Prayer and Confession: The words that we say can bring death or life. It is a choice that we must make each day. Will we say words that are uplifting, confessions that are recorded as great words of faith, and prayers that request God's presence in our life? Jesus taught us to pray without ceasing, to confess unto salvation, and to believe unto righteousness. What we say and what we believe will make an eternal difference in our lives. This week we will study the importance of prayer and confession. Jesus so often went apart from the crowds to pray and this was evident that he had been alone with God by his confession of who he was and what he came to do.
1John1: 5-10
5. This then is the message, which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.
7. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin.
8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Have you ever closed your eyes and tried to walk around without being able to see? See, that we need the light! He is the light and if we say that we are walking with him through this life and remain in our sin, then we are not telling the truth. Sin is darkness and in Jesus there is no sin, no darkness, but if we have sin, we have darkness and do not have true fellowship with Jesus. Its incredible to know how many people say that they are Christian and say that they are going to heaven, yet still believe that they can sin against God and he will just forgive them and include them. They should reconsider their position on the subject of sin, you cannot have sin/darkness and still say that everything is ok! Everything is not ok! You must stop your sin, confess it and repent because there is no place in heaven for darkness and sin and there is no place in Jesus for darkness and sin! If your lifestyle is full of sin you must deal with this and surrender to Jesus all these darkened ways that he may forgive you and fill you with his light!
After reading these verses what questions do you have?
Answer the following questions:
What is the message here?
What are the two things that Jesus does when we confess our sins?
Romans 10:9,10
9. That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
What we say means everything! Because where our treasure is there our heart shall be also. Think about this, Jesus wants to know what you feel in your heart about Him and His kingdom. What better way is there to know this than to ask you to say it, and not just say it, but show it in your deeds. Our confessions are revealed in our actions. St. Francis of Assisi said, preach the gospel and if you must use words in other words let your actions be your confession as to what you hold dear to your heart. Jesus tells us that if we believe like we say we do then it will not be a troubling issue to confess what we believe and to live like this because it is what we hold dear in our heart!
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
In the case where a person believes, it is impossible to confess that which is not in the heart, and impossible to believe that which they are unwilling to confess, for it is with their confessions their heart is known. Understand that some can say things that they may not truly believe, yet they cannot truly confess that which is not rooted in their heart because the fruit or their actions will tell on them.
After reading these verses what questions do you have?
Answer the following questions:
How can a person be saved?
Why confess with the mouth?
Luke 12:8-12
8. Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man confess before the angels of God:
9. But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
10. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemes against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
11. And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto the magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
12. For the Holy Ghost shall teach ye in the same hour what ye ought to say.
Sometimes we dont know what to pray, this is when we must rely on the fact that we are not alone and that Jesus has left us with a helper, the Holy Spirit, which promises to help us through by interceding on our behalf. Even the Disciples of Jesus experienced this and in turn asked Jesus saying Lord, teach us to pray Luke 11:1-4 We do not have to worry about what we shall pray or say at times in which we are in need of the right words because we have a helper that desires to assist us in our needs and more than that Jesus knows our needs even before we ask and he moves to supply all that we have need of promptly!
After reading these verses what questions do you have?
Answer the following questions:
Does the scripture say confess him in your heart?
Who will Jesus confess you to?
Mathew 6:5-15
5. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.
6. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8. Be ye not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
9. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
11. Give us this day our daily bread.
12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
14. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Here again we are taught a prayer that helps us in a time in which we might not know what to say or what to pray. These times God understands very well, they are times when life is tough and it seems that we have little strength to think about what to pray, not to mention the strength to express it. Jesus has given us a prayer to pray that covers it all! Every possible thing that we ought to be concerned with is listed here in this prayer. This prayer turns our focus from our misery unto the source of power that will strengthen us, that source is Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
After reading these verses what questions do you have?
Answer the following questions:
Who should we pray to?
Are we asking for his kingdom to come?
Who is our daily bread?
Do we have to forgive others to receive forgiveness?
The words we say and to whom we pray affects the outcome that we live.
Since words have power and we know that God himself created the heavens and the earth though the spoken word, the following message was given to emphasize this importance to a group of residents during a meeting at the Warren Rescue Mission.
