Prayers of Confession on Atonement

Adapted from Psalm 32:1-7

Pastor: Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

All: For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

Pastor: I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.

All: Therefore, let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

Submitted by Dustin Ray

Adapted from Psalm 51:1-2, 8-9

All: God, have mercy on me according to your faithful love. Because your love is so tender and kind, wipe out my lawless acts. Wash away all the evil things I’ve done. Make me pure from my sin. Let me hear you say, “Your sins are forgiven.” That will bring me joy and gladness. Let the body you have broken be glad. Take away all my sins. Wipe away all the evil things I’ve done. God, create a pure heart in me. Give me a new spirit that is faithful to you. Don’t send me away from you. Don’t take your Holy Spirit away from me. Give me back the joy that comes from being saved by you. Give me a spirit that obeys you so that I will keep going.

Submitted by Dustin Ray

Adapted from Psalm 106

Pastor: “Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.”

All: You have blessed us and delivered us from trouble. You’ve been so kind to us, but we have forgotten your good works, your faithfulness, and your grace. We have been faithless.

Pastor: Because of the good work that Jesus Christ did in his life, and because of his death on the cross in our place, you have forgiven those of us who have trusted you. Forgive us for the sins that we continue to commit and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

All: Look upon our distress and remember your covenant with Jesus Christ. “Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.”

Submitted by Dustin Ray

Adapted from “Continual Repentance” in The Valley of Vision

Pastor: O God of grace, you have taken my sin and put it on Jesus’ head, and you’ve taken his righteousness and put it on mine. You’ve made me holy and blameless in your sight; therefore, you delight in me.

All: But in my Christian walk, on my best days, I still sin. I am greedy. I am selfish. I am lustful. I am slothful. I love my sinful delights more than I love you or love my neighbor.

Pastor: I sin like this more frequently that I care to admit, but I tell you, Heavenly Father, because Jesus has died for me and because you can empower me to walk in obedience.

All: Grant that I never lose sight of the ugliness of sin, the glory of Christ, the beauty of holiness, or the wonder of grace. Help me to seek you every morning with heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Submitted by Dustin Ray

Adapted from “Spiritual Helps” in The Valley of Vision

Pastor: Eternal Father, it is amazing love, that you sent your Son to suffer in my place, that you have given me your Holy Spirit to teach, comfort, and guide me. Because of Jesus’ death in my place, you have forgiven me, a wretched sinner.

All: May my hard heart experience your pity, not your wrath. Although I am prone to evil, dead to goodness, and resist the prompting of your Spirit, do not abandon me. Continue to be gracious!

Pastor: Keep me feeding in the pastures of your delightful Word, rejoicing in Scripture because there you are found. Let all your fatherly dealings with me make me a partaker of your holiness.

All: Grant that in every fall I may sink lower on my knees, and that when I rise it may be to loftier heights of devotion.

Submitted by Dustin Ray

Heavenly Father, we come to you acknowledging our own unrighteousness.  We know that we fall short of your glory and your desires for us.  Still, we know that you love us with the love you have shown in Jesus.  Thank you for allowing Jesus’s faithfulness and sacrifice to atone for our sins.  We pray these things in his name, and we ask that you hear our prayers as we continue our confession in silence…

Submitted by Allen Thompson

Holy God, Your love is amazing, steady, and unchanging. Your love is relentless, passionate, and astounding. We thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus which has redeemed us and restored us to a right relationship with You. We confess that we take this gift for granted; we fail to grasp the significance of the sacrifice; we continue to live as unredeemed people. Forgive us for our sinfulness. Cleanse us. Restore us. And ignite our hearts with a passion to live for You. We humbly ask, in Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Lord God, the grace and mercy, that You express to us through Jesus Christ is almost impossible to understand. How, in Your holiness, could You possibly cancel the debt incurred by our sin? But that’s exactly what You have done through the miracle of the shed blood of Christ. You have provided us with the ultimate example of forgiveness. Yet, we often look at our own opportunities to forgive as a duty rather than a privilege. At times, we forgive others with reluctance and gnashing of teeth. Sometimes we “forgive” with conditions. Teach us more about humility, Lord. Help us to show others the same compassion that You have shown us. Everything we have, we have only because of Your mercy towards us. We receive Your gracious forgiveness, Father, and commit ourselves to pass the torch of total forgiveness to others. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

We have been bought with a great price, yet we sin against You by choosing our ways over Your ways. You invite us into dynamic discipleship, but we are timid, weak-minded, and hard-hearted in our response to follow You. Forgive us, O God, and may our hearts be revived, may our minds be renewed, and may our wills be conformed to Yours. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Submitted by Dustin Ray