What of confession and the prayer of forgiveness?
We all need it, and today must take this part of our praying more seriously than ever. There is no less sin in the world than formerly, but emphasis on the fact of sin and the need of rigid self-examination and confession have tended to fade out of modern Protestant thought. However much we stress the love of God, we ought not to forget that He judges us as sinners and offers His mercy and forgiveness only to the penitent. But what shall we confess? We must not stop with the more overt sins like adultery, drunkenness and stealing, which most “good” people (by which we generally mean respectable people) do not commit. T11e more dangerous sins are the subtle sins of the disposition-resentment, irritation, jealousy, sharp tempers and sharp words, gossip, self-seeking, pettiness, evasion of responsibilities, compromise of principles, narrowness of outlook, indifference to both the duties and privileges God sets before us. We may need to repent of worry, discouragement and even of too much
Related Questions
- Why do Catholics repeat the same prayer over and over again when they pray the Rosary? Is this not the vain repetition condemned by Christ in Matthew 6:7?
- Why doesn the Lords prayer follow the popular division into adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication?
- What is an Inner Healing Forgiveness Prayer?
