Prayers of Confession on Divine Love (Agape)
Inspired by Matthew 8
Lord God,
We confess the smallness of our faith.
At those times when our lives seem stormy
we worry that you are asleep and don’t care about what happens to us.
When things are going well, we are quick to take the credit
and slow to give you thanks.
We have not loved you with our whole heart and we have not loved our neighbour as ourselves.
There are times when we are so focussed on our needs
That we miss the ways that you want to bless others through us.
You are the God who commands the winds and the waves
Yet you are also the God who draws near to us in love
Renew us with your Holy Spirit, draw us out of ourselves and deeper into your love
For Jesus’ sake
Amen.
Jacob Traeger
Inspired by John 3:16
Almighty God: You love the world so much that You gave Your Son so we may have eternal life. Yet we confess we often fail to reflect this great love shown to us. We follow the ways of this world instead of Your way. We pursue our longings instead of obeying Your truth. We serve other masters instead of the crucified and risen Lord. Forgive us for the sins we have committed against You. Renew us for faithful and joyful service. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Eternal God,
Your love for us is without end,
yet our love for you and for one another is weak,
often interrupted by self-centeredness … distrust … vindictiveness.
Whenever we come together to pray to you,
we have to acknowledge that much of our life
deserves your displeasure,
that our life together is too often disfigured by our pride and self-love.
Forgive us, we pray, and restore us to fellowship
with you and with one another.
For Jesus’ sake, amen.
Church of Scotland
God of glory, you sent Jesus among us as the light of the world, to reveal your love for all people. We confess that our sin and pride hide the brightness of your light. We turn away from the poor; we ignore cries for justice; we do not strive for peace. In your mercy, cleanse us of our sin, and pour out the gifts of your Spirit, that, forgiven and renewed, we may show forth your gory shining in the face of Jesus Christ.
Time of silent reflection and confession..
Amen.
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Heavenly Father, Your love for us is so very evident. Everywhere we look, we see tangible proof of Your great care for us. Yet, when it comes to following You, we confess that we often don’t surrender our entire selves. We hold back portions of our lives that we would rather control instead of releasing them to Your loving care. Have mercy upon us, Lord. Forgive us for frequently saying one thing and doing another. May our words and our actions line up. Make us willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, knowing full well that You will never leave us or forsake us. We pray this humbly, in Christ’s Name. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Holy God, you have shown us the ultimate example of sacrificial love in Jesus. For Jesus came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Yet we think of ourselves more highly than we ought. We don’t feel the need to serve in the way that Jesus did. We consider ourselves to be above Jesus. Please give us a proper sense of humility as we confess our sins to you in silence…
Time of silent reflection and confession..
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Eternal God, in whom we gain strength and hope: We thank You for your incredible love. The height, depth, and width of Your love cannot be measured or comprehended. Yet by trusting in the life, death, and resurrection of Your Son, Jesus Christ, we may experience it. Praise be to Your Name! Now we confess to You the many times we choose to neither live in Your love, nor to express Your love through our words and actions. We love ourselves instead of loving our neighbors and loving You with all we have and all we are. We focus on our needs and wants; our worries and cares; and our goals and purposes, rather than on Your redeeming and sustaining love. Forgive us, gracious Lord. Free us from our self-centeredness so we may love You and love others, and thus bring honor to Your Name. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Gracious God, Your love for us is unending, unconditional and unfailing. Even when we wander from Your loving arms, Your steadfast love for us is constant. Our love for You can be fickle and feckless. We wander away into the arms of lust, idolatry, and temporary happiness. You know that we will be unfaithful, but You continue to love us and call us Your own. Forgive us for our wayward hearts, our sinful nature and our failure to remain loyal. Thank You for the forgiveness You extend through Jesus. Cleanse our souls and reconcile us back into Your loving arms. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Almighty and gracious God, Your love is everlasting and filled with patience. We hurt You and others, and, instead of hurting us back, You forgive us. Our pride often gets in the way of our efforts to reveal Your glory and goodness. We try to bear the imprint of Christ throughout the world, yet we often do just the opposite and fail to be the people You’ve called us to be in Your Word. Forgive the sin in our lives and grant us hearts to follow the example that You gave us in Your Son, Jesus.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Almighty God,
you love us, but we have not loved you.
You call, but we have not listened.
We walk away from our neighbors in need,
wrapped in our own concerns.
We condone evil, prejudice, warfare, and greed.
God of grace,
help us to admit our sin,
so that as you come to us in mercy,
we may repent, turn to you, and receive forgiveness.
Hear us now as we continue to confess our sins in silence…
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
Lord Christ, we confess our willingness to be loved but also our reluctance to love. We confess our readiness to accept your forgiving love but also our refusal to forgive. We confess our eagerness to grasp your offer of redeeming love but also our resistance to follow you without question. In this Advent time, forgive us our failure to respond as we should. Come to us anew, and by your grace, assist us to receive you with joy, as the shepherds; with gratitude, as Simeon; with obedience, as Mary; with love, as you have loved us. Even so: come, Lord Jesus. Amen.
Submitted by Dustin Ray
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