Confession is one of the most important Sacraments of Christianity. On it, the believer remembers his sins, repents of them and asks the Lord for forgiveness. He who asks for Heavenly Father's mercy always receives it, but repentance must be sincere and active.
Instructions
Step 1
It is necessary to realize what exactly you have done wrong before the Lord and people. These are not only the well-known mortal sins - murder, theft, adultery, abortion, but also everyday sins that permeate our lives through and through. A grave sin is indifference and mercy to people. If you judge and condemn your neighbor, you have sinned by condemnation. If you claim that you are sinless and righteous, you are sinful by pride and self-glorification. If you swear, smoke, drink, if you are irritable and angry, if in your thoughts you wished the person who offended you, you have sinned. A very common sin is divination. And do not be fooled by the fact that the fortune-teller seemed to be praying before revealing your future or solving your problems. She sins, and most likely knows about it. Know, too, that you too have fallen into sin. Only the Lord should ask for help, and only in His mercy to hope. Sin is indifference and neglect of prayer, mentioning the name of the Lord in vain, laziness and gluttony. Remember all your sins, write them down on a piece of paper so as not to get confused and not forget in confession. And most importantly, forgive your offenders from the bottom of your heart. Christians of all denominations ask the Lord: "And leave us our debts, as we also leave our debtors." If you do not forgive the debtor, is it worth asking for forgiveness for your sins?
Step 2
Confession usually begins before the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. Listen carefully to the prayer for the general confession, in which the priest asks the Lord for forgiveness for numerous sins, and also mentally ask God for forgiveness. Then an individual confession begins, when each repentant approaches the priest and confesses his sins, voluntary and involuntary, before the Lord. Do not try to refer to circumstances or the fact that someone else has led you into sin. If you justify yourself, then you do not receive justification from God. The priest permits the sins of the repentant not by his own will, but by the name of the Lord. After the priest has read the prayer of permission, kiss the Cross and the Gospel lying on the lectern.
Step 3
If you want to partake of the Holy Mysteries, you must fast for at least three days. It is better to go to confession the night before, so that on the day of Communion at the Divine Service you will not be distracted by anything, fully concentrating on prayer. and to partake of the Sacrament. Approach Communion with your arms crossed over your chest, with humility and gratitude to the Lord for his mercy. After partaking of the Sacrament, listen to the prayers of thanks. If you do not understand the Church Slavonic language by ear, read these prayers yourself in front of the icons at home. Try to keep the purity you received after confession and Communion as long as possible.
