Dan 9:4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments.

Daniel 9 begins with Daniel confessing the sins of the nation (vs 1-19). He prays to God, praising Him and confessing to Him on behalf of all Jews. He acknowledges that they have been unfaithful to God's law and have acted wickedly and rebelliously. They have also ignored the messages that the prophets gave to them and to their leaders. Daniel then asks God again for mercy, pleading with him to turn His wrath away from Jerusalem.

To confess means to declare, acknowledge, profess, and admit. It is the opposite of denial and of silence. What are the significances of confession of sins?

1. Confession is a recognition of our sins before God. David wrote: “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3).  We are warned against a hardness that avoids confession (1 John 1:8). If we have sinned, it is wrong to ignore it.

2. Confession is a declaration of our faith in God who can forgive sins. David pleaded to God: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness” (Psalm 51:1). A publican prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13).

3. Confession is seeking forgiveness. John wrote: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). The Word of God teaches us that regular confession should be a vital part of our fellowship with God. No confession equals to no forgiveness from God.

4. Confession is finding peace with ourselves. David felt weak and was miserable when he did not confess. He wrote: “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Psalm 32:3-4, ESV). He found healing after he confessed his sin.

5. Confession is seeking peace with others. James wrote: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” (James 5:16). The confession referred is understood of sins committed against one another; which should be acknowledged, and repentance for them declared, in order to mutual forgiveness and reconciliation. The practice of confessing one’s personal sin to a priest or to a prayer leader is not taught in the Bible.

6. Confession is self-awaking. It is saying to oneself: “I want to stop deceiving myself.” John wrote: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves” (1 John 1:8). The self-righteous think too highly of themselves that they have no sin like other men; they are deceiving themselves (Luke 18:11).

We cannot shake off our guilt by leaving the scenes of our sins. We carry this burden with us when we fail to confess our sins. We should acknowledge and confess our special sins, our besetting sins, the sins which are particularly our own characteristic defects, and seek God’s forgiveness through repentance.

Confession is a necessary condition for forgiveness (1 John 1:9). It is an evidence of sincerity (1 John 1:8). It is the first step towards a better life. Forgiveness brings in its train all the best blessings, especially the turning away of God’s anger. The essence of confession is not the remission of penalties, but the restoration of friendly relations with God. And, confession of sins committed against our brethren brings peace and reconciliation.

Jimmy Lau

Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.