True Confessions

Read Psalms 66:1–68:35

8. Let the whole world bless our God and loudly sing his praises.
9. Our lives are in his hands, and he keeps our feet from stumbling.
10. You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. . . .
16. Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me.
17. For I cried out to him for help, praising him as I spoke.
18. If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
19. But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.
20. Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw his unfailing love from me. Psalm 66:8-10, Psalm 16-20

Do you remember when you were a kid and your mother would make you apologize when you didn’t really feel like it? The real blow came when she insisted that you do it nicely. Even though you eventually said the words, in your heart true repentance was nowhere in sight.

Psalm 66 contains advice about saying you’re sorry, even when you don’t feel like it. In fact, this psalm shows us the good that can come from apologizing.

The psalms in this reading also show us different ways to pray: by example and by command. These life-changing prayers include a request for God’s blessing (Psalm 67) and praise to God for his glory and power (Psalm 68).

“If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). Confession of sin must be continual because we continually do wrong. But true confession requires us to listen to God and to want to stop sinning. David confessed his sin and prayed, “Keep your servant from deliberate sins” (see Psalm 19:13).

When we refuse to repent or when we harbor and cherish certain sins, we place a wall between us and God. We cannot remember every sin we have ever committed, but we can set our sights on doing right. True confession involves more than just saying words that describe the offense—it also involves taking a step toward change.

Tear down that wall between you and God. Be honest with him, admit your weakness, confess your sin, and share your feelings. Then he will listen to you!