Enhancing your Prayer Life through Confession

By Tischa Van de Reep

I’d like to start with a question: What distances us from God?

Sin, disobedience, avoidance, distraction. These all distance us from God, and it’s why we need confession to draw closer to Him.

Confession seems like a scary word to us. Maybe we’ve watched too many crime dramas where confession leads to conviction, which means a lack of freedom.

But with God, it’s all the other way around.

Conviction about our sin leads to confession, and confession leads to freedom.

We don’t like to admit our wrongs, but we must keep two things in mind:

1. God already knows.

2. Confession is an unburdening.

Our refusal to confess is us clinging to things that are not of God. Those thoughts or acts occupy space in our hearts, minds, and lives that should be filled with the Spirit of God. They become burdens we carry around unnecessarily. Confession removes those burdens and gives us a clean slate.

Read 1 John 1:9. What does God do when we confess our sins?

Does He condemn us? Does He punish us? No, He cleanses and forgive us because God is faithful and just.

If confession leads to us being unburdened by a faithful and just God, what happens when we don’t confess?

Read Psalm 32:1-5. Can you relate to how David felt in verses 3 & 4?

Picture yourself covered in manure and you just don’t want to acknowledge it. You put really nice clothes on; you even use perfume to cover the stench. You may look good, but there’s still that stink. You’re in such denial about the stink that you’re more interested in concealing it than getting rid of it. The trick is not to let anyone get too close, including God. But He holds the hose!

The only way to get the stink off is to approach God and ask to be cleansed.

Only God can cleanse you, only He can free you.

Without confession, acknowledgement of your sin, a truly close relationship with God is impossible.

Read 1 Peter 1:16. What is written? (Based on Leviticus 11:44)

Now read 1 Thessalonians 4:7. What do you conclude from this?

God wants us clean! If we carry the stain of sin, He wants to cleanse us of it. He calls us to be holy which means pure, blameless, set apart. A surgeon’s tools are completely sterilized before use. A craftsman, artist, or artisan prefers to set aside the clean tools for her next masterpiece rather than use the dirty ones. Would you serve your friends by pouring from an unclean vessel? So why would God? Old, worn, used, damaged, broken, cracked, faded, tired, recycled, repurposed, salvaged, sure, He’ll use those vessels, but not if they’re unclean.

Confession acknowledges that:

1. God is holy – He and sin don’t mix. If you’re going to be close to God, you’re going to have to separate yourself from sin. Give it to Him to dispose of for you. Confession draws us closer to His holiness and brings us closer to being holy ourselves.

2. You trust Him – You trust that He is for you and loves you. You trust that He is good and gentle, and that there’s nothing that will override His affection for you. You trust that you’re safe with Him.

3. You need His grace and forgiveness – To be clean, whole, and free requires God’s loving hand. His grace and forgiveness give you permission to release the burdens you’ve been carrying. 

4. You don’t want sin, you want Jesus – This is where you’re willing to lay it on the line and come clean because Jesus is more important than anything you’re trying to hide. Confession allows us to step out of the darkness and into His Light.

Confession is not:

1. An indictment of how bad you are.

2. An invitation to punishment.

3. For show – it’s not part of a ritual of prayer – it’s for release.

4. The end of you and God. It’s a new beginning as you walk in repentance.

So how about it? Are you ready to draw closer to God in your prayer life through confession? Lay your burdens at His feet, dear sister, and leave them there.

Lord Jesus, my sin no longer has power over me, You do. I confess my sins to You and ask You to cleanse my heart. I commit myself to You, my Savior, for all my days. In Your holy name I pray. Amen.

Tischa Van de Reep

Author: Tischa is a Trinidad-born writer and speaker married to Harald, a Dutchman. They live in The Woodlands, TX with their two sons, Julian and Aidan. Tischa brings authenticity and vulnerability to all her teachings on Scripture. She is the author of “Unpopular: Following Jesus, Not the Crowd” as well as several other Bible teachings and Bible studies. Apart from teaching Scripture from her living room and various churches, Tischa’s work in ministry extends from homeless women in Houston, to expat wives in Budapest, Hungary, to rural villagers in Malawi, Africa, and women across the US. For more info, go to tischavandereep.com