[Faith-talk] FW: [FriendshipCenter] confession

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "Arlene" <nedster66 at gmail.com>
To: <FriendshipCenter at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [FriendshipCenter] confession
Date: 
Fri, 2 Mar 2012 14:48:34 -0800

 

Obsession With Confession

 

"Don't recite the same prayer over and over as the heathen do, who think
prayers are answered only by repeating them again and again."1

 

Confession of all sins and wrongdoing is not only essential for receiving
God's forgiveness, but also for achieving physical, emotional and
spiritual
healing and total well-being. However, a word of

warning: Confession without repentance is a game.

 

Repentance means to turn around and go a different way; that is, turning
from negative to positive behavior. To confess and not genuinely seek to
discover and resolve the causes behind our negative behavior/s means that
we
don't want to face the real issues and are using confession as a salve to
soothe our conscience. When we keep repeating this pattern, our confession
may have become an "obsession with confession" and nothing but a smoke
screen behind which to hide our real selves.

 

As Jesus said, "When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for
they
think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like
them,
for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."2

 

The bottom line for effective prayer and genuine confession is the motive
behind the prayer; that is, being honest with ourselves and with God with
a
genuine desire to overcome the sins and faults we are confessing.

 

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me never to use confession or
any
religious ritual as a means of hiding from my true self. Help me to
always
be honest with myself and with you. And may my confessions always be
genuine; and grant that, with your help, I will overcome my sins and
faults.
Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus name,
amen." 

 

1. Mathew 6:7 (TLB)(NLT).

2. Mathew 6:7-8 (NIV).

 

<:))))<><  

  

  NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness