Lord, Teach Us to Pray, Part 6
In this series, we have been exploring the Lord’s Prayer, or prayer template. Last week, we focused on the petition part of prayer.
After asking God for our daily needs and provisions, we should seek His forgiveness. Jesus connects these two requests to help us understand our need for confession and forgiveness. He also expects us to extend the same grace of forgiveness to others.
Today, we’re going to explore the power of confession.
Jesus’ disciples had seen His supernatural lifestyle and concluded that it was because He prayed consistently. So, they asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1 NKJV). In response, Jesus gave them what we now call the Lord’s Prayer, but really, He was giving them the principles for effective prayer, as seen in Luke 11:2-4.
And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Luke 11:4 NKJV
Confession should be a key part of prayer, as shown in the phrase “Forgive us our sins.”
In Christ, you are forgiven, and your sins are cast into a sea of forgetfulness. However, Jesus’ prayer model keeps us humble before God and reliant on His grace.
Still, healthy daily introspection is essential. Do you find confession difficult? Why?
Perhaps it’s due to the following reasons: 1) Fear of God, 2) Fear of People, 3) A Sense of Failure.
Yet, how does God see us? As His beloved children, covered in Christ’s righteousness!
When sin is unconfessed and not covered by the blood of Christ, it becomes a barrier to God’s grace and can prevent prayers from being answered.
Consider what the psalmist said regarding sin:
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. Psalm 66:18 NIV
But then, the psalmist states that God has heard him. Why? Because of confessing and forsaking sin.
Scripture instructs us to guard our hearts, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Prov. 4:23 NIV) to watch over our innermost thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and behaviors.
You and I have a responsibility to keep our hearts right. The Holy Spirit helps, but we must choose to cooperate. Confessing faults, wrong attitudes, and sin is God’s way of keeping our hearts right before Him and others. Humility is necessary.
John tells us that if we believe we have no sin, we are deceived.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8 NKJV)
Paul tells us,
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Rom. 3:23 NLT
What is sin? In Scripture, sin is defined as missing God’s ideal, which involves breaking His divine laws, committing unrighteous acts, or failing to do what is right. The original Hebrew and Greek words for “sin” mean “missing the mark” or “missing the target” of God’s will. Sin originates from thoughts and intentions in the heart that lead to separation from Him.
In simple terms, sin is simply not meeting God’s perfect standard. However, the Holy Spirit may gently convict us of unknown sins or wrongs and lead us to confess.
James states,
It is a sin when someone knows the right thing to do and doesn’t do it. Jam. 4:17 CEB
At times, the Holy Spirit will bring to our attention things we say or do that don’t measure up to God’s standards or what He wants for us. For instance, you might have a disagreement with someone, feeling frustrated but not angry, only for the Lord to point that out to you later.
We also need to understand that there is the act of sin and humanity’s sin nature.
Due to Adam and Eve’s fall in the garden, a “sin nature” has been inherited by all humans (Rom. 5:12). However, Jesus, often called the last or second Adam by Paul (1 Cor. 15:45), has defeated the power of sin and, for believers in Him, has made the sin nature powerless. (*See Romans 5:12-21).
Thanks to our new life in Christ and Jesus’s power to remove the sin nature, we now naturally tend to live according to God’s righteousness.
But we can still stumble and sin. Aren’t you grateful for God’s grace and mercy?
Jesus is the only one who has never sinned. He faced every temptation, but remained without sin.
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Heb. 4:14-15 NIV
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Heb. 4:16 NIV
Therefore, we can confidently approach God’s throne of grace and mercy because we come through the righteousness of Christ, not our own. Jesus understands what we face and empathizes with our weakness!
James states that giving in to temptation results in sin.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. James 1:12-15 NLT
Unless the sin is confessed and covered by the blood of Christ, it will continue to grow, leading to death in this area. For those who are unredeemed, death means separation from the Lord.
Great news! In Christ, your sins are forgiven and will never be remembered.
He will once again have compassion on us; he will tread down our iniquities. You will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea. Micah 7:19 CEB
Isaiah said all our sins are cast behind His back! (Isa. 38:17 CEB).
Paul wrote to the Corinthians about our new life in Christ, and how God has removed our sins and no longer holds them against us!
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Cor. 5:17-21 NLT
Take a look at verse 19 – notice how the Lord no longer holds people’s sins against them. The blood of Christ is enough to cover all the past, present, and future sins of His people, and even those who turn to faith in Him.
The writer of Hebrews states:
17 Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” 18 And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. Heb. 10:17-18 NLT
Church, the depths of God’s love, grace, and mercy! He’ll never again hold our mistakes against us!
Throughout history, many in the church have tried to “remove their sins” and cleanse their consciences through religious acts like sacrifices. But now, there is no need to work or earn what is freely given in Christ! Sadly, some have even practiced self-flagellation.
In Christianity, self-flagellation involves whipping oneself as a form of fleshly mortification. It is performed to share in Jesus Christ’s sufferings, seek atonement for sins, and deepen spiritual connection with God. Practiced by individuals and certain religious groups, this tradition is rooted in the idea that physical pain helps suppress sinful impulses and provides penance. Today, some followers see it more as an act of gratitude for forgiveness.
Have you ever “beat yourself up”? No need for self-flagellation!
But there is freedom from sin and guilt.
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 NKJV
God grants favor to the humble but opposes the proud. Confession is essential for overcoming deception and pride, which are the roots of sin.
King David, after his failure with Bathsheba, confessed.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— Psalm 51:3-4 NKJV
We should quickly confess, repent, and forgive!
When David confessed his sin, the Lord had mercy on him. David found pardon and restoration. David then prays,
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:10-11 NKJV
There are times when it is appropriate to confess to others.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 NLT
Sometimes sharing with others is appropriate, like when confronting a sin or a struggle you can’t overcome—James mentions that confession and prayer have healing qualities. But generally, we can go directly to the Lord to ask for His forgiveness for our mistakes and sins.
Over the years, I’ve seen marriages restored, lives changed, and others step into ministry because of confession, humility, and surrender to God. My own life stands as a testimony to the power of confession and forgiveness extended to others.
Next week, I will explore the power of forgiveness in the Lord’s prayer!
