Prayers of Confession on being Self-Centered
Most holy and merciful Father, we your wayward children do humbly confess our shortcomings and our sin. All we like sheep have gone astray and have turned every one to his or her own way-We have lived too much for ourselves and not for you. We have not loved our neighbors as we should, nor faithfully followed our Master in unselfish service. But will you pardon all our offenses. Create within us a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within us. May we go on our way with gladness, assured of your compassion; and forgetting the things which are behind, may we forget those things which are behind us and pressing toward the mark of our high calling in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
A Book of Worship for Free Churches, Language Modernized by Stuart Strachan Jr.
Gracious and eternal God, You are holy, You are mighty, You are worthy of all praise. We try to follow You, we try to listen to You, we try to love You, but we fall short time and again. Our self-centered sinfulness strains the relationship You want with us, and causes our hearts to become calloused. But thank You for loving us, for extending grace and forgiveness, for melting our hardened hearts, and for providing a path for redemption through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Gracious God, we confess that we do not always listen to your calling for us. Instead we carry on with our busy lives, not being mindful of your voice, calling us to live for more than ourselves. Please forgive us for being too busy to hear your voice and help us to listen to you as we silently confess our sins…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Heavenly Father, forgive us for delving so much into our own lives that we forget the love and purpose with which you have created us. When we are faced with doubt and despair, help us to turn to you with faith and confidence. Through your Holy Spirit, remind us that you have made us in your image and claimed us again in Jesus. Hear our prayers as we continue our confession in silence…
Submitted by Allen Thompson
Great and loving God, we know that one day all peoples will worship you on your mountain. We struggle to live into that reality. We turn inward, thinking mostly of ourselves rather than giving you glory. We often hold onto the resources you give us, even when we want to give back to you generously. We forget to praise you for the faithful saints who have come before us, and we long to follow their example more faithfully, as they followed you. Forgive us, O God, for these and all our sins, as we continue to pray in silence…
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
Heavenly Father, we confess that we have too often forgotten that we are Yours. At times, we live our lives as if there was no God and we fall short of being who You created us to be. We have lived for ourselves, refused to bear the troubles of others, and ignored the pain of the world. Forgive us, Lord. Remind us of the purpose for which You created us. Give us Your strength to walk in Your ways and be Your light. In our Savior Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Jesus, though you were in very nature God, you did not consider equality with God as something to be used to your own advantage. Rather, you humbled yourself, you made yourself nothing. Lord, you are the ultimate example for us, but we ignore it. We seek our own bet interests and puff ourselves up with pride. Please humble us as we silently confess our sins to you now…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Each of us, Lord, has failed to fully observe your beauty.
We fall in love with our own image and are left disappointed and alone.
Please be faithful to us, Jesus, even when we turn from You.
We trust that You will be stalwart, our dedicated Savior, to the end.
Lord, as we seek to embrace our neighbors, no matter the loves of their hearts,
help us to see them as You do, with compassion and zeal for their good.
Forgive us, Holy Spirit, for when we have excluded our neighbors
from our hearts or our tables, knowing how deeply You cherish them.
Forgive us now, in the name of Jesus and for his glory,
and may your face be shown vibrantly where we have failed to show ours.
Submitted by Charles Teixeira
(Prayer of Adoration)
Lord – Creator, Savior and Sustainer:
You called our names and we answered.
When we were lost – You found us.
When we were sick – You healed us.
When we were blind – You opened our eyes.
When we were dead in our sin – You died to give us life.
That’s why we are here; that’s why we praise You.
(Prayer of Confession)
Yet too often we overlook all that you’ve done for us.
We become self-consumed,
loving ourselves too much,
others too little and You hardly at all.
