I don’t know about you but have failed at so many things in life.  If I would begin to go down the list and check off all the goof-ups, blunders, and short-comings it would tell a story most don’t get to see on the outside.  In every area of life, be it marriage, raising children, my relationship with God, or whatever – there is a mark of imperfection there, a blemish on my record.

Failure is one of those things that are hard to overcome for some.  Mess-ups have a way of smearing defeat in one’s face making them feel that there will never be a space for recovery and restoration.

The children of Israel had a propensity of straying from the will of God and messing up on several occasions (actually more than several but who are we to judge).  Knowing their history, when Solomon was praying at the temple dedication, he included a plea for restoration from the sins and mistakes of the people.  He prayed,

“When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:

Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.” (1 Kings 8:33-34)

In the above verses, we see a pattern to deal with defeat: 1) Pray and confess the wrong or mistake; 2) Let God restore.  Now listen, even if what one has “failed” at does not necessarily qualify as sin, such as one may wish they had spoken better to someone else or, in hindsight one realizes they could have put more effort on a project or, it was just an honest mistake of accidentally overlooking something or someone – whatever the cause innocent or not, I believe the same model that King Solomon laid out can be applied to just about every situation.

Point number one: Any mistake, honest and innocent to sin and wrong doing, can be taken to the Lord in prayer.  1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”  Not just your worries and disappointments, but every care that deals with situations that make one say, “Boy, I sure messed that up.  Now what?”

Taking things to God in prayer allows Him to work on your case and opens up the doors of grace to be released in one’s life.  Which leads to the second point: let God restore and work on your case.  Solomon’s prayer said, “Bring them again unto the land,” which speaks of the opportunity to set things straight and start over; another chance to experience recovery of the Lord’s healing over the situation.

God specializes in fixing the broken and healing what others thought was impossible.  Trust Him with everything that is bothering you and let Him work it out.

If the cause of failure is due to sin, confess it and get rid of it (seek spiritual counsel from a pastor or leader for help).  If one has made a mistake that’s keeping you bound in doubt, pray for His deliverance even in this.  God is standing at the ready to repair the brokenness and bring healing to the land.

“Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me,” (Micah 7:8).

“For God so loved the work, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved,” (John 3:16-17).