Prayers of Confession on Cleansing
Merciful God, we humble ourselves in your presence, confessing our unworthiness and our sinfulness in your sight. We have broken your holy law. We have not sought first your kingdom and righteousness. We have been anxious and troubled about many things, and have neglected the things that belong to our peace. We have not loved our neighbor as ourselves, or done to others as we would that they should do to us.
Most Gracious God, our heavenly Father, who hast given your Son, Jesus Christ, to save your people from their sins; forgive us, we pray; cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and renew a right spirit within us; through the grace of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.
The Book of Common Order, Language Modernized by Stuart Strachan Jr.
As your Servant Augustine said once long ago,
“O Lord, the house of my soul is narrow;
enlarge it, that you may enter in.
It is ruinous, O repair it!
It displeases your sight; I confess it, I know.
But who shall cleanse it, to whom shall we cry but to you?
Cleanse us from our secret faults, O Lord,
and spare us your servants from strange sins.
Augustine of Hippo, The House of the Soul, Language adapted for Corporate Worship by Stuart Strachan Jr.
Based on the Call of Matthew
This prayer also works well for the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18)
Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.
I have failed to love as You Love
I have treated others as objects and obstacles
– less than human
– less than bearing the image of God
I have elevated goals, persons, and things to the throne of my heart
I have procrastinated allowing fear to postpone your good work
I have wasted your precious gifts of time and talent and money
I am proud in unhealthy ways
I am too comfortable peacekeeping rather than peacemaking
I am privileged and have much to learn and unlearn,
center and decenter,
for my words and actions to actually help
I have raised myself too high
Hid myself too low
Trusting in you and your promises
I call on your Mighty Name for mercy
I ask your forgiveness, Gracious Savior
I surrender to your healing, Great Physician
I claim your resurrection power, Risen One
Time of silent confession
Jesus, Merciful and Mighty,
You are already here
Calling me from the old to the new
Speaking my name
Welcoming me to table
Offering me a new path
Hallelujah! I will follow
Prayer of Confession based on the Call of Matthew © 2017 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com
Create in us a clean heart, O God. Please cleanse us from our sins and iniquity. Restore to us the joy of salvation that comes from you. Have mercy on us according to your steadfast love. Renew us with your Holy Spirit, that we might be empowered to live for you. We silently confess our sins to you now…
Time of silent reflection.
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Dear Lord, we come before You now as Your children who need You. God, You are the Creator of all things, the Giver of life itself. You have made us in Your image and invited us to be Your children and the heirs of Your Kingdom. You have called us to be Your servants and to be part of Your Kingdom work, using the gifts You have given us. We stop now to confess that we have sinned and fallen short of what You would have us be. We have not always followed You or served You with our whole hearts. We have sinned and broken our promises to You, to one another, and to ourselves.
We are sorry; please forgive us. Wash us clean and make us new. Turn our hearts toward You and renew our hope in You. By Your Spirit, give us the courage, the commitment, and the opportunity to serve You each day. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Eternal God,
in whom we live and move and have our being,
whose face is hidden from us by our sins,
and whose mercy we forget in the blindness of our hearts:
Cleanse us from all our offenses,
and deliver us from proud thoughts and vain desires,
that with reverent and humble hearts
we may draw near to you,
confessing our faults,
confiding in your grace,
and finding in you our refuge and strength;
through Jesus Christ your Son, Amen.
Inspired by Psalm 51:1-4
Have mercy on us, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out our transgressions. Wash us thoroughly from our iniquity and cleans us from our sin. For we know our transgressions and our sin is ever before us. Against you, you only, have we sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
Scott Bullock
Plain text is for one voice. Bold text is for all voices. Or the entire prayer could be voiced by a single voice or all voices.
Holy Spirit, come again as cleansing fire,
Burn away all that is false and fruitless
Come, Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, come again as refining fire,
Purify our words, our ways, and our hearts
Come, Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit, come again as prophetic fire,
Rouse us to courage and action
Come, Holy Spirit
The congregation offers silent prayers of confession
Lisa Degrenia, www.revlisad.com
Adapted from Romans 3:10-18
Father, we speak the truth about who we are apart from you. Paul summarizes our condition in Romans 3 using the truth found in the sacred writings of the Psalter and Prophets,
There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes
We confess that though we are repulsed by the gravity of these words, that they are a truthful statement of the depravity of our hearts and express the darkness of our souls in the light of your goodness. May you cleanse us, forgive us, and restore the inner person within us to more accurately reflect your image. Amen.
Scott Bullock\