The Archdeacon of Hackney has spoken of the need for repentance and forgiveness in the midst of the 'busyness' of life.
In a video forming part of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Thy Kingdom Come initiative, aimed at encouraging Christians to pray for conversions, Ven Elizabeth Adekunle says: 'In all the busyness of life, it's easy to rush around and not to stop and simply reflect, to give glory to God for all that God has done and is doing in our lives. And of course to pray for other people to know God. And that's so important, because God offers a relationship like no other. He offers the power to heal, and loves us and embraces us in a way that just overflows. So I encourage you to pray for other people to know that deep, wonderful and beautiful relationship.'
She continues: 'I'd also like to encourage us today to ask for God's forgiveness; to come to God when we have made mistakes and to say sorry. To come to God in humility. Because the truth is we do make mistakes. We offend God and we offend others. And Jesus speaks quite a lot about forgiveness in the Bible, and that when we come in forgiveness we are embrace and forgiven and loved because of that.'
In a prayer, she says: 'In all the busyness of life, help us to make time to reflect and to say sorry when we have said or done things that we are ashamed of, or when we feel overwhelmed by regret. Help us to know that in our suffering you suffer too. Please wash away these intense emotions with your grace. Help us to grasp more of your love, to receive your forgiveness as we have been forgiven. Help us to know that you love us and understand our hearts.'
The Thy Kingdom Come initiative is a global prayer movement, which invites Christians around the world to pray between Ascension and Pentecost for more people to come to know Jesus Christ. It concludes on June 4.
