By David Faust
Some prayers are easier to say than others.
It’s natural to make requests like “Help me, Lord,” asking God to meet our needs and solve our problems. It’s more difficult to say, “Help them, Lord,” for intercession requires us to care about others unselfishly and speak to God on their behalf. Thanksgiving is a pleasant form of prayer as we say, “Thank you, Lord.” Praise comes a little harder. It takes effort to concentrate on God’s character and say, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul.”
CONFUSION ABOUT CONFESSION
For many of us, though, confession is the most difficult kind of prayer. How often do you hear honest, earnest prayers of confession in a worship service? It’s hard to say, “Lord, I have done wrong. Please forgive me” (or “forgive us”). I have been in small groups where no one had a problem doing what it says in Philippians 4:6, “by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” but when it was time for prayers of confession, everyone got silent—or cautiously raised a few issues considered safe for public mention.
Why is confession so difficult? Here are four reasons we struggle with this form of prayer.
1. Confusion: We don’t understand what confession means. The Greek verb translated “confess” in the New Testament (homologeo) literally meant to “say the same thing” or “agree.” Confession means thoughtful agreement, not whiny groveling. Positively, confession of faith means saying the same thing about Jesus as the Bible: He is the Messiah, our Savior and Lord. Negatively, confession means admitting our sins and agreeing with God’s Word when we have done wrong.
2. Rationalization: We are quick to explain away our misdeeds. We struggle with confession because lack of transparency is part of the fallen human condition. Just as Adam and Eve tried to hide from God in the Garden of Eden, we offer flimsy fig-leaf excuses instead of being honest with our Creator. Embarrassed and defensive, we cover up our faults and blame others rather than admitting our shortcomings.
3. Shallow relationships: It’s hard to “confess your sins to each other and pray for each other” (James 5:16) in a low-trust environment. Through his Covenant Connections ministry, Alan Ahlgrim leads in-depth small groups for church leaders. He urges them to “be honest with all, transparent with some, and vulnerable with a few.” It isn’t always necessary or wise to spill your guts before the whole congregation, but we all need some high-trust relationships where it’s safe to be vulnerable and share our struggles.
4. Pride. We are too stubborn to come clean. The Lord blesses the poor in spirit and
gives grace to the humble. The garbage truck comes to my house each Monday morning and takes the trash away. I never run after the truck shouting, “Hey, bring that stuff back!” I’m glad it’s gone. Likewise, let’s rejoice knowing, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
Christians often talk about how “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective,” but do you remember how that verse begins? It says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). If we want our prayers to be more powerful and effective, let’s pay more attention to the challenging art of confession.
Personal Challenge: Write your own personal paraphrase of Psalm 51, pouring out your heart in confession to God.
Always enjoy David’s insights.