“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.“

James 5:16 


If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.   

1 John 1:6-7   

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September 2, 2025

It’s one thing to confess our sins to God. Why is it more difficult to confess them to someone we know? And why did James insist that we do so? 

Bringing “the antiseptic of sunlight” to our sins with a trusted brother or sister is another component of walking with God in the light. It’s been said that while our relationship with God is personal, it’s not private. Speaking on the importance of gathering as the Body, Pastor Hanibal recently mentioned how, like lions stalking prey, Satan waits for someone to be separated from the “herd.” Sin wants to isolate us. Confession—one to another—breaks the power of secret sin and keeps us from becoming the isolated sheep who is an easy target for our enemy. 

What gets in the way? Why do we balk at this? 

  • Pride tops the list. Our human nature wants to make ourselves look good. Although we should fear disappointing God more than fearing judgement from friends, we fear letting others know that we are a Romans-7-hot-mess, that our sinful nature repeatedly pulls us away from righteousness. 
  • Lack of tenderness towards God’s Spirit; we ignore His promptings to admit our failings. 
  • Relativism. We compare our sins to other people who are “worse.” Or conversely, we are eaten up by guilt and question whether we can be forgiven.  

When we overcome our avoidance of confessing to others, we reap benefits:  

  • As we hear our own words out loud, we face our need for mercy head on rather than ignoring it. 
  • Community grows as we trust one another with our weak areas and together “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). 
  •  As we walk in the light, admitting our own sins, it breaks our tendency to be quick to judge others. 

James ties his instruction to confess to one another to his exhortations that we pray for one another.  Chapter 5 speaks repeatedly about praying for one another. It seems wise then that our times of “one another” confession include prayer as well.  

 We need to be wise in choosing whom we confess to—we don’t need to share with everyone, and rarely are details needed. What a gift to have, and be, a trustworthy brother or sister in the Lord, with whom we can confess and pray! 

 Questions for Reflection and Discussion: 

  • How might confessing to another keep you from being that isolated sheep in danger? 
  • Do you have a prayer partner or small group of believing friends with whom you can confess and pray for one another? Pray that God would give you wisdom in finding someone to share with.  

 Church Reading Plan: 1 Samuel 26; 1 Corinthians 7