The Time Is Now - Developing A Lifestyle Of Prayer

Going Further and Deeper

I mentioned earlier that telling God "I love you" is the most important way of coming to greater comprehension of His love for us. Let me explain another important step. This also has to do with being honest with God and expressing your inner heart to Him. TI1e second step to knowing the awesome love God has for you is to con­ fess your sins. I became a Christian at age thirteen. At that point I appropriated the sacrificial death of Jesus, and God forgave all my sins-past, present, and future (Hebrews 10:10-18; Ephesians 1:7-8; Psalm 103:12). Why, then, should a Christian continue to confess his or her sins? It's because there are two facets to your relationship with God. Positional6J, you are secure, safe from condemna­ tion (Romans 8:1). But in the ongoingpersonal aspect of your relationship with God, sin hinders and damages your intimacy, and it can only be removed by confession. For about three decades I've been married to my wife. Not for a single second of that time has our marriage relationship ceased to exist. However, there have been many occasions when I've caused offenses that have curtailed the openness and intimacy in our relation­ ship. Each time, I have approached Patty, confessed my wrong doing, and asked her for­ giveness. This is the only process by which the damage can be repaired and we can return to full enjoyment of each other. In my relationship with God, if there's distance due to sin, I won't sense His love for me. It's only when I stop and agree with Him about my sin that I once again experience the flow of His love to me, and through me to others. 11. Study some or all of the following ScrijJture passages in order to understand more jitlly the relationship between confession of sin and our experience of God's love: Luke 7:36-47; 1john 1:8-10, (keep inmind that this is written to Christians),· Psalms 32:1-5, 66·18; Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 1:15, 59:1-2, 64:7; Micah 3:4.