Prayer without confrontation and confession will affect the prayers of the people. God wants us to cry for forgiveness and we need to have true confession that we are 100% wrong, “wretched and blind”. Read Psalm 51:1-2 to see a model for confession.
True confession has to start with the leadership of the church. Times of confession are defining moments in our lives and the lives of the body of Christ. Confession needs to be public before God will hear the prayers of the people. We tend to dig in our heels, not just ourselves but everyone around us. We are not fooling God. Confession needs to start with the leaders but all of us need to confess our sins that may include, untruthfulness, bitterness, anger and gossip.
“But unconfessed sin that makes a disconnect, that stops the power from coming down and getting to where it needs to be” Jim Cymbala, Pastor of The Brooklyn Tabernacle
Forgiveness has to do with the past. Forgiveness is not holding something someone has done against him or her. It is letting it go. It only takes one to offer forgiveness And just as God has offered forgiveness to everyone, we are expected to do the same. (Matt 6:12; 18:35)
Reconciliation needs to take place and has to do with the present. This occurs when the other person apologizes and accepts forgiveness. It takes two to reconcile.
Trust has to do with the future. It deals with both what you will risk happening again and what you will open yourself up to. A person must show through his or her actions that he or she is trustworthy before you trust again. (Matt. 3:8; Prov. 4:23)
3 comments:
Well said and with godly truth.
I liked how you explained forgiveness, reconciliation, and trust. Very good. ~
LeAnn Faust
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