Wash Your Hands by Craig Ruhl

I believe one of the most often heard commands during my childhood was, “Wash your hands!” My mom was a stickler for neatness and cleanliness, often telling us kids to wash our hands and face before meals, when we came in from playing outside, and before bedtime. She would even remind my dad to do the same, perhaps with less urgency and forcefulness. We did not sit down at the dining table until we had done as instructed and passed a thorough inspection. Of course, being kids, we weren’t as obsessed with the concept of clean hands and face before placing food in our mouths, so we needed the supervision. I remember many meals with the family as a child and as an adult where my mother would remind us to wash up before dinner and then give us the “mom” eye as we sat down at the table. Mom continued her healthy instruction and inspection right up to when she went home to be with Jesus.

Today, I recognize there should be similarities between mom’s cleanliness standards and our everyday prayer life. Our family prays before meals, not just to give thanks for the food we have received, but also to acknowledge that all we receive is through God’s grace. Doing this is an act of intentional surrender to God’s will and acknowledgment that every blessing flows from our Heavenly Father. An important aspect of our prayer life is the confession of our sins. Sin separates us from God, but the confession of our sins heals that disconnection and brings us closer to Him.

Even though we all have sinned, and we will continue to do so, God sees our hearts, hears our confession, and forgives our sins. A key element of our salvation is the confession, our coming clean in front of God. Think of it as washing our hearts before we sit down with God in prayer. Cleanliness is not just a physical health issue; it is essential for good spiritual health. Ask the Lord to examine your heart to find any areas which you need to confess and repent of. Acknowledge that you need a spiritual cleansing. Confession and repentance of our sins before God allows Him to wash us clean through His grace and mercy. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 NKJV)

Before we come to the Thanksgiving table, let’s go before the Father, confess our sins, forgive those who sin against us, and ask for the cleansing that can only come from our Lord Jesus Christ who instructed us how we are to pray:

“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV)