Unburdened: How Confession Frees Us to Pray Boldly

When our younger daughter, Abby, was a little girl, I never had to worry about her being bad. Oh sure, she was naughty; as a preschooler, she hid in a dark closet, attempting to secretly eat an entire basket of Easter candy before anyone noticed it was missing. Another time, I discovered her under her bed with a flashlight, “carefully” painting her nails with my nail polish—yeah, that was quite the mess!

But what I love about Abby is that, while she got into her share of mischief (as children do), she was always quick to confess and apologize. She still is.

It was not uncommon for our little Abby to tiptoe into our room after bedtime, big fat tears leaking from her eyes and sobbing, “Momma, I need to tell you something…” After confessing whatever it was she did wrong that day, she would smile, give me a big hug, and say, “I just couldn’t go to sleep without telling you the truth. My heart feels better now!”

Confession

My sweet girl taught me a lot about confession over the years. Somehow, she knew, even as a small child, that disobedience separates us from those we love and from God most of all. But she also perceived that taking responsibility and telling the truth brings restoration. I’m sure she may have worried that she would get in trouble by confessing, and yet, unburdening her heart to her parents, even if there were consequences, was always worth the risk. She knew she needed us, and that made it worth it, no matter what.

The same is true for us in our relationship with God.

Confession is an element of prayer that we often avoid. It is humbling to stand before Almighty God, head hung in shame, and tell the truth about ourselves. It’s easier to sing His praise, to list things we’re thankful for, or to cry out in desperation. But confess? No thanks.

And yet, the truth is He already knows—nothing is hidden from Him. And while He is surely the Lord God Almighty, He is also our benevolent Father, kind and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in love. Again and again, throughout Scripture, He offers redemption and restoration to His children if only they are willing to “humble themselves and pray” (2 Chron 7:14).

A Clean Heart

Psalm 51 paints a beautiful picture of confessional prayer as David seeks God’s mercy for the sins he committed with Bathsheba. Can’t you picture him looking up at the Father and whispering, Abba, I have something to tell you…

“For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” (Psalm 51:3-4)

But David was a man after God’s own heart; he knew God’s character and had experienced His faithfulness. Like Abby, he knew that even if there were consequences, unburdening his heart to His heavenly Father would be worth it. He hated the thought of disappointing the Lord, but he hated the schism dividing them even more.

So he confessed. He told God the truth and asked for His help in changing:

“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.” (Psalm 51:10-12)

The purpose of confession is not to enlighten God on all our sinfulness—He already knows and loves us anyway. No, confession enables us to “throw off everything that hinders, and the sin that so easily entangles us” and run side by side with Jesus, the race He’s marked out for us (Hebrews 12:1). Intentionally asking God to reveal and remove any hidden disobedience in us removes any barriers we may be unaware of and enables us to approach the throne of grace boldly, abiding more fully with Him every single day.

I wish I were more like my Abby, that confession came more naturally to me.

It doesn’t, y’all.

It’s something I have had to learn and still must force myself to do. If this is an area you’d like to grow in, a simple way to add confession into your prayer time is to pray Psalm 139:23-24 regularly during your time with the Lord:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Then, sit for a few minutes and see what comes to mind. The God who knows when you sit and when you rise, who perceives your thoughts from afar, who is familiar with all your ways, knows your heart. If you sincerely desire to be aligned with Him, He will faithfully reveal those things that are so easy for you (and me) to justify or ignore in order that we may confess them, turn from them, and walk forward in the joy of our salvation. Be specific. Be sincere. And then be grateful.

Because just like Abby, once we’ve made things right with our Father, our hearts will feel so much better!

Prayer

O God, You know my heart better than I do. Please search me and bring to mind any sin or subtle disobedience hiding in the secret places. Test my faithfulness to You and reveal any weaknesses or areas in which I’m afraid to trust You. Lord, if there is any offensive way in me, please root it out and cleanse my heart so nothing comes between us. And lead me in ways that are pleasing to You, that I may show others the wonders of Your love. Thank You, Father, for being slow to anger, quick to forgive, and ever abounding in love. I’m so grateful, Jesus! Amen.