Practicing Prayer of Confession

Prayer

Father God, we marvel and wonder at your Goodness, your Holiness, your Mercy, and Grace. We pray that your kingdom reigns on earth, and tonight, we pray that your kingdom comes in a special way in our church and our lives as we turn to you in prayer and confession. Amen.

Intro

Have you ever messed up? No, that’s not the right question. Of course, you have. Here’s a better question:

What should you do when you mess up?

How do you, as a person who messes up, as a person who is messed up, talk to perfect and Holy God?

Tonight, on this Ash Wednesday, as we reflect on our sins, I’m so happy to tell the good news that the Bible answers that question.

The Bible tells us what we should do. And it tells us what God has done and will do.

Preparing Our Hearts for Confession

Daniel 9:3 HCSB

3 So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

In the same year Daniel faced the lion’s den, he came before God to confess how Israel had messed up. He models for us how to pray a prayer of confession.

He prepared by fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. These are all external things that represent our hearts being broken over sin sincerely coming to God.

Do you see why this is a great passage to look at on Ash Wednesday?

A. Start with God

Daniel 9:4 HCSB

4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: Ah, Lord—the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands —

We started with signing of the wonder of God.

Did you notice how Daniel started this prayer of confession? He didn’t start with himself at all. He started with God.

“Ah, Lord - the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant.

If you look hard enough, you can always find someone else worse than you. I’m not that bad, compared to… whoever.

But when we start with God, we realize two things.

1st. In light of God’s holiness our own sin stands out. We see just how clearly we need God’s grace and mercy.

2nd. When we remember God’s grace we can approach him with confidence because we know how good he is.

Hebrews 4:16 HCSB

16 Therefore let us approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us at the proper time.

Start your prayer of confession with wonder at God’s goodness and approach him with trust in his grace.

B. Honestly and Specifically admit your sin

Having started with God Daniel then turns inward to bring his confession:

Daniel 9:5 HCSB

5 we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from Your commands and ordinances.

He goes on in the next verses to confess the sins of the people of Israel and how they turned away from God.

As we are looking at confessing our own sin, here are two principles we can learn.

1. Pray Honestly

In the garden Adam and Eve tried to hide from God. Think of how foolish they looked hiding in the trees of the garden.

But God of course found them and asked “ what is this you have done?”

Adam blame Eve, and God.

Genesis 3:12 HCSB

12 Then the man replied, “The woman You gave to be with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.”

That’s not an honest confession.

When Moses confronted Aaron about making a gold idol Aaron answered:

Exodus 32:24 HCSB

24 So I said to them, ‘Whoever has gold, take it off,’ and they gave it to me. When I threw it into the fire, out came this calf!”

These dishonest excuses don’t work with God. He sees us and he knows us. Pray honestly.

2. Pray Specifically

But not just honestly, pray specifically. It is very easy to say “I have sinned” and ask for forgiveness. Daniel could have done that in this prayer.

But he didn’t. He talked about the sin itself how we have sin. He mentioned the just consequence of that sin, how we were scattered but a just but merciful God. He prayed about how God had sent prophets to correct the sin but we did not listen.

How did Daniel confess? Specifically.

We don’t need to pray on behalf of Israel. We may want to confess on behalf of our country, our church, our family, and certainly and most often our self.

What specifically do we pray about?

• actions we have done,

• or not done,

• thoughts we’ve had,

• attitudes we’ve held

• which are sinful because they go against God’s moral boundaries.

We confess our sins specifically. Not so God will learn our secret but to come into agreement with God about what he already knows.

We pray specifically so that we might face the truth ourselves and gain grace and forgiveness from a God who is full of grace and mercy.

C. Trust in God’s Grace

Now, let’s turn to verse 18 as Daniel concludes this prayer of confession:

Daniel 9:18–19 HCSB

18 Listen, my God, and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city called by Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You based on our righteous acts, but based on Your abundant compassion. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for Your own sake, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.

Daniel finishes his prayer by repeating his request for forgiveness and saying where his hope comes from.

Where does his hope come from?

Is it based on OUR righteous acts?

No, it, is based on God’s “abundant compassion.”

The wonder of God, and wonder of our prayer of confession is just how deep and wide and great God’s love is for us.

How great God compassion and mercy God is for you. When you come to him in confession.

1 John 1:9 HCSB

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.