Prayers of Confession on Conflict
Faithful God, You never quit on us. You are always near. Despite our humanness, You work in us to fulfill Your good purposes. We seek Your face, oh God. But sometimes, we get in our own way. We grumble and complain and lose sight of the greater thing. We argue and turn our focus inward, instead of looking to You. We’re self-reliant and we grow weary. Help us to stand firm so that we don’t run in vain. Forgive us our faults and our warped ways. Remove any stump or shortcoming so we may shine among those we meet. Through Your great power among us, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Lord Almighty, you tell us that if we have a quarrel with another, we are to make amends before coming to worship. We seek your mercy today – for all of us live at odds with others to varying degrees. Some of us find it difficult to forgive, others of us believe ourselves better than others, while still others simply do not associate with people who have hurt us. Call us to action today. As we seek your forgiveness, equip us to forgive others and to ask for forgiveness from others. Hear us, now, as we silently confess our sins to you.
Time of silent reflection.
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Convicting God, your word tells us that the tongue is a fire, and we admit that it’s true. We say things that we should not say: words that tear down instead of building up; phrases that divide rather than unite. Our mouths can sing your praise, but too often we speak in ways that deny any faith in you at all. We are sorry for all of the times that our words drive people away from you, rather than encouraging greater faith in you. Forgive us now for these and all of our sins, and hear us now as we continue to confess our sins in silence…
Silent Prayer.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
Gracious and Almighty God, You are the One who keeps promises. In Your providence, we can place all our trust. Yet we confess we often do not trust You. We worry. We argue. We complain. We do things our way, not Your way. We profess faith in You, then we live like atheists. Forgive us, O Lord, in Your great mercy. Renew our hearts and our minds. Give us the faith to trust You in all things, and the courage to step forward in that faith. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Almighty God, harsh words and personal attacks can bring out the worst in us. We find ourselves spending energy on thoughts of retaliation and plans to protect ourselves. Father forgive us. We long to have the strength of Jesus, who did not return evil for evil. Let us be meek that we might inherit the earth.
Submitted by Laura Murray
Loving God, you are always ready to forgive our sins. We are much less eager to forgive those with whom we disagree. So often when we have something against our friends, family, or strangers, we escalate the conflict rather than working for unity. We resist your call to be ambassadors of reconciliation. We wish we could turn the other cheek, but it feels so much more satisfying to demonize the other side. Forgive us for these and all of our sins, and hear us now as we continue to confess our sins in silence…
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
Creator God, you created us in your image. You are three in one. From before time began, you existed in perfect communion. Yet day by day, we choose not to live into your image. We choose division, pointing out others’ wrongs, and arguing. Please remind us of our need for one another as we silently confess our sins to you now…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill