Prayer - Confession

Proverbs 28:13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

I recently read an article that asked, “Have you discovered the great joy of confession?  Some do not consider confession to be a great joy.  Instead, they see it as a painful and humiliating experience.  But perhaps some need the humiliation of an honest confession to help break them out of their sin.  Others, those who sincerely seek the abundant Mercy of God, will take great delight in confessing because they see the glorious effect it has upon their soul.” The article goes on to say,  “Seek to love confession.  Pray that it becomes something that you long for as you anticipate the wonderful fruits of this holy purification.

Notice that the writer of Proverbs makes it plain that confession and renouncing uncovers the Mercy of God. The loving kindness of God becomes evident. This is no romantic fickle love.

I turn again to the words of Fred Buechner; “Romantic love is blind to everything except what is lovable and lovely, but Christ's love sees us with terrible clarity and sees us whole. Christ's love so wishes our joy that it is ruthless against everything in us that diminishes our joy. The worst sentence Love can pass is that we behold the suffering which Love has endured for our sake, and that is also our acquittal. The justice and mercy of the judge are ultimately one.”

God of Grace, you call us to be different from the world, but the world is seductive, and so we come here to be strengthened. God of Vision, you hold before us an alternate way of life, different priorities, different loyalties, different values. But we know that the world is not only seductive but powerful, and so we are drawn in to following its priorities, accepting its values, showing loyalty to its gods. God who blesses the meek, the peacemakers, the merciful, forgive us when we lose sight of these qualities, when we misunderstand their role in the world. Amen