Prayers of Confession on Distraction
Adapted from Psalm 46:10 & Matthew 7:26
Holy One, help us be still and know that you are God. Too often we move at such a hectic pace that we neglect our relationship with you. Our lives become full of distractions that are nothing but shifting sand. Restore and strengthen us, O God, to rebuild our lives on the foundation of your Word, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Kimberly Bracken Long Ed., Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.
Dear God, we confess that we have sinned and need Your forgiveness. We want to do things on our own, without You. We have been distracted from Your Word and behave as if Your instructions were vague. We are unworthy of Your grace and undeserving of your forgiveness. We’ve failed You once again. God, thank You for being merciful. Thank You for giving us the Holy Spirit to guide us. May we experience the Spirit’s presence more clearly every day. Give us the focus to follow Your Word and Your ways. Show us the way to your Kingdom and Your grace. Help us when we’re in trouble and guide us away from the darkness of this world. Show me what you want me to do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Lord Jesus, we have been slumbering
We have not expected you to be active in our lives
And we have allowed ourselves to be distracted from your love
We have not seen you in the lives of others
And we have thought ourselves more important than them
We have not expected to hear your voice
And we have put our faith in other things and people
Thinking they will save us
Shine your light into the darkness of our hearts once again, Holy Spirit
Wake us from our apathy
Open our ears to hear your word
And our mouths to give you praise
Amen.
Jacob Traeger
Lord God, give us hearts of great expectation as we wait for the glorious return of our Savior, Jesus, the Son of God. We confess far too many daily moments of apathy, indifference, and distraction. Forgive us, Lord, for these patterns of passionless discipleship. Instead, plant in us a sense of adventure, a growing excitement over Christ’s coming. May we be full of joy even now as we anticipate the day of His arrival. And may we be found faithful in that moment. All this we pray in the merciful name of Jesus. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Gracious God, we confess that we do not always listen to your calling for us. Instead we carry on with our busy lives, not being mindful of your voice, calling us to live for more than ourselves. Please forgive us for being too busy to hear your voice and help us to listen to you as we silently confess our sins…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
We have been created by God, to be loved by God, and to receive our identity from God. But in our everyday lives, as we go about our work, school, interacting with our family and friends, we don’t always behold God and receive our identity from him. We call other things holy. So as we come before God in worship this morning, we acknowledge that and we pray that our whole lives will be formed in worship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Let’s pray:
Heavenly Father, there are parts of our lives where we don’t acknowledge you as Lord:
Often we are unsatisfied with who you have made us to be
We seek validation from others more than we seek it from you
Lord Jesus, there are parts of our lives where we don’t acknowledge you as Saviour:
Often our first response to challenges in life is problem-solving rather than prayer
Instead of being shaped by your cross, we try to avoid pain and suffering
And this disconnects us from our neighbours
Holy Spirit, there are parts of our lives where we don’t look to you for hope:
Often we fear the unknowns of the future
Or we put our hope in technology, education, or celebrities
And don’t believe that you are working all things for good
Father, we come before you and acknowledge our weakness and our distraction.
We believe and trust you Lord, help our unbelief.
Renew us through your Holy Spirit
And give us the same heart as Christ Jesus
To love you with all our heart
And love our neighbour as ourselves
Amen
Jacob Traeger
God of healing, we look for you in all the wrong places. We assume we have figured out how you are at work. Because of this, we miss out on seeing your glory, and we fail to join with you as partners in your mission. Please heal us from our spiritual blindness as we silently confess our sins to you.
Time of silent reflection and confession..
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Our compassionate and gracious God, we come before You because of Your promises and truths. You tell us that if we confess our sins then You will purify us of all unrighteousness. But even with such straightforward mercy, we lose focus on You and get caught up in everyday life. As we reveal that we haven’t lived our lives to their full purpose, light our hearts on fire for you our one true God. Forgive us our sins so that we can exalt Your eternal glory and spread the Good News in our everyday lives. Help us to invite You into every thought, action, and part of our lives so that Your goodness may shine through us. In Jesus name. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Heavenly Father, forgive us when we become so consumed with the details of life that we do not see the opportunities that you have placed before us. Open our eyes to your call to extend love, by communicating with grace and by speaking truth in the world around us. Give us obedient and wise hearts that allow us to see your Kingdom and speak with your words. We pray these things in the name of the one who is your Word, Christ Jesus. Hear our prayers as we continue our confession in silence…
Submitted by Allen Thompson
Eternal God, we recognize that Your ways are mysterious. Teach us to be still and to wait for You. We confess our sinfulness, our need for control, and our discomfort with the unknown. Instead of turning to You, we numb our pain with temporary distractions. We pretend to have our lives together when we really feel inadequate and insecure. Thank You for Your patience with us when we are slow to recognize Your activity in our lives. You never give up on us, O Lord. God of grace, You show up in our lives in the most unexpected ways. Surprise us this week with an awareness of Your presence. Replace our fear with trust. Turn our anxiety into wonder. Give us Your peace and joy as we live by faith and not by sight. In the strong Name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Loving God, please forgive us of the times when we don’t make it our number one priority to follow you. For the times when we focus too much on things that distract us from you, we repent. We are sorry for seeking popularity, success, fame, or fun instead of you. Please remind us why knowing is most important as silently confess our sins to you now…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
O God, too often we turn to You when we have no other place to go, but your arms are always open wide. Forgive us for using you as our last resort when you ought to be our first. We confess that you have too often filled our minds with extraneous thoughts and plans, so let the mind of Christ fill us with new thoughts of you and of the plans you have for our lives. Forgive us for being so self-centered that our service to you is tainted by self-serving, and renew us in grace and mercy. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Stuart Strachan Jr.