Confession is the act of inviting God to walk the acreage of our heart.
“There is a rock of greed over here, Father. I can’t budge it.
And that tree of guilt near the fence? Its roots are long and deep.
And may I show you some dry soil, too crusty for seed?”
God’s seed grows better if the soil of the heart is cleared.
Max Lucado
(What follows is a template for confession that I’ve used over the years. PR)
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>INVITE GOD INTO THE PROCESS –
Pray these verses aloud:
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>REGARDING SINS –
*Take time to be quiet and listen.
*Confess anything God brings to mind.
*Name and offer them humbly.
Unless we realize our sins enough to call them by name,
it is hardly worthwhile to say anything about them at all.
When we pray for forgiveness, let us say,
“my temper,” or “untruthfulness,” or “pride,”
“my selfishness, my cowardice, indolence, jealousy, revenge, impurity.”
To recognize our sins,
we must look them in the face and call them by their right names, however hard.
Honesty in confession calls for definiteness in confession.
Maltbie Davenport Babcock
“Lord, forgive me for …“
Confess sin quickly.
You don’t want to allow your heart to get in the habit of keeping sin a secret.
Jackie Hill Perry
*With God, there is no time lag between confession and forgiveness.
*Accept the truth that you are forgiven.
*Think about His grace and sin no more.
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>REGARDING HURTS –
“Lord, I forgive … for … I relinquish and claim against them,
and entrust them to Your authority.”
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>REGARDING THE FUTURE –
*Ask for what you need:
“Lord, I need help with … “
*Listen for His instructions:
“Speak, Lord, your servant is listening…”
(1 Samuel 3:10)
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>FINALLY, LET GOD’S GRACE WORK IN YOU:
*Healing inner hurts and the wounds of sin.
*Giving you peace and the assurance that all is clear between you and your Savior.
*Transforming you into Christlikeness.
