Confess our sins to God. Why this is an important component of prayer and faith? I think every believer understands that prayer is the most important element of our faith. And more should be mentioned – such elements form one large and beautiful mosaic of faith.
Maybe you have carried in your life or you are still carrying a terrible burden on your shoulders. When your guilt casts doubt on whether you could be forgiven, return to these words of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in … the forgiveness of sins.” You may not feel a warm sense of self-worth or a forgiven sense of sin. But with these words of the Apostles’ Creed, you affirm that, despite prolonged guilt and shame, you believe that all your sins are forgiven, as God, your Heavenly Father, has so declared.
Confess Your Sins
Forgiveness of sins comes through prayer when we confess our sins to God and ask for forgiveness.
Confessing your sins to God is also an element of effective prayer. I call it a step towards inner healing.
God cleanses and heals us from the inside out. And one of the most important moments, that leads to inner healing is the confession of one’s sins before God and the forgiveness of other people’s sins.
In order God to cleanse us by coming to Him daily in prayer, we need to repent of our sins. Such prayer heals and cleanses a person from within.
Remember what the apostle John said. This information is especially important for every believer: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1: 9)
After praying for repentance, God not only forgives us but also cleanses us from all injustice.
Sin is a poison that destroys human life
Whenever a person sins, something dies in him. Whether he knows it or not, whether he believes it or not. Sometimes conscience dies because of sin. God’s Word says that the cost of sin is death.
But whenever you consciously come to God and repent of your sins, something comes to life in you. Therefore, the more often you come in the presence of God, the more you will be filled with life.
Forgive Other People
Therefore, we confess before God all that God’s Spirit reveals to us, and we ask God for forgiveness.
But you have to forgive other people in the same way – those who have offended you or who have something against you. “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” (Hebrews 12:15)
Unforgiveness is the bitter root that deprives us of God’s favor. The Bible says that God forgives you if you forgive your offenders. “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11: 25-26)
Most problems and unanswered prayers are only due to unforgiveness. Some people think that the most important thing is my relationship with God, but everything else is insignificant. No. It is impossible to be on the ground and not come into contact with other people. Therefore, by forgiving and asking for forgiveness, we build relationships with each other, and it helps us heal not only spiritually but also physically.
With our unforgiveness, we will not block the grace of God and His blessings that He has prepared for each of us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I kneel before you. I admit that I often forget that I am your child, your follower, your soldier. Also I confess that sometimes the worries of this world concern me much more than the affairs of the Kingdom of God. I confess my weakness that allows sin to invade my life.
For all this, I ask Your forgiveness. I ask that you heal my heart from all the wounds inflicted by a sinful life. Please give me a clear mind and inner strength. So that I can spot evil in time and prevent it.
Father, I believe in the forgiveness of my sins, which Christ earned for me on the cross. Help me in my unbelief when I feel guilty and repent of my old burden, that I may never doubt your goodness and mercy again. Amen.
May God bless you abundantly!
Also read: SHORT DAILY PRAYER. What does everyday prayer speak to your heart?
