Confess and Pray by Joyce Meyer

Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. James 5:16

Sin separates us from God. It causes us to feel far away from Him; it can cause us to want to hide from Him or to not want to talk to Him; and it can keep us from hearing His voice. When we know we have sinned, we must ask for God's forgiveness and then receive it, because He promises to forgive us when we repent. Hidden things can have power over us and so there are times when it is very helpful to confess our sins to other people, according to the verse for today.

Confessing our faults to someone and asking for prayer requires first of all that we find someone we truly trust and secondly that we are willing to put aside our pride and humbly share our struggles. If you find that challenging, ask God to help you grow in humility because the results are amazing if you find a friend you can trust, and you share with that person, "I'm struggling in this area and I want to be free. I'm hurting and I need you to pray for me."

I remember once having a real struggle with feeling jealous of a friend. I had prayed, but was still being tormented by the jealousy so I confessed it to Dave and asked him to pray for me. Getting it out in the open broke its power over me and I was set free from it. Always go to God first, but if you need the help of a friend or spiritual leader, don't let pride stand in your way.

Happy Sunday all....