Prayer of Confession: Embrace Forgiveness and Declare God’s Promises for Your Life

As we prepare our hearts and minds for prayer, allow yourself to clear some space, quiet the noise, and begin our guided prayer of confession and the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus includes this type of prayer by saying,

“And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us” (Luke 11:4).

Here, Jesus emphasizes the most common understanding of confession: “I did something wrong, I’m sorry, and I am asking for forgiveness.” However, confession is not limited to our past. In God’s word, there is also a confession for our future, and this will be our focus today. We all want to move away from the sin that entangles us in life. The cycle of sin, repent, repeat is often too familiar. Today, let’s move beyond an aversion to sin and into a vision for our life as we walk through the progression of confession: failure, confession from, forgiveness, and confession for. Let us take a few moments to focus on confession from our past, reflecting on 1 John 1:8:

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

We all fall short of the glory and standard of God. Yet, God is willing to cover us with His grace, and a refusal to confess is a removal of that covering. Come into agreement with the Lord concerning areas in your life where you have fallen short. Let Him reveal any sin through your words, deeds, or thoughts. As Psalm 44:21 says,

“God would surely have known it, for He knows the secrets of every heart.”

You don’t have to hide anything from your Father.

Pray with me:
God, I recognize I cannot hide anything from You. You see all of me, so I confess my wrong actions, attitudes, thoughts, motives, words, and wanderings. I reject them as poison to my soul. Just as You give me an appetite for Your Word and presence, give me a disdain for the things that destroy me. Help me see through the false promise of pleasure to the pain it causes me and others. Fill me with Your grace and power to pursue right living. Thank You, God.

Be reassured by

You are forgiven. You are cleansed. You are empowered to walk into the future God has planned for you. Confession from sin moves us toward confession for our future, family, friends, and faith. Consider this: what if your words shape your world? What if the words you speak daily contribute to the results you see internally and externally? Let us now focus on confession for our future.

God has given you power through words. Proverbs 18:21 says,

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Confessing for our future is not about naming desires and waiting on God but declaring His truth and promises over our lives. Repeat these statements after me:

• I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
• I have been given the mind of Christ.
• I am an overcomer, not a failure.
• The gifts and call of God are irrevocable upon my life.
• I am the head and not the tail.
• I am a child of God, promised a glorious inheritance.

Hebrews 10:22-23 encourages us: “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

Pray with me:
God, I choose to confess Your promises over my life. I commit to training my tongue to speak only what aligns with the truth of Your Word. You say I am chosen, loved, filled with Your Spirit, and that my future is bright. Help me to move beyond just avoiding sin and into living out the vision You have for my life. Today, I rely on Your power and guidance to fulfill the future and purpose You have for me. Amen

Take a moment now to reach out to God in your own words, connecting your thoughts to His as He meets you in this moment.