⁶⁹ Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. “You also were with Jesus of Galilee,” she said.

⁷⁰ But he denied it before them all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

⁷¹ Then he went out to the gateway, where another servant girl saw him and said to the people there, “This fellow was with Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁷² He denied it again, with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ After a little while, those standing there went up to Peter and said, “Surely you are one of them; your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he began to call down curses, and he swore to them, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Dear God, when is the last time I actually felt shame for a sin I committed and repented at this level? I know that Peter was in an extreme situation and his emotions were high, but I am still touched by his regret for the sin he swore to himself he would never commit.

Do I take my sin this seriously? Sure, Peter was in an exceptional situation and I can see where his actions would drive him to weep bitterly, but still, when I commit a sin, do I allow the gravity of its consequences to penetrate my soul and call me to a deep repentance?

Father, too many people read this prayer for me to enumerate my sins here, but you know the ones that are on my heart. You know the thoughts that are running through my head right now as I type this. Frankly, it all comes back to selfishness. So I confess these things to you and I ask that you will forgive me. Thank you that Peter is an example of not only zeal for you, but of failure and repentance as well. I am grateful for what he did and was recorded for me to see.