Week 2: Acknowledge and Confess
Read, Discuss and Pray Through The Following Topics:
Read: Living with unconfessed sin will sap your spiritual strength. But when we confess our sin before God, it brings relief and joy, as forgiveness and a clear conscience are attained. “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!” (Psalm 32:1-2).
Confession is an important aspect of our faith. Therefore it is essential to confess to both God and one another if we want to experience healing and freedom. Biblical confession includes this horizontal dimension. Confession to God alone does not lift us into the freedom we desire. However earnest the confession to God might be, it’s not all we are called to do. Confessing our sins to God alone can be a way of not fully dealing with our sins. James 5:16 shows us where freedom can be found: “Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
Action: Break into groups of 4, and pray for the next 15 min. Begin by acknowledging your sins before God. Confess specific patterns of sin that you want deliverance from and ask God for forgiveness. Psalm 51:3, "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."
Confess General Ways We Have Rebelled Against God and Violated His Law
Grieve over our inclination to think and do things not pleasing to God (Rom 7:15-25).
Consider how slow we are to incline our mind toward the things of God (Col 3:2).
Lament the stubbornness of our will and its reticence to obey (Rom 6:16).
Confess our absorption with the things of this world that have no eternal value (1 Jn 2:15-17)
Ask God to forgive you for those disordered desires (James 1:14-15)
Express your deepest sorrow over how sin has affected the whole person (Rom 8:6-8). Confess Specific Ways We Sin in Thought, Word and Deed
Humble yourself by confessing pride in your life
Ask God to forgive you for the times you have broken out in rash, unbridled anger
Repent of your covetousness and love for what is not yours to have
Renounce self-sufficiency
Express sorrow for anxiety, impatience and complaining
Ask God to forgive you for not trusting his plan/purpose and being dejected as a result
Repent for the lack of love displayed toward your brothers and sisters
Confess the times you have not lived at peace with your relatives, neighbors and friends
Confess the ways your tongue consistently leads you into sin
Confess your laziness and spiritual lethargy
God’s Promise to Us: "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
Quote: "Confession of sin is not only an acknowledgement of guilt, but also an expression of faith in the mercy of God through Jesus Christ." – John Calvin