Saying Confession Prayers
Bible Verse
Turn your eyes from my sin and cover my guilt. Create pure thoughts in me and make me faithful again. (CEV) Psalm 51:9-10
I drew on the wall behind the couch. What can I say? My four-year-old soul was quite artistic. And messy. And impractical. And after reading Harold’s Purple Crayon, it was my plan to make my mark in our brand new house. Now, I was quickly caught. After all, I couldn’t hide the fact that the wall now sported my star, my smiley face, and my handwriting.
My parents could have easily hidden that artwork by pushing the couch closer to the wall. Instead, they reacted in a much more Christ-like way. They prompted me to confess that I had, indeed, vandalized our living room. When the purple crayon Picasso was brought into full view, they covered it with clean white paint.
If we set an example by humbly coming to God for forgiveness, our kids will understand that the truth sets us free. Use these passages to help you explain the importance of confession in our prayers:
God already sees and knows everything, but he wants us to be honest in our prayers and seek healing in our relationship with him. When Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to hide from God. God already knew that they had disobeyed him, but he still wanted them to confess their sins to him (Genesis 3:8-13).
The Bible illustrates the importance of confession with examples from others’ lives where they confessed their sins and the sins of their people (Nehemiah 1:6-7, Psalm 32:5, Psalm 51, Daniel 9:4-5).
The sacrifice of Jesus covers our sins with forgiveness and grace. When we confess with our mouths that Jesus is the Lord, we are brought into a new relationship with God (Romans 10:9-10, 1 John 1:9).
It is important for kids to understand that if we refuse to confess our sins, it is like we are straining to push the couch closer to the wall, all the while ignoring the paint bucket in the corner of the room. The gift of Jesus covers our crayon marks with clean, perfect grace. And God can’t wait to make our “walls” white as snow.
Explore the why, when, and how to pray with your family. Check out Kids Corner's Faith Practices for Families: Prayer eBook.
Want to do a deep dive? Check out Family Fire's article https://familyfire.com/articles/teaching-the-importance-of-confession
Areo Keller-Donahue
As soon as Areo could pick up a popsicle stick, she was making puppets and putting on plays that shared her faith with her neighbors. Areo grew up with a strong interest in musical theatre and earned her BFA at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Areo was led to use artistic gifts to share the gospel with young ones, and she became involved in ministry. She has worked in children's ministry at Redeemer Upper West Side and North Way Christian Community and is currently developing a musical live-action series that celebrates faith and fun. Areo and her husband live in Pittsburgh, where they enjoy spending time with their families and adorable cat, Daisy.
