A prayer of confession

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David is constantly confessing sin in the Psalms. We know that he is not saying that one must be holy in order to pray; otherwise, no one would ever pray. In fact, being a sinner is one of the prerequisites for entrance into the kingdom of God. Jesus said that He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. Looking again to the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern, we note that confession is an integral part of prayer. Without the confession of sin, says 1 John 1:9, there is no forgiveness of sin.

My mentor, Dr. John Gerstner, told of an occasion at one of his meetings when a woman announced to him that she had not sinned for more than twenty years. Dr. Gerstner said that he felt sorry for her because that could only mean she had not prayed in more than twenty years, at least not in the way the Lord told us to pray.

I am not suggesting that the more we sin, the more qualified we are for prayer; that obviously would be a false conclusion. But confessing sin, asking for forgiveness of our “debts” or “trespasses,” is an integral part of the practice of prayer, as outlined by our Lord Himself. In fact, the more godly we are, the more devout we will strive to be and the more painfully aware of our sin we will be. It is much the same as walking toward a mountain. The closer we get to that mountain, the bigger it appears. 

R.C. Sproul

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Psalm 51:1–15 (ESV)

Have mercy on me, O God, 

    according to your steadfast love; 

        according to your abundant mercy 

            blot out my transgressions. 

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, 

    and cleanse me from my sin! 

For I know my transgressions, 

    and my sin is ever before me. 

Against you, you only, have I sinned 

    and done what is evil in your sight, 

        so that you may be justified in your words 

            and blameless in your judgment. 

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, 

    and in sin did my mother conceive me. 

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, 

    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. 

Purge me with hyssop, 

    and I shall be clean; 

        wash me, 

            and I shall be whiter than snow. 

Let me hear joy and gladness;

    let the bones that you have broken rejoice. 

Hide your face from my sins, 

    and blot out all my iniquities. 

Create in me a clean heart, O God, 

    and renew a right spirit within me. 

Cast me not away from your presence, 

    and take not your Holy Spirit from me. 

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, 

    and uphold me with a willing spirit. 

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, 

    and sinners will return to you. 

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, 

    O God of my salvation, 

        and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. 

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

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