Session 8 • Maturity • Activation
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
- 1 John 1:6-10
Practicing confession is primarily being honest with ourselves before God in surrender to his grace. The practice of confession is not intended to create guilt, shame or condemnation, but rather to free us from it. As we enter a time of confession we remember that the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin.
Take a moment to ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and mind for anywhere that sin has been active and hiding in your life this week. You may want to use these verses from Psalm 139 or the prompts below.
“Search me, 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.”- Psalm 139:23-24
Take a few moments to confess to God, knowing that his grace covers our every sin. Say sorry and ask for his forgiveness. Being repentant doesn’t mean ‘feeling bad’ for our sin, it means that we are willing and ready to turn away from our sin and make a change.
You may might want to use this formal prayer of confession:
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed,
by what I have done,
and by what I have left undone.
I have not loved You with my whole heart;
I have not loved my neighbors as myself.
I am truly sorry and I humbly repent,
for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me and forgive me;
that I may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your Name.
Amen.
Sit for a moment under the loving gaze of God, receiving his grace and forgiveness afresh.
Scripture encourages us to practice confession in community:
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” - James 5:16
Core Groups are designed to be small, intentional spaces where, in the safety of trusted spiritual friends, we can be completely transparent about how we are living our lives and any gaps between what we say we believe, and how we choose to live.
If you want to know more about the sin patterns that you tend to consistently struggle with, you may find it helpful to revisit our activation related to The Enneagram.
If you are interested in reading more about confession, you may find it helpful to read chapter 10 Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster.