By Heidy de la Cruz
One of my friends posted something online that, for some reason, didn’t sit well with me.
I cannot remember the details of the post, but I remember how I felt when I read it, and I remember that I didn’t like the feeling.
I wrestled with my discomfort for days, and I could not get over how unsettled I was.
The Request
A few weeks later, I met up with a mutual friend who knows the friend who created the post, too. After a little small talk and some catching up, I told her I needed to get something off my chest.
I explained the post, how I felt, my lingering discomfort, and that I wasn’t even sure why it bothered me. Then, I asked if she could pray for me. I needed to pray that God would remove the feeling from my heart and show me the root cause of it.
She agreed that she would, and we continued our time together, talking about other things.
We Cannot Do Life Alone
I knew I could talk to this friend about my feelings because she wouldn’t judge me. She is someone who tells me the truth in love.
James 5:16 out of the NIV reads, “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."
We need to pray for one another.
The Word says that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
I consider my friend to be righteous, and she's probably the most righteous person I know, so I knew her prayer would be powerful and effective.
Lastly, I knew I could confess to her how I was truly feeling. I knew she wouldn’t make me feel worse than I already felt about the situation.
Confession in Christianity is about helping each other pray through struggles as we keep each other accountable. It’s about helping each other move toward Christ together–carrying each other’s burdens so it’s not so heavy on one person.
Jesus died for our sins on the cross in the ultimate sacrifice and forgiveness. However, we confess our sins to God for forgiveness and to each other for prayer, guidance, and accountability.
We cannot do life alone; we need righteous friends around us to help us.
A Prayer for You
If you are struggling or wrestling with something, think of a friend you could talk to and ask for prayer. Take your confession to God for forgiveness, but you can ask for prayer from a friend.
Pray with me:
Lord, there are a few things I'm struggling with secretly in my own heart at the moment. I pray that You would help me find the courage to confess my true feelings and that You point me in the direction of a true friend who can hold me accountable.
Lord, I thank you for those who surround me in prayer. Thank you for the ultimate sacrifice You paid, Jesus. In your name, I pray always, Amen.
Meet Heidy
Heidy De La Cruz is a published writer/author and podcaster. She writes the weekly newsletter Into My Thoughts on Substack where she writes personal development, life experiences with life lessons, and faith-based encouragement.
Heidy is the host of "The American Dream in The Eyes of Immigrants Podcast," where immigrants share their stories about moving to the United States
In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, watching movies, and spending time with her husband and two kids.
