All people are sinful by nature. Only some admit it, while others do not. Seeing and understanding your sins is a great art. Because only in this case there is an opportunity to improve, to become better and not to step on the same rake again.
It is necessary
Prayer Book, Gospel
Instructions
Step 1
The first and indispensable condition for forgiveness of sins is their confession. You must be clearly aware of what and when you did it wrong, why you did it and whether it was possible not to do it. Take a look at your life and the life of the people around you: is everything that you thought useful and enjoyable really is? Was it from God?
You must repent and be ashamed of your actions, hate your sinfulness, and sincerely desire correction.
Step 2
Many people are faced with the problem of what is considered a sin and what is not. In this case, reading spiritual literature, the works of the holy fathers of the Church, or a conversation with a priest will help you. It is useful to reread the Savior's Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5: 3 - 7:27) in order to understand how far we are from the ideal of life that the Lord gives us. Because the words of Christ are the norm of the Christian life.
After remorse, you can assume that you have already taken the first step towards recovery.
Step 3
After realizing your sins, you must sincerely repent. Repentance is essential to forgiveness of sins. You have to change the way of your thoughts and way of life, to give up from now on sinful deeds and thoughts. To sin and immediately repent, and then sin again is an even greater crime before God. Such a sin is greatly aggravated.
Step 4
When you are mentally prepared, you will need to take the main action on the path of absolution - to confess your sins in the church. It was to the priests that our Lord Jesus Christ bequeathed the forgiveness of sins: “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth, it will be bound in heaven; and whatever you permit on earth, it will be permitted in heaven”(Matthew, 18, 18). Therefore, the priest has the right to forgive any sins, as long as there is sincere and sincere repentance.
Step 5
Confession is one of the main sacraments of the Church, therefore it is necessary to prepare for it with great responsibility and reverence. As a rule, you need to confess in church (unless you are a seriously ill person). You must be baptized in the Orthodox faith and wear a pectoral cross.
When preparing for Confession, read the prayer rule established in this case. Reading the Gospel will also help you realize your own sinfulness and feel great awe and fear of God.
Step 6
When you come to Confession, you must list your sins to the priest. You should not speak in general terms, but name the specific sins that you see behind you. What you tell about, then it will be released to you. If you find it difficult to speak or forget something, the priest may ask leading questions. Try not to repeat yourself.
Step 7
If the priest sees that you are hiding something or do not finish speaking, he may not forgive your sins, sending you to think about everything again. Take any decision for granted, it will definitely go for your good.
If the priest has accepted your Confession, he will read a prayer of absolution over you, and your sins will be forgiven. You must understand that the sincere repentance, the more complete the forgiveness and gracious reward from God. It is not the priest who forgives your sins, but the Lord God himself. That is why it is useless to hide something and not talk about it.
