Types of Prayer: Contrition

2 Corinthians 7:10 

"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death."

The Bible speaks often of a contrite heart. In Isaiah 66:2, the Lord says, “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” And in Psalm 51:17, David writes, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” Contrition is spoken of as something God likes, and it is linked in these verses to humility, brokenness, and a healthy fear of God’s Word.

Standing at my kitchen sink, I heard the screams from down the hall. “No, mine!” my youngest yelled. Another little voice quickly followed, “Oww, you hit me! I don't want to play with you.” Stomping neared as I turned around to address the inevitable tattle-telling heading my way.

My two littles stood before me as we talked through using kind words and hands. At the end of our discussion, I had my girls face one another and apologize. They both quickly murmured, “Sorry, sissy” and went their separate ways. Although resolved, the encounter left me wondering if my discipline was taking root at all.

Seeing myself in them, I know I am often the same — walking away from my sin with apathy. Just as I desire to see my kids feel true remorse over hurting one another, God desires to see my own heart broken and contrite over my sin. Psalm 51:17 points us towards what it means to have a contrite heart and spirit, and how we can apply this Scripture every day.

What Does Psalm 51:17 Mean by a Broken Spirit and a Contrite Heart Definition?

To have a contrite spirit means we feel guilt or remorse over our wrongdoing and seek repentance in place of our sin. This is exemplified in Psalm 51 as King David laments and repents over his sin in 2 Samuel 11-12:14. David wrote this Psalm just after Nathan the prophet confronted David about sleeping with another man’s wife (Bathsheba), impregnating her, and arranging her husband Uriah’s murder. David’s sin was great, but as Psalm 51:1 states, Gods mercy is abundant.

The confessional prayer of this Psalm is deeply personal for David, but its instructional elements provide a framework for how we, as believers, are to have a broken spirit and contrite heart. The Psalm is best read as a whole, not focusing solely on verse 17, but taking all 19 verses into context. As you read through the Psalm, you will find a few key elements that explain what it means to have a broken spirit and contrite heart.

A Broken Spirit and Contrite Heart Means We Are Humble Before God

The Psalm opens with an appeal to God for mercy and forgiveness. David’s plea for God’s steadfast love points to our need for humility before God. As David openly admits his sin, he confesses God’s mercy is not something that He deserves, but desires. David does not spend his time looking inward for the answer or solution to his problem but humbles himself by looking outward towards God and His promises.

A broken spirit and contrite heart means that we come humbly before God acknowledging our sin and proclaiming God’s goodness. This form of humble spirit expresses our need for God and His salvation alone. It does not blame God or others for our sin, but rather takes full responsibility for the actions we took. As we humble ourselves before God, we recognize and become dependent upon His mercy. This both kills the pride that God opposes within us and maximizes the mercy of God as the one who deserves the glory.

The roots of the contrition trace back to the Old Testament, most notably through the “Penitential Psalms.”Praying for God’s forgiveness “became the path for re-admittance into God’s presence, lost because of sin.” In the New Testament, we see examples of the power of contrition in the Gospel of Luke, with the penitent woman whom Jesus forgives.

Praying in contrition helps us strive towards “metanoia.”

Metanoia can be described as conversion or “to turn one’s mind around.” When we confess and demonstrate contrition, we turn our hearts and minds towards God, away from our own selfishness. Praying contritely can be the first step in undergoing this powerful change that encompasses our thoughts and actions.

So turn you eyes and your mind humble yourself by repenting of how we grieve God, pray a prayerof contrition.

"I want to know God's thoughts, the rest are details." Einstein