Some well-meaning residents of the Philippines tried to update standard procedure in the Catholic Church by text-messaging their confessions to church officials. In response, one church leader commented, “We are encouraging Catholics to confess their sins—but the confession has to be personal. . . . They should ask pardon with a contrite heart.”

When it comes to ‘fessing up, there’s no shortcut to the place where we “humble [ourselves] under the mighty power of God” (1 Peter 5:6). Our prayers of confession should involve an earnest encounter with God-anything less is just taking care of business.

It wasn’t simply business as usual for Ezra when it came to addressing Israel’s sin. Although God had warned the nation not to intermarry, the Israelites insisted on continuing their enormous episode of The Dating Game—marrying foreign women.

When Ezra heard this, he said, “I tore my cloak and my shirt, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down utterly shocked” (Ezra 9:3). Ezra wasn’t looking for a quick fix of forgiveness—he modeled true remorse over the sin, and reflected God’s heart in his response.

Ezra’s sorrowful reaction led to his humble confession. He prayed, “O my God, I am utterly ashamed; I blush to lift up my face to You. For our sins are piled higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached to the heavens” (v.6). Ezra didn’t offer excuses and didn’t downplay the offense. His hope was that God would “not reject a broken and repentant heart” (Psalm 51:17).

Reading Ezra’s confession made me realize that sometimes I bounce back too easily from sin. If you’re like me, your prayer life might sometimes include a quick “Oops, Lord,” by way of confession. But that’s just taking care of business, when the situation calls for much, much more.