Learning to Pray: The GRACE Prayer Systemናሙና
Admit and Confess
Of course, one reality we need to mention is the consequence of our sins takes us out of fellowship with God. While we have entered His gates and courts, we want to be fully into His presence. To do that we must confess our sins.
Psalm 32:5 assures us, "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.' And you forgave the guilt of my sin." Admitting sin restores intimacy with God.
Since God is holy, we want to come to Him with clean hands and a pure heart. It is important for us to take a moment to search our hearts, and to invite the Holy Spirit to bring areas where we have ‘missed the mark,’ which is what the word sin means. As we have things come to mind, we simply confess them, receive God’s forgiveness, and break off any agreements we’ve made with the enemy. We replace those sins with walking in the opposite spirit and feel the weight of sin fully lifting off.
It is worth mentioning here that everyone sins. There’s not a single person who doesn’t. In fact, the book of first John says that anybody who says that they are without sin is a liar and the truth of God does not abide in them. I don’t know about you, but I find this to be simply refreshing. I am not the only one who sins, and neither are you. Every single human being sins. The beautiful thing God offers everyone is grace and forgiveness through Jesus.
There’s not a single sin that’s too big for Jesus to forgive, and in fact, He delights in removing our sins from us from forgetting them as far as the east is from the west. One thing that we need to know is that God is faithful to forgive our sins when we confess them, and as a result, we can enter more fully into His glorious presence, prepared to ask Him for the things we need.
Daily Challenge:
Reflect on your thoughts, words and actions from the previous day, and see if there’s anything that you need to confess to God or to other people. If there is, humbly admit specific sins, and ask for forgiveness. Then commit to turning away from sin and living in obedience to God’s word. I encourage you to take some time to reflect on this activity, rather than rushing through it.