In Your grace and compassion:
hear the silent confession of our own sins,
and forgive us, we pray. (silence)
Almighty God, we, too often, live in fear. Fear drives our self-preservation, our self-centered decisions, and prevents us from comprehending the wonder of your presence among us. Like Peter, we would desire to build a box in which to adore you in a way that assuages our fear, increases our control, and defines our comprehension of who we think you are. The metamorphosis on the Mt. of Transfiguration is too terrifying for us. While we repose amazed at the immanence of the incarnation in the birth of God, we are repelled by the transcendent, mind-altering glory of the transfiguration. Forgive us for the way in which we limit our understanding and allegiance to you by our fear of your glorious preeminence. We prefer a tamed god rather than one whose Shekinah comes with pillars of fire by night and clouds by day, of a brother who walks with us with dirty feet and soiled clothes rather than one whose garments brilliantly gleam with the radiance of the Father God. Today, may we live in freedom to follow this glorious God-Man whose radiance shines amidst the gloom and darkness of sin, immanent and transcendent in life, death, and resurrection. Amen.
Scott Bullock
Gracious and loving God, we stand before You today as sinners in need of redemption and grace. So much of our time and energy goes into projecting positive images of ourselves. We want others to think that we are strong, smart, and independent. Our desire is for the people in our lives to see us as a “success.” And yet every single day we fail to do that which we know is right, and we continue to do that which we know is wrong. Forgive us and help us celebrate the fact that You loved us enough to sacrifice Your only Son on the cross and, as a result, we no longer need to impress You and others. We only need to follow the example that Christ set before us. Grant us the strength and courage to live and love each day as faithful followers. In Christ’s Name we pray. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Almighty God, we come to You now as Your children because we know we are broken and sinful and need You so much. We have broken our relationship with You and have done things that have hurt You, others and ourselves. We have said ugly and mean words, and acted in judgmental and arrogant ways. We have been impatient and self-centered. We are sorry. Please forgive us. We repent and turn our faces toward You to receive Your love and forgiveness. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
For the times when we fail to notice others’ needs, we repent.
For our apathy for those you’ve entrusted to us, we repent.
For the amount of time we spend focused on ourselves, we repent.
For failing to pray for others, we repent.
Please forgive us for our selfishness as we silently confess all that keeps us from follow you…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Loving and forgiving God, we want to answer your invitation to experience a Christ-centered life. Yet all too often, our lives are much more centered around our ourselves than around Jesus. Jesus sends us out to transform the world in love, but we are hesitant. Forgive us for the indifference and even hatred we show to others. Forgive us for forgetting that your Spirit empowers us. Pardon us for these and all of our sins, as we continue to confess in silence…
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
Heavenly Father, we confess that we too often center our lives around ourselves and our immediate needs, and that this blinds us from being aware of the needs of our neighbors. Help us to know our true needs, and to use what you have given us in ways that give you the most glory. Guide our decisions and our steps, that through our own life, you may be known. Hear our prayers as we continue our confession in silence…
Submitted by Allen Thompson
Holy and Loving God, You created us in Your image to enjoy You, to love You, to serve You. But our souls have been corrupted by our hard-heartedness, by our self-centeredness, by our pervasive sinfulness. We turn to you in genuine repentance and seek Your forgiveness. We trust Your promise that You will forgive, redeem, and restore. Help us to forgive others as You have forgiven us. We ask for Your mercy in the Name of Jesus, who has come and will come again. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
God of grace and mercy, You know us better than we know ourselves. You know we are often discontent, despite having received the blessings You provide. You know we cling to comfort and control and lose sight of the values of Your Kingdom. Forgive our self-centered sinfulness. Remind us that our true worth, purpose, and contentment is found in You. Strengthen us, by the power of Your Spirit, to live lives of gratitude and obedience. We seek to love and serve You without reservation. In the Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Holy God, we forget you are near.
We forget that you are everywhere.
We are so wrapped up in our own worlds that we cannot see beyond ourselves.
God, you are so much greater!
Lift up our heads.
Lift up our eyes.
May we see you.
May we see others,
And may we help them to lift up their hearts in worship to you.
