Prayers of Confession

Today’s reading is out of Psalm 51. Begin today’s devotion by reading this entire Psalm.

The amazing part of God’s grace is that no matter how bad we mess up in our lives–we’re never too far from His grace. God always welcomes us back into relationship with Him, no matter how badly we try to break it (like in the Prodigal Son story). Prayers of confession are still an incredibly important part of our spiritual lives. Confession is about coming clean before God, admitting what we did is wrong, asking for His grace again (He always says “yes”), reconnecting with Him, and committing to living differently moving forward.

This is similar to how a parent will forgive their child and continue to love them even after they mess up–but how the parent still longs for the child to “come clean” with them so they can be reconciled. It’s important to commit to regular prayers of confession so we can stay closely connected to our Heavenly Father! Psalm 51 is a powerful example of a prayer of confession written by David after he committed tragic sins that hurt a lot of people in his life (2 Samuel 11).

Let’s read from God’s Word and reflect deeper on David’s prayer of confession in Psalm 51.

Psalm 51:1-2,10 1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin…10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Reflect

1. If God already knows what you did, why do you think it’s important to “come clean” to Him about it?
2. In v3-6, David talks about his awareness of his own sinfulness. Why is this so important for us to be self-aware with our sins before the Lord?
3. In v10-12, David asks God to make him “clean” and to find joy once again. How does that prayer bring you hope even when you’re feeling weighed down in guilt & shame?
4. What can happen to us spiritually over time when we have unconfessed sin in our lives?

Act

Commit time every day to confess your sins to God. Remember to refrain from making any excuses or justifications for your mistakes. Instead, be fully honest with yourself and with God. Lastly, remember to always end that prayer time by claiming His grace and full forgiveness in your life and getting up with a “clean heart”!

Pray

Lord God, I want to come clean before you. I confess the sin in my life today–my actions, words, thoughts, decisions, and attitudes that weren’t honoring you. I confess the things you asked me to do that I didn’t do. I confess any areas of my life that I’ve been trying to hide from you. Forgive me Father, cleanse me, renew and restore me, and help me to receive your grace, ready to make more God-honoring choices next time. Thank you for your unconditional love, grace, and forgiveness. Amen.