Praying to Confess My Sin

A practice I have found helpful in my prayer life is the confession of sin.  There are many types of prayer – adoration, confession, thanksgiving, intercession, remembrance, etc.  But confession should hold a special place in our prayers.  Jesus taught us to pray “And forgive us our sins”.  The Psalms are full of the confession of sins.  The heart of the Gospel is the forgiveness of sin offered to us in Christ.  Thus, not including confession of sin in our prayers would be unthinkable.  In fact, it would render prayer as something other than Christian.

Including the confession of sin is particularly appropriate at this time of year.  As I mentioned last week, the church calendar sets aside specific times for various disciplines to give focus to particular aspects of the faith.  For example, one key focus in Lent is the confession of our sins and weakness, asking God to forgive us and to empower us to walk in holiness.  However, confession of sin is never out of season!  We sin daily, so we need to confess daily.

Confession includes both the general recognition of our sin nature and also specific instances of sin.  And in the Gospel, it must always also recognize that in Christ those who repent and confess sin are assured of forgiveness and cleansing.  Thus, Christian confession always includes the reality of God’s grace and forgiveness.

I encourage you to spend time in confession of your sins this week.  Your Father knows Your sin, but it is critical for you to recognize, name, and confess it.  And then be assured that Your Father forgives your sin in Christ – praise His Name!

In Christ,

Bret