Prayers of Confession on Creation
Adapted from Psalm 80
Shepherd of Israel, God of hosts,
we have turned away from you,
neglecting the welfare of your creation,
ignoring the plight of your people,
trampling on the creatures and the plants you have made,
taking from Earth what we cannot give back.
We have not helped our neighbors in need,
kept peace within our families,
or tended the vine you have planted in our own lives.
Forgive us and lead us to a more gracious life.
In your compassion, turn us to your way.
Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
let your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved. Amen.
Lord God, You are the perfect Creator, and You tell us we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We confess that our pride prevents us from believing this truth. We question Your craftsmanship and often wish that you had made us a different way. Heal us of this sinful tendency. Help us celebrate how You have made us in Your image with perfect purpose and care. Lord, we know that You call us into Your holy service to use our gifts to further Your Kingdom on earth. We confess that we find ourselves using our God-given gifts to further our own agendas instead of Yours. Renew our hearts and strengthen us. Go with us as we do the work You have given each of us to do. In the powerful Name of Christ, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Gracious God, you tend to the earth as your vineyard, longing for it to bring fruit. You want our society and our lives to look more and more like the Kingdom of Heaven. We work against your plans, sometimes by what we do, and sometimes by what we leave undone. We abuse the land, take advantage of the weak, and turn a blind eye to the poor. We fight against your purposes, and we need your forgiveness. Pardon us for these and all our sins, as we continue to pray in silence…
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
Transcendent God, you are the creator of time, You exist inside, outside, and around time and space. In your immeasurable power, you created and ordered the universe. Amazingly, you limited yourself by entering into your creation. You embraced the limitations of time so that we might have a relationship with you. Yet we are reticent to sacrifice our time for your will and for others. Please help us to follow your example as we take time now to silently confess our sins to you…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Gracious God, thank you for the beauty of this world. Sometimes we can get wrapped up in its pain and brokenness so much that we miss its wonders. Today we pause to thank you for the beauty of your creation.
Moreover, we thank you for how you have made so much that is good grow from small, insignificant seeds. Help us to think of the world this way. May we envision the people in our lives in terms of their seed-potential. May we see ourselves not as we are but as the people we are becoming by your grace. Amen.
Loving God, you are the author of all life. You created the heavens through the words of your mouth. You also are constantly creating new life. However, we don’t accept the new life you give us. We choose to live without hope. Please help us to see that in you, we are made more than conquerors of all that seeks to destroy us. Please forgive us for our lack of faith as we silently confess our sins to you now…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of Your creation. You are the master of design. You know the change of season, You know the orbit of planets, and You know exactly what human beings were made for: a relationship with You. We confess that too often we think that we know best. We insist on charting our own course, and we don’t feel we can completely trust anyone but ourselves. But we are wrong. You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You are the hope of nations. You are our King. You are our resurrected Lord. You are the one who forgives our sins. You are the one who loves us more deeply that we can ever imagine. Teach us to live like You. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Gracious God, when I think of how you created all things in a step-by-step manner, I am reminded of my own impatience. There are so many times, Lord, when I want you to move at my pace, not yours. I confess that this is not only sinful but also silly. Do I really think my timing is better than yours? No, not when I step back and reflect. But in the rush of the moment, I can be painfully impatient. Forgive me, Lord.
Help me to trust that your ways are always the best, that your timing is always the best. Help me to see more clearly how you are at work in my life and through me in the lives of others. May I learn to be in synch with you and your ways, patient in my trust, expectant in my hope. Amen.
Gracious God, thank you for giving human beings authority over your world. It is truly an honor to receive this from you.
Forgive us, Lord, for all the ways we have been poor stewards of the world you’ve entrusted to us. Give us wisdom to know how best to use the authority you have given us. Show us how to use and care for the earth in ways that honor your intentions.
Thank you, Lord, for those who are leading the charge in this area. Thank you especially for wise believers who are helping your church find our rightful role in the matter of caring for the earth and using it well. Thank you for many younger believers who are being trained and educated to lead this charge in the future.
This day, may I care well for the piece of the world you have entrusted to me, using it rightly for your purposes and glory. Amen.
Almighty and loving God, You created us to love You, worship You, and serve You. But our brokenness and sinfulness tarnishes the beauty and perfection of Your creation. We are hard-hearted and indifferent toward Your Kingdom. We easily forget Your call to love You with all our heart, soul, and might. Forgive us for being preoccupied with ourselves and not fulfilling our call to fully surrender and serve You. Create in us a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in us.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Heavenly Father,
We confess that we are not always able to see your handiwork in the people and things around us. We do not always see your image in our neighbors, and we do not always see your creative fingerprints in the good things in our world. Our eyes and our hearts are darkened by sin, and we too often take our sinful perspectives for granted. Transform our eyes and hearts with your Holy Spirit, so we may see the light of your creation and the love of redemption that we have in Jesus. Help us to see and live according to Jesus’s vision and life. Hear our prayers as we continue our confession in silence…
Submitted by Allen Thompson
Gracious God, in six days you created all things. On the seventh day you finished your work by resting. You also blessed and hallowed the seventh day, setting it aside as a day of rest. Teach me, Lord, what this means for me. May my life not primarily be formed by the demands of my work, the expectations of my culture, or the urgings of my feelings. Rather, may my life be formed by you, by your example, by your truth. Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. Amen.
Gracious and loving God, in the perfection of Your creation, You desire us to live in peace and harmony with You and with others. But our sinfulness and hard-heartedness push us away from healthy relationships, and lapse us into conflict and enmity. We would rather talk about people instead of talking to people. We would rather avoid the hard work of making peace, instead of seeking healing and wholeness. Forgive us for our divisive and sinful behaviors. Heal our brokenness. Move us to seek reconciliation, And restore our hearts to Your perfect design. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Let us pray.
Almighty, powerful, creator God
So often we think we know best.
We confess to you our sin alongside the sin of all humanity.
We have tried to master creation rather than care for it.
We have abused the sea, the land and the air.
We have polluted, we have taken more than we needed and we have not trusted in your abundant provision.
Lord have mercy
Lord have mercy
We confess to you our sin alongside the sin of all humanity.
As participants in one of the richest societies on earth
We have taken for granted technologies, luxury goods, and leisure.
We repent of the hunger, suffering, mistreatment and slavery
Which our wealth has created for others.
Free us and them.
Christ have mercy
Christ have mercy
We confess to you our sin alongside the sin of all humanity.
As we have known your creation more fully
We have found less need to know you.
We have thought that we will find the answers to all our questions by looking hard enough
In our amazement at the wonder of creation we have not stopped to be amazed by you.
Lord, have mercy
Lord have mercy
Submitted by Jacob Traeger
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