Prayers of Confession on Faith
Adapted from Psalm 22
Our God, our God
Have you really forsaken us?
Why are you so far away from where we need you?
Why do you not pay attention to what seems to us
So alarming?
Why are you so otherworldly?
Day and night we have cried to you,
And you do not seem to answer.
O God, Holy God,
You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted;
They trusted and you delivered them.
You are a trustworthy God,
And when we have trusted in you
We have not been disappointed.
O God, trustworthy God,
That is our problem!
We do not always trust you.
We are always afraid that if we follow your ways
We will miss something.
Yet you are holy, and wholly trustworthy.
It is you who brought us from our mother’s wombs.
It is you who kept us safely on her breasts.
O God, our God,
Grant us faith-faith to trust you,
Faith to follow your ways.
Grant us faith in Christ,
For it is in Him and through Him
That we make our prayer to you.
Glory be to you, O God, our God. Amen.
Hughes Oliphant Old. Leading in Prayer: A Workbook for Ministers (Kindle Location 966). Kindle Edition.
Inspired by 1 Corinthians 15
Living God, we confess the weakness of our faith. While we have heard the news that, “He is risen,” we have kept it to ourselves. In church, in the presence of the Believing, we have professed Christ’s victory over the grave three-fold, but in our daily lives, we have lived as if it had no real effect. We have stared into the face of our own mortality and that of others as if we were people with no hope. Forgive us for living a life of futility. For, as Paul proclaimed to those not unlike us, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” Raise in our hearts and minds this day the knowledge of the crucified, dead, and buried One who overcame sin and its sting so that we might live today, tomorrow, and forever with him.
Scott Bullock
Inspired by James 2:1-17
Lord, help us to be a people known for the ways in which we live out our faith by loving and serving all people, even those who, in the world’s eyes, have little to offer us. By treating them with dignity and respect, we demonstrate that a different kind of kingdom is at work in this world. It is not a kingdom of tit-for-tat, where relationships are seen as commodities for exploitation and advancement, but rather it is a world where we see the value in each human life, no matter their circumstances. Help us to be that kind of community,
Amen.
Stuart Strachan Jr.
Adapted from Psalm. 46; Matt. 7:21–29
God, our rock and refuge, there are plenty of things that we allow to erode our faith in you. When life gets stormy, we let our uncertainty cloud our trust in you. We think we know better and start relying on ourselves to be able to weather the rain. Forgive our lack of hope and the disbelief that drowns us. Allow us to hold on to you, our rock, and to build our lives on the foundation of your love. In the name of Jesus Christ, our stalwart and our shelter. Amen.
Kimberly Bracken Long Ed., Feasting on the Word Worship Companion: Liturgies for Year A, Volume 2, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation.
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 confess that we often take stock of your work and your goodness based on what we have and see in a particular moment. We follow the desires and encouragements of crowds rather than waiting on you. We are oblivious to your mercy amidst the needs that we feel. Forgive our lack of faith, and encourage us by your Holy Spirit to focus on Jesus, who provides and perfects our faith. We pray these things in his name, and we ask that you hear these things that we confess in silence…
Submitted by Allen Thompson
Dear Lord Jesus, we feel our sins. They bite and gnaw and terrify us. Where shall we go? We will look to You, Lord Jesus, and believe in You. Although our faith is often weak, we look to You and find assurance, for You have promised, “He that believes in Me shall have everlasting life.” Our conscience is burdened and our sins make us tremble, but You have said: “Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven and I will raise you up on the last day and you shall have eternal life.” We cannot do any of this for ourselves. We come to You for help. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Holy God, You call us to a passionate, all-consuming faith. Yet, so frequently, we give You half-hearted obedience or distracted, leftover moments of our time. You tell us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, but we find ourselves to be dull and dim in our love for others. You ask for our wholehearted faith, and we meet You with anxiety and fear. Change us from the inside out. Fan into flame the desire to want more of You. We are thankful for Your unending, never-changing love for us in Your Son, Jesus Christ. We thank You for pursuing us when we turn our backs on You. We place ourselves at Your Feet, but ask that You keep us there as we continue on in our daily living. Be with us now; be with us tomorrow, and forevermore. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Kind and loving God, forgive us for our lack of faith. You deserve our reverence, obedience, and faith, but we give You so much less. Because of our lukewarm devotion, we miss out on so much that You have for us. Please forgive us for all the times when we’ve not placed our trust in You as we silently confess our sins to You now…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Father, thank You that we have been declared righteous through faith in Christ. Because of the completed work of Jesus, we have peace with You and access to Your amazing grace. Yet, in spite of this, we take our eyes off of You. At times, we are prone to despair. Forgive us, Lord. Help us to remember that Jesus is our strength. Help us to mature and rejoice in Him even in our trials and tribulations. Give us grace that will produce a patient and godly character that is honoring to You. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Gracious and loving God, we confess that despite Your presence with us, we are reluctant to go forward in faith in our daily lives. We don’t want to step out of the boat. We’re afraid to walk with You. We’re doubting, troubled, and timid. We lack commitment and trust. Forgive us, O Lord, for our sin. Renew within us a vivid awareness that You are with us. May this awareness make it possible to go where You want us to go, to do what You want us to do, and to give Your name glory. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
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
Generous Lord Jesus
We confess that we do not receive others with compassion.
We object to being interrupted
And respond with anger or frustration.
We confess that we do not share generously
Not trusting that in your hands, our small amount will be extended to bless others.
We confess our lack of faith
That we too often we seek our satisfaction away from you
Look upon us once again with your compassion
So that we would be filled with your grace
Trusting you with the small and big things in our lives
So that we would be freed to love others.
Jacob Traeger
Lord, you have called us to pray about all things. And yet sometimes we fail to ask for miracles of healing. Forgive us, Lord, for not prioritizing prayer and for our lack of faith. Remind us that Scripture is full of examples of supernatural healing mercies extended to us and to those we love. We have not because we ask not. Allow us to trust you more completely. May we pray daily in confidence and expect miracles from you. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
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
Holy God, we confess that we have been lukewarm about living our faith in Jesus each day. We put off to tomorrow what we know in our hearts you want to happen today. We go through the motions of religion without having our hearts utterly transformed by your presence. Forgive us, and help us to rekindle our faith into something useful and beautiful. Amen.
Cody Sandhal
Inspired by 1 Peter 4
Almighty God,
In Jesus Christ we see the one who walked perfectly in the will of the Father, even as it led to his suffering for our sake. We, too, are called to walk in your ways, yet we live for human desires. We are called to live in faith, but we act like those who believe there is no God. Forgive us for our sinful rebellion and draw us back to yourself. Lead us in ways to better listen and obey, to love neighbors and offer service without grumbling, and to be faithful stewards of your amazing grace.
We pray in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.
Casey Clark
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