon working, and listening to Christian music, and I heard a song sung, that I actually hardly remember being sung before, it was written and sung by Andre Crouch. As young person in the early 60’s Andre Crouch was the Guest singer at our church’s Christmas camp, and I fell in love with his singing ministry and it continues to bless me to this day. The song I heard today was TAKE ME BACK.
Take me back, take me back dear Lord
To the place where I first received you
Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I
First believed
I feel that I’m so far
from you Lord
But still I hear you calling me
Those simple things that I once knew,
Their memories keep drawing me
I must confess, Lord
I’ve been blessed
But yet my soul’s not satisfied
Renew my faith, restore my joy
And dry my weeping eyes
Take me back, take me
back dear Lord
To the place where I first received you
Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I
First believed
I tried so hard
To make it all alone
I need your help
Just to make it home
Take me back, take me back dear Lord
To the place where I first received you
Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I
First believed.
The words of this song reminded me of King David’s prayer in Psalm 51 after he had been confronted by the Prophet Nathan about his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband.
Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.
Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.
Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.
I think David thought about that day when Samuel had come to his father’s house, and he was anointed to be king, we read this in 1 Samuel 16:13 NKJV Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.
For not only was David anointed King he was also anointed with the Holy Spirit, and this changed David’s life, the anointing caused him to become “The sweet Psalmist of Israel”, and a worshipper, and a fruitful servant of God.
Sadly David failed the Lord, and prays the awesome prayer in Psalm 51, he remembers that anointing, the blessing, the presence of God resting on his life, and all that had been lost because of sin. He remembered the sweet satisfaction of being in relationship with God, He remembered the overflowing joy that had been his experience, and he hears the call to REPENTANCE, and cries out TAKE ME BACK, I can’t make it on my own, this is the prayer God longs to hear from any of His children that have wandered away, and it is a the prayer He will ALWAYS ANSWER, 1 John 1:9 NKJV If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I am writing this blog today maybe for just one person who will read it and know this is a word for them, because of sins you have committed God feels so far away, and I guarantee on the basis of God’s Word, if you pray sincerely this prayer HE WILL TAKE YOU BACK, and will give you the strength and grace to continue to walk with the Lord. This was sure the case in David’s life and experience, we read in 1 Kings 15:5 NKJV because David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
So if this is you, and God is talking to you, pray right now “Take me back” and the joy and satisfaction will flow right back into your life. Let me know if this blog has spoken to you,