How to Pray & What to Pray for – What the Bible SaysSample

ACTS:  C is for “Confession” – Step 2 of Your Prayer

Once you’ve completed a period of praise & adoration for your great God, examine yourself and consider how you may have fallen short of God’s plan.

As Christians, we want to show an example of righteousness, love and service, just as Jesus did. But as we come before God, it is important to make honest assessment of where we have failed, fallen short or otherwise missed following through on God’s plan for us.

A confession of your shortcomings is your way of saying you’re sorry to God, healing the brokenness that you’ve introduced into the relationship. During confession, apologize for the things you did wrong, as well as the things you didn’t do but should have done. 

Confessing your weaknesses, shortcomings, and sinfulness to God is therapy for the relationship. Imagine someone who has wronged you but who still wants you to come and help them. If that person continues to wrong you and never apologizes, you’re likely to be less interested in helping. Similarly, God wants to hear that you’re sorry, that you are repentant, and that you want to change your ways.

The Bible underscores the importance of confessing your sins:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.


– 1 John 1:9-10

Remember Nehemiah’s prayer for release from service to go build the walls of Jerusalem? Now check the verses that follow the opening of his prayer, confessing not only his own sins & shortcomings, but also those of his family and the people he was to lead:

I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.  – Nehemiah 1:6b-7

Daniel, raised up from Jewish captive to senior official in the Babylonian government included a similarly broad confession for those under his leadership as he prayed for the deliverance of Jerusalem some years earlier (see Daniel 9:4-19).

And, of course, Jesus also emphasized confession as an integral part of prayer, including it in the Lord’s Prayer:

Forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.  – Matthew 6:12 (TLB)

As a Christian, you need to “come clean” when mistakes are made. So it’s is important to confess your failures, shortcomings and lack of follow-through on opportunities presented by God.

The path to following Jesus was never promised to be easy, but the Bible makes it clear that honest admission of your mistakes is important:

A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.  – Proverbs 28:13 (TLB)

Praise God for His patience, mercy & forgiveness as you draw close to Him.

With the slate made clean once again, you are ready to approach God with your requests and thanksgiving!

Reflection / Application

When was the last time someone came to you to admit a mistake or confess the error of their ways? How did that feel?    

1. When was the last time you honestly opened up to God on where you fell short? Jesus gave His life so that we can receive forgiveness and approach God directly with our requests. Do you see how a lack of confession can hinder your communication with God?     
2. As you review any issues to bring before God in confession, be sure not to ignore the things that you know God would have wanted you to do, but you didn’t. Apologize for those also.