Earnest Prayer

Thousands of people struggle in relationships simply because they feel an excessive sense of shame or guilt. Shame tells us that we are wrong, not that what we did was wrong. When we internalize and keep our sins hidden, it spreads poison. But God is our remedy! True healing takes place when we come to Him in earnest prayer. Let us pray and invite God into our hearts and minds.

Heavenly Father, thank You that I can come to You in confession and that You love me for me, not for what I do. Thank You, Jesus, that because of Your suffering, death, and resurrection, I am forgiven completely and I can live in the freedom of Your grace and power. In Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

James 5:16-18 (NLT)
¹⁶ Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. ¹⁷ Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! ¹⁸ Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.

The shame of the past is painful. But hiding from the truth does not change the fact that it exists and will continue to cause problems until it is dealt with. To do so, it is necessary to press past the pain of guilt and shame you may feel. In our shame and embarrassment, we usually try to hide our sins. How do we move past this response so we can be blessed by other believers praying for us?

There was a time in my life when I hid in shame, full of lies and sins that hurt others. By the grace of God, I was given the opportunity for confession and true healing. Just as your body physically gets sick, your spiritual body needs to do the same thing before true healing can take place. I don't think anyone enjoys puking. It's something many of us resist, but what you resist, persists. I had tried to do the half-truths, the “softening” of the sins that hurt so many others and myself. You can't half puke; you aren't going to feel better until you get it ALL out. True healing takes place when you get ALL your sins out to God. Yes, you may have some cleanup needed in aisle nine afterward. And if God leads you to confess your sins to another, know this: honesty is the greatest kindness, even if it hurts. God is with you and with those hurting. He is there to bring reconciliation and healing to all. Healing will never take place until it's founded on truth. My life is vastly different since I took the steps to heal, confess my sins, and receive God's forgiveness. It took me many years to realize I also needed to forgive myself. God walked with me through reconciliation and made my relationships stronger than ever. I have such a greater appreciation of the light after spending a significant time in the dark. God uses all of this for each of our greater good. Are you carrying your guilt and shame because you feel like you deserve it?

You cannot pay for your sins with feelings of guilt and shame because Jesus already paid for them when He died on the cross. And His sacrifice is good for all time! Are you ready to confess your sins? Your fellow believers are waiting and wanting to pray for you so you can experience God’s radical power and healing.

To the believer who is trusted to bear witness and join in earnest prayer for healing: the greatest gift you can give another person is the gift of listening with compassion and without judgment. When someone you love is physically getting sick, we can sometimes feel helpless, but we can offer them a bowl or to hold their hair. As they are getting it all out, we don't say, "Oh, that is gross!” Or if it got on the floor, you don't say, “Oh, how could you!" No, you suspend all of that, give them space, and do whatever you can with love until they get it all out. Then help them clean up if needed. Most importantly, we earnestly pray for our loved ones to feel better and for God to bring His healing touch upon us. Spiritual sickness is just as real as physical sickness. God brings healing in every way, and we are blessed to be part of His healing ministry. What is keeping you from getting all your sins out and in the open?

Heavenly Father, please give me the courage to confess my sins and to come to You in earnest prayer knowing this step will bring healing to all…

Lord, help me to courageously speak up and take the necessary steps to confess my sins and receive healing…

Remember that you no longer have to live in shame and sickness because Jesus took your place and paid the debt you owed. By His stripes, you were healed!