When we deliberately sin, we’re rebelling against God’s rule in our lives – and we feel bad about it. Feeling bad is evidence that we truly are redeemed children of God; otherwise our sins wouldn’t bother us. Have you ever had a moment where you’ve ended up feeling really bad about something you’ve done? Maybe you decide you want to go to a party that your parents don’t want you to go to. So you tell them you’re going to a friend’s house when actually you’re heading to the party, planning to never tell your parents what you’ve done. You’re not caught, but you start feeling bad about it. The guilt increases until it reaches a level where you’ve just got to tell your parents about what you did. That’s confession. And that’s what we must do in our prayers. The Greek word translated as confession means ‘to agree with God.’ When we confess our sins, we’re agreeing with God about the sin in our lives which is revealed through His Word and by the Holy Spirit. When we confess, we verbalise our sin and receive cleansing and forgiveness. Confession is often painful, but it keeps our relationship with our Heavenly Father clear, open, and close. The Bible says: ‘Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy’ (Proverbs 28:13 NIV). When we try and hide our sin from God, we no longer feel we can approach Him with confidence. Do you have a sin to confess? ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (1 John 1:9 NKJV).
