Prayers of Confession on Comfort
Gracious God, we find ourselves in circumstances we have not chosen, and we scurry to find any sense of normalcy. We know that You are the Rock, yet we lean on other foundations; We know that You are sovereign, but we seek security in our own control; We know that You give comfort, but we elevate comforts of our own design; We know that You satisfy, but we keep scrolling; We know that You set us free, but addictions grip us tightly; We know that You call us to rest, but we keep struggling. By grace, forgive us. In mercy, meet us. By Your Holy Spirit, equip us to walk in the newness of life-with-Christ, In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Holy God,
We recognize that when crisis strikes, the natural impulse is to turn inward, to take care of ourselves above our neighbors. We hoard the essentials we think will keep us safe, even if that means leaving our neighbor without. Lord, forgive us for our selfishness. Jesus, we pray that you might give us a supernatural strength and fortitude, to live like you in these difficult and trying times. We do not know what the future holds, but we do know that you will be with us every step of the way. Help us to lean on you, knowing that you are the Author and Protector of our faith and our lives.
Stuart Strachan Jr.
Heavenly Father, we confess that our sinfulness gives us fear and keeps us from pursuing your will. We live with ideas of safety and failure that do not make room for your call to set our lives aside for your sake. Jesus promises to be with us, so we ask to be strengthened by your Spirit to step out of our comfort and into his arms. Forgive us for our shortcomings and free us to follow you. Hear our confession as we continue our prayer in silence…
Submitted by Allen Thompson
Gracious and Heavenly Father,
In your word, you call us to be comforted first and foremost by You.
But often, if we are honest, we look for comfort in different places.
We look for comfort in our busyness, in our work, in a glass of wine.
But we know, deep down, that true comfort comes from you. Help us to turn first to you in our deepest need. And may we find your powerful, peaceful presence in that place.
Amen.
Stuart Strachan Jr.
Eternal and loving Father, You comfort, support, and encourage us. Your goodness and kindness go beyond our understanding. Your grace is richer and deeper than we can begin to comprehend. Yet despite Your gracious love and faithful care, we seek to go our own way and to trust our own resources. Time after time, we choose our plans over Your will. Over and over again, our pride, self-reliance, and self-centeredness lead us astray. We confess we are sinners in need of forgiveness. We admit we are flawed, broken people in need of mercy. Through the person and work of Jesus Christ, forgive us for all the times we have failed You. Cleanse our hearts, and make them fresh and new. Renew our minds for Your Kingdom’s sake. Empower us to be Your Son’s disciples for His glory. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Lord, forgive us for the times when we have chosen safety and comfort over fidelity to you. For the times when following you requires us to stretch, grow, and be challenged, give us courage. Renew our trust in you as we silently confess our sins to you now…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Living God, Today I confess that I allow my fear to drown out Your voice. I am afraid of the unknown and things outside my control. Help me hand these items over to you every hour of the day. Help me be quiet and still, waiting for Your will to be revealed rather than running ahead of You. Keep my heart open to the Spirit’s working. Remind me that I have daily bread from Heaven and a safe shelter in You when I am tempted to look elsewhere for hope and help. Through the power of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Disturb us, O Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.
Disturb us, O Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.
Disturb us, O Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land, We shall find the stars.
Source Unknown
Lord, You answer our pleas for help. You draw near to us when we are hurting; You save us when we are crushed by life. Your Psalmists declare it on every page. Yet we often feel abandoned and alone. We wonder where You are in our suffering, We imagine You are distant or distracted. Instead of taking our complaints and fears to You, we often turn away from You in frustration. We choose to rely more on our emotions than on Your promises and Your character. Forgive us for running from You in our trouble and for trusting our current experience more than Your Word. Teach us to trust You—the God revealed in Scripture. Help us lean on You when life is too much. Lord, You are good, and You are pursuing us with mercy. 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
Gracious God, we believe our hard work should get us comfort, conveniences, and control. We rely on our abilities to create a life independent from you. Father, forgive us, because we need you more than anything in this world. Let us be poor in spirit that we might receive the kingdom of heaven.
Submitted by Laura Murray
Lord Jesus Christ, you taught us that those who mourn will be comforted. Too often we fail to offer that comfort. You taught that the meek will inherit the earth, yet we often take advantage of those who do not stand up for themselves. You bless those who hunger for righteousness, yet righteousness slips our minds more often than not. We struggle to be merciful, or pure in heart, or peacemakers. Forgive us these and all our sins, as we continue to confess in silence…
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
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.
Holy God, You are the anchor amidst our fears. You know the sins we can’t even admit to ourselves. You show your faithfulness even when we reject You. You offer grace even when we offer judgment. Forgive us, God. Help us overcome our fears. Help us face all of our sins. Help us to be faithful. Help us to be full of grace. Remind us that we are a people of redemption, not a people imprisoned by our sins. And help us to live as people of hope, shaped by Your forgiving love. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Dear God, we know that it is Your will to help those that are afflicted, to comfort and strengthen the weak, and to provide support and financial help for those in great need. And yet, there are moments where we hold back and we miss the joy of freely giving from a heart of generosity. We confess our sin, and we ask for Your cleansing forgiveness. May our humble gifts be multiplied to help those with meager resources. We pray all this in the precious name of Jesus, Our Savior. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Gracious God, too often we believe that our hard work should earn us comfort, conveniences, and control. Too often, we rely on our own abilities to craft and maintain a life independent from You. Forgive us. More than anything else in the world, we need You!May we be poor in spirit that by Your Spirit we might receive the Kingdom of God, through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
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