Dad, I’m Sorry

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven.

Psalm 32:1

Dad, I’m really sorry.” Jeremy could barely get the words out. Having borrowed his dad’s credit card for groceries, he had used it to purchase beer for his buddies. His dad might never have known about it, but for that little device inside the human heart called a conscience. “I shouldn’t have bought the beer, I shouldn’t have lied about my age, and I shouldn’t have used your credit card to do it. You trusted me, and I let you down. I’m sorry. I will never do it again.”

That’s confession. That’s what we must do in our prayers.

In the New Testament, the Greek word translated “confession” means to agree with God concerning His opinion about a matter. It means to admit our guilt. When we confess our sins, we are agreeing with God concerning the sin in our lives as revealed through His Word and by the Holy Spirit. When we confess, we verbalize our spiritual shortcomings and admit our sin.

Confession is painful, but it keeps our relationship with our heavenly Father clear, open, and close. Hiding our sin builds a barrier between us and God.

Do you have a sin to confess? “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).