Prayers of Confession on Courage
O Holy One, we call to you and name you as eternal, ever-present, and boundless in love. Yet there are times, O God, when we fail to recognize you in the dailyness of our lives. Sometimes shame clenches tightly around our hearts, and we hide our true feelings. Sometimes fear makes us small, and we miss the chance to speak from our strength. Sometimes doubt invades our hopefulness, and we degrade our own wisdom.
Holy God, in the daily round from sunrise to sunset, remind us again of your holy presence hovering near us and in us. Free us from shame and self-doubt. Help us to see you in the moment-by-moment possibilities to live honestly, to act courageously, and to speak from our wisdom.
Gracious God, You have called us out of darkness and into the light of Your love. You have redeemed us and made us whole in order to set us free from bondage. The challenge You place before us is to die to self, surrender our wills, and serve sacrificially. But we cling to our sinful humanity and to the trappings of this temporal life. Forgive us for being stubborn, selfish, and sinful. Set us free to embrace the values of Your Kingdom, transform our hearts to long for You, and empower us to live courageously as Your children. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Allen Thompson
Gracious God, In the midst of difficult and challenging times, You remain Lord of all creation. We acknowledge how often we choose to depend upon our resources rather than depend upon You. Through the Holy Spirit, You send us courage, Yet our fears continue to hold us. Through the Holy Spirit, You send us comfort, Yet our unease still controls us. Through the Holy Spirit, You send us truth, Yet our own wisdom still guides us. Forgive us and free us from our sin Grow our trust and dependence upon You. Strengthen, encourage, and teach us. We pray through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Our God, we have been slow to stand and slow to act. We have been unmoved in the face of wrongs. Rather than welcoming others, we have put up walls. We have served this god of self-preservation. But you, gracious God, are our protector. You welcome us in; you stand up for us; and you love us. Remind us of your great love that we might then love others whom we are called to serve.
Submitted by Laura Murray
Lord God, forgive us for how we have let our faith atrophy. We grow complacent, stagnant, and we fail to strive to follow you. Give us passion, give us courage, and give us motivation to excel for you in all we do. Please show us your plans for us as we confess our sins to you in silence…
Austin D. Hill
Lord, grant us the strength and courage we need to overcome our weaknesses so that one day we can stand before You and hear You say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
We ask these things in the Name of Your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Loving God, we reflect on the times when we took too long to obey you. Give us courage next time.
(silent reflection)
Merciful God, we reflect on the instances where we failed to see your leading. Help us be more attentive next time.
(silent reflection)
God of justice, we consider the moments when we were too afraid to take action. Mobilize us next time.
(silent reflection)
O Lord give us grace.
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Holy and righteous God, humbly we come to You asking for Your forgiveness. Too often, we find ourselves chasing after frivolous things, worrying about tomorrow, and acting as if the promises within Your Word aren’t true. We place our trust in what we can touch and see, even though we know those things will not last. Give us faith and courage to put our hope and trust in You. You alone are God, and You provide us with everything we could ever need. Be glorified in our lives, we pray. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Lord, your love is remarkable. Despite our ongoing sin, You have graciously pursued us, forgiven us, and saved us. We confess that sharing Your saving love is sometimes intimidating. Forgive us for being paralyzed in fear instead of confidently sharing Christ with those around us. Stir your love and compassion within our hearts. Give us courage to share the story of Your grace with those who don’t yet know Jesus. Lord, we are indeed new in Christ. Help us to live as salt and light so that we may bring God’s love and goodness to our communities. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Holy God, we are inspired by the boldness of people in the Bible, but we confess that we are often too afraid to be so bold. Our hearts are moved by the love and grace Jesus shared while he walked this earth, but we confess that we rarely take the time to try to hear his loving voice today. Forgive us our fears. Forgive us our inattentiveness. Transform us with your love and grace anew. Amen.
Cody Sandahl