From the early days of Church history, confession of belief has always been a central part of our precious faith. Various convocations and councils were called through the centuries to look into what the bona fide follower of Jesus Christ should believe and hold on to as the ground and basis of their belief.

These early fathers of our faith based their call to clear confession of faith on the word of our Lord Himself-For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12: 37. The Lord also told us that-For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Mark 11: 23. The Lord placed a lot of emphasis on what a person says as much as what the person does. Our words are the threads we use to weave the tapestry called our lives. The quality and attractiveness of the tapestry can be traced back to the threads used to weave them. While the words we use in our daily activities are important, the words we use in prayers are much more important. Words are powerful and prayer is said to be the greatest force on earth.

While there are prayers of petition and supplication in which we plead with the Lord to intervene in situations and circumstances; there are also prayers of bold confessions and declarations. Many prophets of old put their convictions into prayers in a bold confessional manner, and the Lord honoured their words. David spoke boldly of what he expected the Lord to do when he was about to face Goliath as recorded in 1 Samuel 17: 46 – 47.

The purpose of these prayers is to speak them out (confess) as much as it is possible. There is power in our confession. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12: 37. There is much power in prayerful confessions, and confessions of prayers. The point must however be made that confessional and declarative prayers are bona fide means of addressing heaven when there is a need and the earth cannot but respond.