Becoming Like Jesus: PrayerSample

Taking the Masks Off

Confession is the practice of bringing our whole selves into the light.

Yesterday, we were comforted by the fact that God is light and there’s no darkness in Him at all. He’s not hiding anything from us. We can trust Him, always.

We were also challenged by John to be truly honest about what we say and how we live. Today, we are going to continue to dive into John’s letter so we can experience firsthand the power of confession.

Pray…

Heavenly Father, thank you for being trustworthy and good. Thank you that you don’t change and I can be confident in who you are. Jesus, thank you for showing us how to live in the light and what a relationship with the Father was alway meant to look like. Holy Spirit, continue to convict me and call me out. I want to live more truly today. Help me do that. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Read…

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 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 1:8-10 NIV

Consider…

John continues to point out the dangers of self-deception and hypocrisy. He is calling us to integrity.

Hypocrisy is putting on a show to make people think something about us that is not consistent with reality. Self-deception is what happens when we even buy into the lie and lose touch with reality.

Integrity is the opposite. It’s being whole and undivided as a person and with your intentions. It’s being, consistently, who you really are.

Which of these words is more true of you? Do you put on a false front for people? Or maybe even for God?

It’s time to take the masks off. Jesus is calling us into the light, to become people of the light, so we can be the light of the world. He is inviting us to wholeness and integrity—to be who we really are. And there is so much freedom in that.

Come to Him, through confession, and let Him make you whole again.

Practice…

As you pray today, continue to ask God to search you. What mask do you need to take off? Let Him tell you and help you set them down. What deception or hypocrisy do you need to confess? Bring it to Him and invite others into the process too. That is how we become people of integrity.

Listen…

Create space to experience God’s presence by getting quiet, getting alone, and asking Him to speak. Start by setting a timer for five minutes.

Next, ask God to speak to you.

When you get distracted, because you will get distracted, bring your focus back to God by repeating the first words of the Lord’s prayer: “Our Father…”

When the timer ends, thank God for the time you got to spend with Him, then head into your day looking for opportunities to better serve Him and serve others.