Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 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 5:14-16

---

When I was eight years old, I was playing frisbee with my neighbor in her front yard a few doors down from my home. We were messing around, and I had a fit of giggles and did not pay attention to where I was throwing when BAM! I hit the window on their front porch, creating a quarter-size fracture in the window. 

We quickly ran and hid, waiting for her parents to come out and start yelling. But they didn’t. We started strategizing on what we should do. Should we admit what had happened? How much trouble would we be in? How much was it to replace a window? Our child-size knowledge convinced us it was VERY expensive. We decided to act as if nothing happened and to continue playing. If her parents found out, we would figure it out then. 

I knew deep in my soul this was not the right thing to do. I really felt we should just come clean, but I was positive we were going to be punished beyond my comprehension. Every time guilt crept in, I would justify the secret and try to convince myself it wasn’t a big deal. Time went by and the guilt didn’t leave. 

One Wednesday evening, in my youth group, we were discussing the power of forgiveness and how Jesus died for our sins so that we may be free. I finally fessed up. I couldn’t hold onto the guilt or shame any longer. My youth group leader asked if she could pray with me, and as she did, I felt lighter, as if the weight of this was lifting off my soul. I had someone to help carry the load. I had someone remind me that I never had to carry the weight alone. The love of Jesus was always there surrounding me. 

To my surprise, when I told my parents later that evening, they were quick to forgive and barely thought it was as big of a deal as I thought it was! It was an accident and it was easy to replace a storm window. I was so relieved and wished I would have said something sooner—I carried the weight alone for longer than I needed. 

While the ‘broken windows’ in my life seem to have gotten more serious as I got older, the power of confession, prayer, and forgiveness is the antidote for the shame we quickly take on!

Next Steps

Do you have anyone in your life who may need a little help carrying their load? Offer to pray with them and for them. If you would like someone to pray with you, our amazing team is here for you. Please click here for prayer support.