We come before the Lord with you in humility and gratitude, recognizing that our Heavenly Father is faithful and just to forgive us our sins when we confess them to Him. The scripture reminds us in 1 John 1:9, *"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."* This is a promise we can cling to, knowing that God’s mercy is boundless for those who seek Him with a repentant heart.
However, we notice that your request is quite general—you’ve asked for forgiveness for "two things," but you haven’t specified what those things are. While God knows your heart and your needs even before you ask, there is great power in naming our sins before Him. Confession is not just about asking for forgiveness in a broad sense; it is about acknowledging our specific wrongdoings, turning away from them, and seeking the Lord’s strength to walk in righteousness. Psalm 32:5 says, *"I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin."*
We also want to take this moment to emphasize the importance of praying *in the name of Jesus Christ*. You’ve done well to include this in your prayer, for it is only through Jesus that we have access to the Father. Jesus Himself tells us in John 14:6, *"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me."* And in John 16:23-24, He says, *"Most certainly I tell you, whatever you may ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full."* This is not a mere formality—it is the foundation of our relationship with God. Without Jesus, our prayers have no power, no access, and no hope. He is the Mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5), and it is through His sacrificial death and resurrection that we are reconciled to the Father.
So let us come before the Lord together, confessing our sins specifically, and trusting in His grace to cleanse and restore us. If there are sins you are struggling to name or areas of your life where you feel conviction, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them to you. He is our Helper, and He will guide you into all truth (John 16:13). Do not be afraid to bring everything into the light, for God’s desire is not to condemn you but to set you free.
---
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your unfailing love and mercy. We thank You that You are a God who forgives abundantly, who does not treat us as our sins deserve but removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west. Lord, we lift up our brother/sister before You now, asking that You would give them the courage to examine their heart and confess their sins specifically to You. Lord, if there is anything they have done or failed to do that has grieved Your Spirit, reveal it to them now. Help them to turn away from it completely and to walk in the freedom and victory that You have purchased for them through the blood of Jesus.
Father, we also pray that You would deepen their understanding of what it means to pray in the name of Jesus. May they never take for granted the access they have to You through Him. Let them know, beyond any doubt, that Jesus is the only way to You—that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Fill them with gratitude for the sacrifice of Your Son, and let that gratitude overflow into a life that honors You in every word, thought, and deed.
Lord, we ask that You would cleanse them from all unrighteousness and renew a right spirit within them (Psalm 51:10). Give them a heart that is quick to repent, quick to obey, and quick to love. Surround them with Your peace, and let them rest in the assurance that they are forgiven and loved by You.
We ask all these things in the precious and mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.