If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness – 1st John 1:9.
When we go to God with sincerity, asking Him to forgive us, He hears our prayers and grants us our petitions. The problem is God has forgiven us, but we hold on to unforgiveness towards ourselves.
Yes, God wants us to be godly and holy vessels, but sometimes, we say or do things that aren’t pleasing in God’s eyes. It’s the Grace of God when we can come to the knowledge that we have sinned against Him and are willing to ask for forgiveness. People commit sin daily and throughout the day and don’t have the foggiest idea that they are sinning against God!
Once you acknowledge your sin and ask for forgiveness, God immediately forgives you, but Satan will have you playing the act over and over again in your mind and heart to make you feel condemned when you have been forgiven.
There is no sin; God will not forgive you other than blaspheming. Maybe you missed a day or so from praying; don’t let Satan make you think you’re a sinner or have sinned because you missed a couple of days of prayer. Don’t make it a habit not to pray. Ask for forgiveness if something distracts you from your prayer time.
There will be times when we cannot pray, but God knows our hearts. He knows when we can’t pray and when we have allowed something or someone to distract us from praying; there is a difference. If you tried fasting and fell, keep trying until you can get an hour, two hours, half-day, or whole day. Whatever you practice, you will become good at it. Don’t beat yourself up because you couldn’t fast an entire day.
You may have said something you’re sorry about. First, ask God for forgiveness. If it was said to someone, tell them you’re sorry. If they forgive you, that’s good. If not, you did what you were supposed to, and now it’s between them and God. Don’t allow their unforgiveness to batter your mind and heart.
If you’re having trouble keeping your body holy, confess it to the Lord and ask Him for strength. He will help and deliver when we confess. The Lord wants us to be honest with Him, not playing spiritual games but sincerity. You may not have trouble with fornication, but you have trouble telling the truth; it’s just as much a sin as fornication. So is anger, unforgiveness, and offensives. These weights will hinder our relationship with the Father and our spiritual growth.
When you confess your sins to God, you must forgive yourself for what you have done; if not, you will keep yourself in bondage to the things you have done and said, even though God has forgiven you. Keep thinking about it; the act will occur again sooner or later because thoughts become actions.
Forgive yourself; you can’t go forward without forgiveness, even when the unforgiveness is towards yourself!