It's our confession LORD ....

Confession.
That's what God's answer is. That is what God told me. What was the question that prompted such and answer? It was my question. It is a question that I've wondering about. The questions was "LORD what do I/ we need to do in order for YOU to pour out your spirit on us?"
Confession is a scary thing. I have to admit I was wrong. I have to admit I did something wrong. I have to admit what I did wrong and perhaps even admit to the person I've wronged. And that's just the half of why it's scary.
When I say confession, I don't mean pray and ask for God to forgive me in the privacy of my own mind. I am certain that that isn't what God meant either. I think it means to "Confess yours sins to EACH OTHER and pray for EACH OTHER so that you may be healed. The easrnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results. James 5:15 NLT

Why is confession such a big deal with God? For a number of reasons I would guess. God HATES sin. To confess it is to not hold on to it but to release it. By confessing our sins we humble ourselves and stop pretending there isn't anything going on or that we are "doing good." We aren't just confessing our sin for others to know that. I think we need to be convinced of that ourselves. In a way confession helps us to see what our current state before God really is. I think confession doesn't allow sin to take root and devour us. Perhaps confession is what God meant in 1 Timothy where it says He (God) will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear,but will provide a way out for you so that you can stand up under it.
This is SOOO scary though. "God! You mean I have to air out my dirty laundry?I have to be vulnerably with people and tell them the MANY ways in which I fall short. I have to stop pretending that I've got it all together? I have to expose all of my dirty little secrets that I've been hiding for years? I can't hide anymore? OUCH!!!!"
And ouch is even an understatement.
What good could come out of that?
Well, here is an example. We have life groups at our church. I've gone to several of them and it didn't take that long for me to become disinterested in going to them. I couldn't quite articulate why until just recently. Here is the reason. We always have fairly good conversations about the Bible and theology etc. But, we never really seemed to get to know each other. It was like we'd press in a little bit more but then we'd get to the threshold of our comfort levels and we didn't get past it. It's almost like we couldn't. We weren't willing to be real with each other. After too much time of small talk, there just isn't anything to talk about. You either go deeper or go home. I probably could've and should've been willing to go deeper myself so I'm just as at fault.
Along with not letting our sin take root, I think confessing brings about unity among believers. When we stop hiding, deal with sin, and expose the darkness, there is typically no room for pride. We tend to show mercy to others, and humbly submit to one another when we don't have anything to hide behind.
As 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land."

I really sense that God wants to heal our land. I really sense that God wants to wake up the church; to REVIVE her. I really sense that God is moving among the nations and even in Milwaukee. I really sense God wants to pour out His spirit. But the thing that is largely quenching the Spirit is our pride and our lack of unity.
God has made it clear.
"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble(confess) themselves and pray(rely on God) and seek my face(Go after what God wants) and turn from their wicked ways(repent), I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land." Do you want that? Do you want God's forgiveness and healing? Who wants that? If you want it, than you know what needs to be done.

"Father help us to humble ourselves, pray, seek your face, and turn from our wicked ways."