How to Pray, Part II:
Confession
Today’s Verse—1 John 1:9
God is faithful and fair. If we admit that we have
sinned, he will forgive us our sins. He will forgive
every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure.
In 2004, Naomi Shemer finally decided to come clean. She was dying of cancer, and there was something bothering her conscience.
She was one of Israel’s most famous songwriters and had written the song “Jerusalem of Gold.” The beloved song had become the unofficial Israeli national anthem. But she had spent almost forty years denying the accusation that she had gotten the melody from a lullaby that had been written many decades earlier. Countless times people accused her of stealing the tune, but she consistently rejected the idea.
On her deathbed, she confessed to stealing the tune, perhaps subconsciously. She had felt bad about it many years. She said, “I consider the entire affair a regrettable work accident—so regrettable that it may be the reason for me taking ill.” She actually considered that her cancer may have been caused by the guilt she felt for this secret.
The Lord’s Prayer teaches us how to confess. First, it’s good to admit when we do something wrong. Telling the truth about our faults keeps us humble. It also helps us remember how much we rely on God, since we’re all sinners.
Second, confession helps with our feelings of guilt, because we know that God forgives sin. “Forgive me for . . .” should be a part of all of our prayers.
Third, when we confess and repent of doing wrong, it helps us know what to work on in the future. For example, if you notice that you’re confessing a lot about lying, then telling the truth in the future is something you should focus on. Confession isn’t all that helpful unless it’s followed by repentance. So when you confess to God about lying, you also need to repent by turning away from your sin and changing your behavior with God’s help.
Loquacious Learning with Eugene
Several scientific studies have linked feelings of guilt with depression. That’s not terribly surprising, but guilt has been linked to physical problems as well. Sickness and disease can be caused by feelings of guilt. Confession is usually a good solution. Confessing one’s sins to God and to others (especially a person you’ve wronged or disobeyed) will take the weight off your proverbial shoulders.
Confession is hard, because admitting we’re not perfect is hard. But there’s something that’s harder: keeping it all inside and being hurt by guilt. Just like Naomi Shemer did.
Daily Challenge
Think back over the past week. Is there a sin you haven’t confessed yet? Have you lied? Hurt someone’s feelings? Shown disrespect to an adult? Have you stolen? Disobeyed your parents? Make sure you bring these things up in your next prayer. And if you need to make anything right, do that, too.
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Prayer Theme Memory Verse—1 Thessalonians 5:17
Never stop praying.