Healing Confessions

James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

To confess means to acknowledge, or to agree fully. Who is it that we are agreeing fully with? We are agreeing fully with God. We are acknowledging that our sin is what God says it is, and that we need to repent for sinning against Him. James tells us that we should be leaning on one another in times when we have stumbled, and need the strength to recover that can only come from the power of prayer. Note here that James speaks of confession in relation to healing. We discussed previously that sometimes sickness is the result of sin. When Jesus healed the man who had an infirmity for 38 years, in John 5, He said to Him in verse 14, "See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." Psalm 66:18 reminds us, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear." Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." As long as we hold on to sin, along with the guilt and inner turmoil that it brings, there will be no healing from the sickness God has allowed. As we confess our sins to one another and bring them out in the open, so that the Lord can deal with us and cleanse us, only then will our prayers have the power needed to bring about healing. The second part of this verse is often taken out of context, because it is often quoted alone; but when we keep it in its context we have a better understanding of what the Lord is saying to us about praying for one another. He is making it clear that when we truly repent and confess our sins, and the Lord forgives us and cleanses us of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-9), it is then that Jesus' righteousness, in us, comes through, making our prayers effectual, or mighty; and in essence accomplish much in the healing process. Sadly, we harbor sin in our heart, and refuse to repent and confess, but then question why God does not answer our prayers. James simply tells us that our prayers to be made well are ineffective if they lack healing confessions.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).