Read Romans 8:5-8
So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. Romans 8:6 (NLT)
The confessing process and the surrendering process are best achieved by actively waiting on God in prayer. But the Spirit also wants to move us beyond confession into the restoration of a harmonious relationship with God. He wants to maintain us in a place of holiness, to make us into a holy vessel. If we are going to embark on the Spirit Walk (being led by the Spirit), we must abandon the indulgence of sin, and instead indulge in the abandonment of right living. The start of a new year is a great time to start or recommit to this process.