Prayers of Confession on Burdens

Adapted from Psalm 6

Holy God, Father most gracious! Rebuke us not in your anger, nor chasten us in your wrath! Heal us from our sin, for we are troubled. Deliver us for the sake of your steadfast love. Our sins trouble us, O God. We are troubled by how they have hurt others. We are troubled by how they have hurt us. Your ways are right! 0 righteous God! and whenever we have refused to follow them we have found out how right they are. Have mercy on us, 0 God. Have mercy! Holy God, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Have mercy on us for the sake of your Son,

Who died to free us from our sins.

To you be honor and glory! Amen.

Heavenly Father, our Savior told us, “Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for My sake will gain it.”  These are hard words. We confess that we often close our ears and minds to this kind of risk. Lord, we are sorry for being unfaithful. Please forgive our fearful hearts. Lord, You alone know how desperately we need connection with You and with one another. Surround us with godly counsel that we can trust. Give us courage so that we may respond to Your call to us for a deeper life. Guide us, we pray, on an adventure of hope, where Christ Jesus remains at the center. We ask this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men: We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness,  which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, by thought, word and deed, against Thy Divine Majesty, provoking most justly Thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings. The remembrance of them is grievous unto us; the burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for Thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake. Forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please Thee In newness of life, to the honor and glory of Thy name. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The General Confession from the Book of Common Prayer, 1662.

Everyone: Holy God, we live our lives struggling in our own burdens and failing to trust You with all the things that hold us down.

Leader: Your Scripture says, “Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.”

Everyone: We chase material things and success that fades. We prioritize our schedules above our faith.

Leader: Your Scripture says, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.”

Everyone: We live as if hope doesn’t exist. We fail to see the bigger picture of the needs of the world that You have called us to serve.

Leader: Your Scripture says, “He saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace.”

Everyone: We carry grudges, avoid conflict, and live in dysfunctional relationships instead of seeking wholeness and reconciliation.

Leader: Your Scripture says, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.”

Everyone: We don’t live as if Your promises are true. We don’t give You our whole lives and follow You in the gift of Your forgiveness.

Leader: Your Scripture says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but will have eternal life.”

Everyone: Help us to daily live in the gift of Your forgiveness. Help us to serve and live holy lives out of that gift. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen

Laura Murray

Eternal God, our judge and redeemer, we confess that we have tried to hide from You, for we have done wrong. We have lived for ourselves, and apart from You. We have turned from our neighbors and refused to bear the burdens of others. We have ignored the pain of the world and passed by the hungry, the poor, and the oppressed. In Your great mercy, forgive our sins and free us from selfishness, that we may choose Your will and obey Your commandments through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Gracious God, Your yoke is easy, and your burden is light. You say you will give us rest, yet we don’t always believe it. Forgive us for being distracted by our doing. Instead of finding rest in Your being. Help us to put aside our tasks so that we might find our rest in you. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Based on Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus says,  “Are you tired? Burned out? Worn out? Come to me.”

He promises rest.

When we come before God and confess our sins,

We are not only handing over those burdens,

We are asking Jesus to give us rest.

Listen to the Messiah.

In this time of confession,

allow him to take those burdens away.

Ellen R. Dawson