Your Nightly Prayer: Evening Prayers for Christian... - Confession Makes Room for Healing

0:00Life audio. Thank you for tuning in to your nightly prayer, a podcast designed to help you rest and connect with your father in heaven as the day ends. God is ready to meet you in this moment of peace as you settle into sleep. After this short word from our sponsor, we'll encounter tonight's devotional. Confession makes room for healing, written by Amber Genter and read by your host, Brooke McLaughlin. I'm Kristi Graham, host of On the Ground with Samaritan's Purse, and I recently interviewed one of our pilots whose plane was hijacked in Africa. I encouraged myself with that reality that at some point this is going to end in two hours. It'll end good if I'm on the ground somewhere walking around with the testimony. It'll end great if he pulls the trigger for me. It will end great.

1:00That day, Jim, experienced the power of prayer and witnessed just how mighty the name of Jesus is. If you want to hear this full story, tune in at Samaritan's Purse.org slash listen. Tonight's Scripture. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5-16 Something to ponder. I struggled with an eating disorder and an addiction to exercise for seven years. For nearly a decade, I refused to confess my sins to myself, God or those around me because of two things. One, I was in denial, and two, I was ashamed. By the time I was 21, I was exercising for three hours a day. I can't explain it, but it was my way to cope with the crumbling home around me. I'd never really cared about food or body image, but now it was all that consumed me.

2:02Until the day, God broke my foot. That night, I screamed at God from my bathroom floor. I yelled, why did you do this as tears stream down my face? But deep down, I knew why. God was saving me. In James 5-16, we read that confession brings healing. The beauty of this verse isn't just in the confession part, but in what we receive as a result of doing so. Being healed and made whole. Confession isn't easy. It makes my hands sweat, my heart pound, and my head spin. By the time I do, however, I feel a sigh of release. I feel like I don't have to hide anymore or pretend like I have everything together. Why? Because confessing to God and those who care breaks chains. It doesn't mean you can skip the hard work of recovery or that healing will come instantly. But Satan loses his power when we bring dark things to light.

3:04James 5-16 says it this way. So always tell each other the wrong things you have done. Then pray for each other. Do this so that God can heal you. Anyone who lives the way God wants can pray and great things will happen. Confession makes room for healing because honest surrender is the posture God wants all of us to have. Big sins or little sins, big struggles or little struggles, we can come to Him as we are. And when we do, when we confess all that we are and are not, healing can begin to break through. Your nightly prayer. Dear God, confessing my sins and faults to you and others is petrifying. Satan tries to convince me that I'd be better off hiding and keeping things secret. But Lord, let your truth break through. Healing comes when I confess my sins openly and rest in the peace and grace you provide.

4:07Not only do you forgive me for my faults, but you give me new life. You bring healing that only you can and I praise you for that. Today, help me to be bold and repent. Then show me how healing can take place in my life. I love, praise and thank you Jesus. Amen. Three things to meditate upon. Number one, do you have something you need to confess to the Lord or someone else? Don't wait any longer. Ask God to give you bold courage and then express what's on your heart. Two, do some research on the benefits of repentance. Then praise God for his grace, love and mercy. And number three, if you struggle to confess things in your life, please know you're not alone. Try journaling your thoughts or talking to a trusted friend, counselor or family member about these struggles.

5:08Memorize James 516 and recite it in times of need. Thank you for listening to Your Nightly Prayer, a production of the Life Audio Network. If you found comfort and inspiration in tonight's prayer, be sure to follow and subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow today so you never miss a moment of peace and reflection to end your day. Hey there, it's Nicole Eunice, host of The How to Study the Bible Podcast, where every single week we join together to encounter God through His Word. You can subscribe at LifeAudio.com.