Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Prayer – 1 John 1:8-10 – Confess Our Sins – Growing As Disciples

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. 1 John 1:8-10 (NIV)

Claim

It will never be my claim that I am not a sinner. Why is that? It is obvious to me and to anyone that knows me that I am a sinner. I don’t think that I am unique in this regard. You are not unique in this regard. It would be a foolish mistake for me to deny or try to hide my sins from you. Why is that? I know that carrying around unconfessed sin will be of no help to me. How will carrying around unconfessed sin harm you? If I fail to confess my sins to you I will remain distant from you. I will not feel comfortable drawing near to you. I will not want to meet with you in your word. I will not want to draw near to you in prayer. Unconfessed sin, in my life, will make me want to hide from you. Yes, it will. I have no desire to hide from you. I want to know you. I want to live in an intimate relationship with you. That is very good. 

How will you confess your sins to me? I’m not exactly sure how to answer that question. Will you vaguely confess that you are a sinner or will you specifically confess your sins to me? That depends. What does that depend on? If I want some vague idea that you have forgiven my sins and cleansed my unrighteousness then I will vaguely confess my sins to you. Is that what you want? No, not at all. Then what will you do when you know that you have sinned? I will confess my specific sins to you so that I can know that you have forgiven my sins and cleansed my unrighteousness. That will be very good. 

When will you confess your sins to me? Is any time better than another? You tell me. I could confess my sins to you at any time when I become aware of them. That would be good. I could also confess my sins to you at the end of each day. I could ask you to show me if there are any sins that I need to become aware of so that I can confess them to you. That would be every good as well. With both practices, I would never be carrying around unconfessed sin. Is that what you want? Yes, I want to live a life of confessing my sins and receiving your forgiveness and cleansing of my unrighteousness. I don’t want anything to hinder my relationship with you. That will be very good. You have been forgiven, you are forgiven and you will be forgiven of all your sins and cleansed of all your unrighteousness.

Lord, I will not deny or try to hide my sins from you. What an impossible and worthless effort that would be. No, instead I will come to freely confess all my specific sins to you. Thank you, that you will hear my confession and forgive and cleanse me of all my sins. Amen

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Prayer – 1 John 1-8-10 – Confess Our Sins – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

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