Prayers of Confession on Hope
Adapted from Psalm 130
Pastor: Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
All: If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?
Pastor: But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.
All: I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
Pastor: O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption.
All: And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
*Silent Confession
Amen.
Submitted by Dustin Ray
Adapted from Psalm 130:3-6, NIV
If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. Almighty God, our Redeemer, in our weakness we have failed to be your messengers of forgiveness and hope. Renew us by your Holy Spirit, that we may follow your commands and proclaim your reign of love, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Submitted by Dustin Ray
Psalm 30
Out of the depths I cry to you, oh Lord;
O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
If you, oh Lord, kept a record of sins,
Oh Lord, who could stand.
But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in his word I put my hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
More than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the Lord, love
for with the Lord is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
Amen.
Bud Thoreen
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
In the silence, we raise our voice before you. We wonder aloud why you are so far from us when we call. In the agony of our cry, we are reminded that it is we who have wandered from your fold, from the nearness of your love. We, alone, have rebelled against you. We, alone, have turned our backs to your face. We, alone, have closed our ears to your words of correction and comfort. We confess that we are both a people of unclean lips and unclean hearts. Restore unto us this day, the joy of our salvation. Speak to us words of hope, words of healing, and enter into our lives anew. Amen.
Scott Bullock
Your grace, O God, has appeared for the salvation of all, calling us to renounce false gods and irresponsible love. In the midst of our sin, Christ has appeared as a sign of our hope, redeeming us and calling us to be a people eager to do your will. Make us zealous for good deeds in response to your wonderful deed in Jesus Christ. We confess the vain worship of ourselves and our neglect of your
James G. Kirk. When We Gather, Revised Edition: A Book of Prayers for Worship.
Almighty God, the Giver of life and Forgiver of sins, we come to You now with hope: Hope because You always love us, even though at times it seems like we have been forsaken. Hope because you do not hold our sins against us, but instead grant us Your grace. Hope because You turn our hearts toward You and give us the courage to trust You in a world filled with darkness. Help us, Lord, to confess our sins, remembering that Your Son died for our sins so that we might be reconciled to You. Create in us the desire to serve You faithfully in all that we say and do. In Christ’s Name we pray. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Heavenly Father, we confess that we often place our hopes in the powers that we see in the world, allowing ourselves to be lifted and brought down by people and institutions that are flawed and fleeting. We also confess that we do not always seek the goodness and opportunity that you may allow those powers to bear. Help us to become faithful citizens who focus on your Kingdom while seeking your will in our own. Hear our prayers as we continue our confession in silence…
Submitted by Allen Thompson
Dear Lord, we rejoice that in You we find our hope. We have tried and failed to manage our lives. We have tried to guard what we say and don’t say. We have tried to serve selflessly. We have tried to contain our appetites and desires. We have tried not to judge or condemn. We have tried to control our thoughts. The harder we try, the more obvious it becomes we cannot attain perfection. We confess our brokenness and weakness to You. We humbly thank You for forgiving our sins and washing us clean through the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Dear Lord, we rejoice that in You we find our hope. We have tried and failed to manage our lives. We have tried to guard what we say and don’t say. We have tried to serve selflessly. We have tried to contain our appetites and desires. We have tried not to judge or condemn. We have tried to control our thoughts. The harder we try, the more obvious it becomes we cannot attain perfection. We confess our brokenness and weakness to You. We humbly thank You for forgiving our sins and washing us clean through the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Submitted by Dustin Ray
King Jesus, We confess that we are quick to put our hope in places other than You. We are often more driven by our fears than by our faith in You and Your Kingdom. We place our trust in health, jobs, money, and perceived safety rather than in You. Forgive us for seeking power when we should be modeling the gentle humility of Jesus. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Gracious God, you love us deeply yet we take your love for granted. Rather than trusting you, we trust the gifts you have given us. We confess that our misplaced hope and reliance is on money, intelligence, and resources. Help us hope, trust, and lean into you. Grow our love for you, that we might rely on you, and be more generous with all you have given to us.
Submitted by Laura Murray
Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of Your creation. You are the master of design. You know the change of seasons, 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
(Prayer of Adoration)
Gracious God – our Father:
Sufficient and sovereign, yet, compassionate and kind;
You tell us the truth while the world lies to us;
You give us light and hope,
while all around us cast darkness and despair.
When we mess up our lives – you give us a new one.
When we lose our way – You find us and guide us home.
When we are cast out – You call us by name and take us in.
It’s no wonder we praise You.
It’s no wonder we love You.
(Prayer of Confession)
Yet sometimes we seek to steal Your glory,
to love ourselves and ignore You.
Forgive us – and in the quiet hear our heart’s confession
Of how we hurt others and dishonor You. (silence … )
Lord God, You tell us to put our trust in You when we are afraid or hopeless. Yet, we confess that we often fail to even ask for Your divine intervention or protection. Forgive us, Lord, for not inviting You into our concerns. We acknowledge that You are indeed our fortress and our shield. We run to You now and we put our trust in You, our loving Creator. Secure us in Your love for us; protect us from enemy arrows. Give us rest from worry, and revive us, mind, body and soul, so we may praise You fully. We ask this humbly in Jesus’ holy Name. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
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