Confession

A.C.T.S. Oh yea you’ve heard that acronym before! This is printed on a bookmark of mine. It stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. It’s meant to keep our crazy wandering minds focused during prayer. It was given as a gift from a woman at church- and what a blessing it has been for me-as God has used this to help me get back to talking to Him again.

More specifically, confession has been an interesting part of prayer for me. So often I thank God for His goodness and move along to my needs. But with this reminder to CONFESS and verses like I John 1:9 saying “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” confessing has really made me take a look at the things I struggle with. It’s no joke-almost daily I find myself asking forgiveness for bitter, prideful and arrogant thoughts! It isn’t now until I’ve realized that this is seriously a struggle for me. Wow, God wants us to confess for a reason: To be forgiven, so we can be forgiven. He must be serious about this sanctification stuff, eh?

When I think about the amount of time that is needed in confession, I am definitely reminded that my sin is GREAT and my need for Jesus is a desperate one. The sermon over the weekend is continually on my mind. Through confession I’ve been “remembering” (as Paul calls the Ephesians to in 2:11,12) my desperate state. But as he goes on to say in verse 13 “but now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” BUT NOW, though a sinner full of bitter, prideful thoughts, I have a hope in Jesus Christ to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Yes, my sin is great but my Jesus is BIGGER.

Thank GOD for CONFESSION. Thank GOD for the BLOOD OF CHRIST.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1