Folks if you could pray for me that would be much appreciated. Lately I've been in a rut of a lack of spiritual progress. In particular when I pray for repentance, while I do have imperfect contrition, I too often lack that godly sorrow that the BCP talks about. Any prayers would be appreciated.
To me it seems that the motive may be essential: how do you discern perfect from imperfect contrition? Like are you just not contrite at all
Praying for you, Joe. I think we all go through spiritually dry periods, and many of the saints have as well. The important thing is to keep going and stay the course. In time, it will pass.
No it's not a matter of not being contrite at all, but simply not having the full feeling of the weight of why it was wrong, etc.... "Feeling" is not a great word to describe it here but rather that sense of sadness that comes with repentance.
But we can't command our feelings, you know this right? Our feelings are not aren't subject to our will and thus we can never command our feelings to be such and such..
I am puzzled that you pray for repentance rather than just doing it and moving on in the Spirit. It may be that God is not as offended as you imagine. It is the Holy Spirit who brings conviction. If you don't feel convicted then perhaps the Spirit does not think it necessary. The accuser would just be overjoyed at the prospect of hindering your ability to see and do the works prepared by God for you to walk in. Don't let an imperfect past rob you of a God guided future.