I know I must sin a thousand times a day. Even the best I do is like filthy rags, so it seems that my very being, the fact that I live and breathe on this earth, is an offense to God. Even the best I do is a sin. When I confess, what happens if I forget the sins I do all day long? I’m sure I have a closet full of sins I’ve never confessed because there are so many I can’t even remember them. So, with so many unconfessed sins, how can I get and maintain fellowship with God?
Fellowship is the second level of our relationship with God, beyond salvation. It’s where we begin enjoying the blessings and protections in the here and now while we’re waiting to be taken to Him. Staying in Fellowship requires that we confess when we sin as directed in 1 John 1:9.
The Lord judges us on the motives of our hearts when confessing, not our ability to remember every little detail of our lives. As long as we’re sincere we’re forgiven for all of our sins, whether we specifically refer to them or not.
King David developed a great prayer of forgiveness to help him cover himself completely. He wrote it as part of Psalm 19.
Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:12-14)
Praying these verses takes care of both the sins we remember and the ones we don’t.