How to confess our sins to God

Sin is more than a mistake, but a conscious decision to do something wrong, while a mistake is unintentional, like pouring salt into your coffee, thinking it was sugar.

Those who desire to follow and imitate Jesus Christ must humble themselves before the Lord and confess their sins.

However, it takes genuine humility to admit we are wrong and have hurt God. Yet, confessing what we have done would give us freedom from the bondage and guilt feelings. 

Besides, it would open doors of opportunity for us to serve and please God more when we confess our sins. 

What does a confession of sin mean

Confession of sin is about accepting that we have disobeyed God. This is an act of revealing all our wrongdoings before Him, hoping that He will forgive us. 

Moreover, it is about admitting that we have hurt God before others because of what we do. It is more than just telling what we have done wrong before the Lord; it also includes repentance. 

Repentance is a change of heart and life regarding sin, meaning we have decided to turn from our wicked ways and draw near to God. 

Thus, if we no longer desire to disobey God, which brings destruction, we must learn how to confess our sins.

How do we confess our sins to God

The more we devote our time to the Lord, the greater our desire is to please Him and to hide nothing from Him. 

If we still do not know how to confess our sins to God, here are some ways to help us.

Understand what sin is

First, do you know what sin is? We might have wrong perceptions about sin now that the culture is changing. 

Not all who are acceptable in the world are acceptable to God. Consequently, sin is not just a mistake but a willful violation of biblical boundaries. 

God’s commands guide and benefit us in having an abundant and peaceful life. Thus, everything that is against God’s commands must be compromised. 

When we confess our sins, we must understand that we have disobeyed God’s will, so we need to apologize to God and ask for forgiveness. 

We can never confess sincerely without knowing what we did wrong.

Confess privately

The purpose of confessing our sins to God is to receive His mercy and forgiveness, not to please other people. 

In this world where everything can be posted on social media to look good,  we should not follow this trend if we want God’s forgiveness. 

We should confess to God privately because it is between you and Him. 

Matthew 6:6 says, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then, the Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” 

So, we should go into our room and talk to God privately. The good thing about confessing to God is that He will not condemn us when He sees the sincerity of our hearts in admitting our wrongdoings against Him. 

Moreover, we have nothing to hide when we talk to God about our shortcomings. So we should not worry about telling Him everything. 

God, more than anyone else, even yourself, is the best listener, and He understands our weaknesses.

Take full responsibility

God would appreciate and be pleased by our confession if we took full responsibility for our actions. 

We should not be half-hearted when we tell God what we did and should never blame others for our character. 

More so, making excuses does not please God at all. It was our choice to give in to the temptations of our own flesh. 

Remember that our body is weak even if our spirit is willing. That is why we need the Holy Spirit to empower us to resist temptation. 

However, God understands that we are not perfect, but He would appreciate it if we took full responsibility for our own weaknesses instead of blaming or making excuses.

When you confess your sin to God, own it and do not justify it. This is a sign of maturity when we are accountable for our actions.

Work with God

One of the evidences of God’s unfailing love is that He will forgive us and help us overcome our shortcomings. We just need to allow and work with Him. 

Our confession should not stop with saying, “I’m sorry,” but we must change our hearts. The Bible says to produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8)

Nevertheless, we cannot just change our behaviors alone; we need the power of the Holy Spirit to lead the way. We must cooperate and try to surrender instead of insisting on our selfish desires.

Although this could be very challenging when we soak ourselves in God’s words daily, His wisdom and strength would help us overcome and control ourselves from returning to our sinful ways.

Through God’s wisdom, it will help us to gain self-discipline to everything.

Do not stop 

When we confess our sins and decide to turn from evil, we cannot expect a significant change immediately. Just because we are sincere in our apology does not mean we become perfect. 

Satan will tempt you until you fall into sin. He is like a devouring lion that will steal, kill, and destroy you. 

Sometimes, you cannot help but surrender to His scheme and sin against God again. Then, Satan will fill your mind with guilt and make you think that God will not forgive you again. 

However, never stop confessing to God and trying to overcome your wrongdoings. Do not give up.

Remember that God’s grace is sufficient for us and made perfect in our weakness. As the Apostle Paul emphasized, he will boast all the more gladly about his weaknesses so that Jesus’ power may rest on him. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) 

Thus, we should consistently confess our sins to God and never think that God does not understand. 

Be open to God

Another definition of confession is being honest or telling the truth. You have nothing to be ashamed of, so when you confess your sins to God, be honest about your feelings. 

God wants to have an intimate connection with you, which includes telling him everything. 

If you were struggling with your temper, tell God honestly why you behave that way. It is not about making excuses but about being open to God. 

Thus, God appreciates it when you tell Him about what or who broke you or caused you to become bitter. 

God is Faithful to forgive

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” -1 John 1:9

If you are still hesitating to ask for God's forgiveness, let this Scripture remind you that God is faithful and just to forgive you for all your transgressions. 

His love is so unconditional that he keeps no record of your wrongs.

Our Heavenly Father is so willing to forgive us for our sins that He even sent His beloved son to pay for all our sins. 

Most importantly, God’s love is more than our sins, that Jesus Christ humbled Himself and became human to save us from the cost of sin— death.