Submitted by Laura Murray
LORD, too often we live for ourselves instead of how You have called us. Please forgive us for the times when we don’t strive to bring about Your kingdom here and now. Forgive us for the lack of imaginative vision bring about Your amazing plans You have for Your creation. Give us new eyes to see the world around us as we silently confess our sins to You now…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Heavenly Father, You have gone to great lengths to redeem us by Your Son Jesus Christ. Furthermore, You invite us into a life of hope, joy, and freedom. And yet, we forget, Lord. We forget that You have sanctified us for greater things. We confess that we abandon You when our comfort is threatened. We admit that we get consumed with serving ourselves and our own interests. Have mercy on us. Father, cause us to turn our gaze squarely back on You. Speak to our fearful hearts. Forgive us and open our eyes and ears to a greater awareness of You, and to the adventure of living for Your glory each and every day. May we represent You well this week, acting as instruments of Your hands and feet. We pray this humbly in Christ’s Name. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
(Prayer of Adoration)
Gracious God – our Father:
Sufficient and sovereign, yet, compassionate and kind;
You tell us the truth while the world lies to us;
You give us light and hope,
while all around us cast darkness and despair.
When we mess up our lives – you give us a new one.
When we lose our way – You find us and guide us home.
When we are cast out – You call us by name and take us in.
It’s no wonder we praise You.
It’s no wonder we love You.
(Prayer of Confession)
Yet sometimes we seek to steal Your glory,
to love ourselves and ignore You.
Forgive us – and in the quiet hear our heart’s confession
Of how we hurt others and dishonor You. (silence … )
O God, too often we turn to You when we have no other place to go, but your arms are always open wide. Forgive us for using you as our last resort when you ought to be our first. We confess that you have too often filled our minds with extraneous thoughts and plans, so let the mind of Christ fill us with new thoughts of you and of the plans you have for our lives. Forgive us for being so self-centered that our service to you is tainted by self-serving, and renew us in grace and mercy. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Stuart Strachan Jr.
Great and gracious God, we have run after things and others instead of coming home to You.
We have lived as though we were the centers of our universe.
We have avoided the harder issues in life so others will approve of us.
We have let the world squeeze us into its mold, and refused to be transformed by your Spirit.
We laugh at what we should weep over, and grieve over things that are passing away that are unimportant in Your Kingdom.
We have thought evil of our brothers and sisters simply because they do not agree with us on things of this fleeting world.
Oh Lord, have mercy upon us. Restore us to the sanity of your ways and remind us of your infinite love and healing, and lead us in the way everlasting.
Mark Brewer
You, O Lord are holy and worthy of worship and praise. But we your people are sinful
And unworthy. You have called us to be a holy nation of your own people but we
Mostly think only of ourselves and not of others. Forgive us Father. You have called
Us to be a Holy Priesthood dedicated to serving you but most of our time, thoughts and
Efforts are spent on serving ourselves. Forgive us Father. Amen
Bud Thoreen
God of wisdom, we come before you in humility. Too often we choose our own way, discern our own path, without looking to you. We ignore the prompting of your Holy Spirit, and choose what is easiest, most comfortable, or requires the least from us. Please forgive us for our narrowmindedness. Soften our hearts of stone, that we might have, instead, hearts of flesh to perceive your call in our lives. Then please give us the courage to act on your calling.
Austin D. Hill
Eternal God,
Your love for us is without end,
yet our love for you and for one another is weak,
often interrupted by self-centeredness … distrust … vindictiveness.
Whenever we come together to pray to you,
we have to acknowledge that much of our life
deserves your displeasure,
that our life together is too often disfigured by our pride and self-love.
Forgive us, we pray, and restore us to fellowship
with you and with one another.
For Jesus’ sake, amen.
Church of Scotland
Lord, You are good and faithful and never neglect us. But we often neglect You and each other. We fail to prioritize worshipping You, even as we make time for other things. We forsake the true focus of worship and make it all about us and our preferences. We prefer our styles, our songs, and our preachers. We are sorry for our sins. Please forgive us. Re-tune our hearts to glorify and enjoy You as we worship together. Thank you for forgiving us in Jesus through the cross. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church