Do you ever struggle with overcoming your sin?
All believers have besetting sins–those which entangle or ensnare us. The word besetting comes from the King James translation of Hebrews 12:1:
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us… (Emphasis mine, KJV).
Take a look at that same phrase in a few other translations (again, the emphasis is mine):
and sin which clings so closely (ESV)
and the sin that so easily ensnares us (CSV)
the sin that so easily trips us up (NLT)
The truth is, Christians have believed in Jesus and have repented of our sin, turning to follow him. Yet, there are still sneaky sins that wait at our door, ready to devour us (Genesis 4:7). Perhaps you have struggled with small, habitual sins like gossip, overindulging in food or spending, angry speech, or impatience. These weights can be tough to lay aside.
So what do we do with our besetting sins? How do we lay them aside?
Scripture tells us to confess our sins, and to pray.
James 5:16 | Confess Your Sins to One Another
In James 5:16, ESV, James tells us:
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Scripture uses the term one another to refer to our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ. So, if you have a besetting–clinging, ensnaring–sin that is tripping you up in your walk with Jesus, you can go to your fellow Christians, confess your sins, and pray together. God can heal you of your sin. Amazing, right?
You can pray to our amazing salvific God any time you are struggling with temptation, or when you have sinned.
The Bible is full of prayers of confession from people just like you who go to God to confess their sins and to ask for spiritual (and sometimes physical) healing.
Prayers of Confession in Scripture
You can confess your sins in prayer, in a biblical way.
The devotional I wrote for you, 60 Scriptures You Can Pray (Whitaker House, 2026) has eight types of prayer you will learn about. Here are the devotions you’ll study covering prayers of confession!
- We Have Sinned Against God | Judges 10:6-16
- Take Away My Iniquity | 2 Samuel 24:10-17
- Greatly Humbled | 2 Chronicles 33:1-20
- You Forgave My Sin | Psalm 32
- Create in Me a Clean Heart | Psalm 51
- Salvation Belongs to the Lord | Jonah 2
- Be Merciful to Me | Luke 18:9-14
This year, learn more about prayer–and confess your sins to the Lord (and to each other)! God has given us the ability to enter his heavenly court and come to him–even with our deepest failings.
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60 Scriptures You Can Pray
The Bible is full of prayer that you can pray too!
How do you pray when you don’t know what to say? The Bible holds the answer.
God doesn’t expect us to pray without guidance. In fact, Scripture is full of examples of ordinary people approaching our extraordinary God in prayer.
Award-winning author Danika Cooley believes that praying God’s Word teaches us how to best communicate with our Lord:
“There are so many lessons we can learn from Scripture about how to approach God and what to expect when we do.”
Danika’s devotional 60 Scriptures You Can Pray covers eight types of prayer from the Bible, the expectations we should have when we pray, and the right heart attitude for prayer.
- Praise | We adore God for who he is.
- Thanksgiving | We thank God for all he has done.
- Confession | We admit our sin to the God who saves us.
- Supplication | We humbly ask God to provide for our needs.
- Intercession | We ask God to meet the needs of others.
- Deliverance | We cry out to God for help in times of trouble.
- Lament | We bring our sorrow to God, our comforter.
- Guidance | We ask for God’s help in determining his will for our lives.
When you read 60 Scriptures You Can Pray, you will:
- Develop a habit of praying daily over a two-month period
- Learn more about prayer in Scripture
- Understand eight different types of prayer
- Expand your understanding of how to pray biblically
- Become better acquainted with God, His Word, and why we pray
Packed with thoughtful explanations of biblical prayer and practical application in each devotion, 60 Scriptures You Can Pray is the tool you need to learn more about prayer–straight from God’s Word.
Want to equip the women in your church to pray biblically?
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