Prayers of Confession on Life

Heavenly Father, our Savior told us, “Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for My sake will gain it.”  These are hard words. We confess that we often close our ears and minds to this kind of risk. Lord, we are sorry for being unfaithful. Please forgive our fearful hearts. Lord, You alone know how desperately we need connection with You and with one another. Surround us with godly counsel that we can trust. Give us courage so that we may respond to Your call to us for a deeper life. Guide us, we pray, on an adventure of hope, where Christ Jesus remains at the center. We ask this in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

​​Lord God, we know that you are life, the life which is the light of the world

But sometimes we allow the darkness to close in

We find ourselves driven apart from you

We confess that we do not always trust Christ’s gifts

Sacrificing grace and truth in order to get ahead in the world

We do not always listen to your Spirit’s teaching and direction

Trusting instead in our own intellect or hard work

Please forgive our thoughtlessness, carelessness, willful ignorance and disobedience

Jacob Traeger

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

Gracious, Heavenly Father, we are people who often live our lives in routine, but who rarely enter into the fullness of the abundant life. In Easter, You accomplished the impossible. You proved Your Word and Your faithfulness with the remarkable power of the resurrection of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. We, however, live as though the tomb was not empty. Forgive us for not walking in the light of Your love. Forgive us for doubting that Your Word is reliable and true. Forgive us for refusing to believe that You would do what You promised. As we confess our sins and doubts, we also affirm that through the cross you have conquered these once and for all. May we live abundantly in the power that raised Jesus from the dead. We pray humbly in Jesus Name. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Dear Lord, we come before You as Your children to give You honor and praise. You are the One and Only true God, the Giver of life and the Sustainer of our souls. We are grateful for Your grace, how You love us, how you call us to be Your hands and feet. Responding to Your great mercy, we need to confess how we have sinned and fallen short of the people You  created us to be. We have said and done mean and selfish things, we have hurt others, and we have lived as if the universe revolves around us. We have strayed from our worship of You and gone our own way. We are sorry. Please forgive us. Cause us to truly repent and turn around to face You. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Constant sustainer, you are the ultimate source of life. You tell us in your word that every good and perfect gift comes from you. You also tell us that even the birds of the air are provided for. But we find it so easy to doubt. We start to believe that you don’t care for us, or that you aren’t looking after us. Please help us to know your love and provision today. Please help us to see your constant care as we silently confess our sins to you now…

Submitted by Austin D. Hill

O God, you are the sure foundation and the certain cornerstone. Building on you brings life, yet we often turn away and try to find hope by building on other foundations. Self-esteem, money, career, family status—these are only some of the alternatives we find ourselves investing in.  We confess that it is so tempting to construct our lives on the sand, rather than on the rock of your salvation. Forgive us, O God, for these and all of our sins, as we confess in silence…  

Silent Prayer 

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Submitted by Chip Hardwick

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.

Taken from Mark D. Roberts, Life for Leaders, a Devotional Resource of the DePree Leadership Center at Fuller Theological Seminary

Father in heaven, I have a problem called sin. It makes me do things I don’t want to do, say things I don’t want to say, and think things I don’t want to think. It keeps me from living fully for You each day. I want to be free. I want to obey You and Your word. I want to be a light of hope to a hurting world. I want my life to count. I want to be a Sent One. I need Your forgiveness. I need Your help. Today and every day. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Loving and gracious God, we know we do not always live the life to which we are called: We turn away from You, and from our true selves. You command us to shine Your light, but we often hide it instead. We are prideful and self-righteous, and desire control instead of trusting You to guide our steps. We know that You love us, that You do not abandon us, and that You pursue us even when we turn away from You. Thank You for loving us unconditionally, Forgive us, we pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Holy Lord, High Priest over all people,

You have given us everything we need to live a life of flourishing. You have met our needs and provided a model for what a life-with-God looks like. But we often forget, we neglect the greater reality of of what you offer us. So instead we turn away from you, believing that even if you are God, we can get a little comfort right now, trusting that you will forgive us later. Lord we ask that you would so inspire us that we would have no need and no interest in diversions or escapes, destructive habits and behaviors. Because you are enough.

Amen.

Stuart Strachan Jr.