Prayers of Confession on Light
Adapted from 1 John 1:1-10
Loving God, you are the light of the world. Through Jesus Christ, your light shines in the darkness. We love the darkness, though. We let our secret sins fester and grow in the darkness while we avoid the light and fail to let your light shine through us. Cleanse us with your pure light, O Lord, as we confess our secret sins to you.
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Adapted from 1 John 2:1-17
Holy God, we have not lived in the light. We have not walked as Jesus did. We compromise all too often, living both for you and for ourselves. Your word calls us to account and your Holy Spirit convicts us. We fail to love others, instead choosing to live in darkness. Please cleanse us with your holy light as we confess our brokenness to you.
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Inspired by 1 John and John 20
God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. But often, we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness. By doing so, we lie and do not live out the truth. We too easily claim to be without sin and deceive ourselves. In this, the truth is far from us. We confess our claim to be in the light while we hate our brother and sister, that we are blinded by darkness. May you forgive us for our breaking of fellowship with you and others. Amen.
Scott Bullock
Adapted from John 1:10-11; Isaiah 52:7-10
Father in Heaven, we confess that we never knew you had come down. We confess that we were in the dark as to your light among us. Though the world was created through your Word, we could not grasp the reality that he had entered into our neighborhood and taken up residence. We could not receive him whom we did not see. In all his humility, in his appearance in unexpected places, we were blind. We have only ourselves to blame for not opening our eyes of faith and ears of understanding. May You forgive us and once again on this Nativity of Christ’s birth proclaim the good news of your comfort and redemption to us, so that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God. Amen.
Scott Bullock
Based on John 1 and Romans 5
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
Gracious God, You have called us out of darkness and into the light of Your love. You have redeemed us and made us whole in order to set us free from bondage. The challenge You place before us is to die to self, surrender our wills, and serve sacrificially. But we cling to our sinful humanity and to the trappings of this temporal life. Forgive us for being stubborn, selfish, and sinful. Set us free to embrace the values of Your Kingdom, transform our hearts to long for You, and empower us to live courageously as Your children. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
All-gracious God, you promise that your light drowns out darkness, yet the darkness is so persistent. We cannot see in front of us, so we look to our own knowledge and ways. Forgive us for turning to self-reliance, rather than turning to you. Help us to trust you, and to live believing you are the Light of the World, and greater than any darkness. With this confidence, may we give hope to the world.
Submitted by Laura Murray
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
God of grace and truth, in Jesus Christ You came among us as light shining in the darkness. We confess we have not welcomed Your light, or trusted Your good news to be good. We have closed our eyes to Your glory in our midst, expecting little, and hoping for less. Forgive our doubt and renew our hope, so we may receive the fullness of Your grace, and live in the truth of Jesus Christ the Lord. Through Him we pray. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Holy and merciful God, in your presence we confess our sinfulness, our shortcomings, and our offenses against you. You alone know how often we have sinned in wandering from your ways, in wasting your gifts, in forgetting your love. Have mercy on us, O Lord, for we are ashamed and sorry for all we have done to displease you. Forgive our sins, and help us to live in your light, and walk in your ways, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Almighty God, we, too often, live in fear. Fear drives our self-preservation, our self-centered decisions, and prevents us from comprehending the wonder of your presence among us. Like Peter, we would desire to build a box in which to adore you in a way that assuages our fear, increases our control, and defines our comprehension of who we think you are. The metamorphosis on the Mt. of Transfiguration is too terrifying for us. While we repose amazed at the immanence of the incarnation in the birth of God, we are repelled by the transcendent, mind-altering glory of the transfiguration. Forgive us for the way in which we limit our understanding and allegiance to you by our fear of your glorious preeminence. We prefer a tamed god rather than one whose Shekinah comes with pillars of fire by night and clouds by day, of a brother who walks with us with dirty feet and soiled clothes rather than one whose garments brilliantly gleam with the radiance of the Father God. Today, may we live in freedom to follow this glorious God-Man whose radiance shines amidst the gloom and darkness of sin, immanent and transcendent in life, death, and resurrection. Amen.
Scott Bullock
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..
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
When we allow darkness to overcome the light,
forgive us, Lord.
When we reduce Christmas to plastic and tinsel,
have mercy on us, Father.
When hardness of heart keeps us from seeing
and hearing and touching the needs of others,
let your grace consume us, O God.
When the wars around us are of no concern,
forgive us, Lord, and move us to compassion
for those who suffer.
When our caring is not extended to action,
move us to seek justice for our brothers and sisters.
We come to confess our sinfulness
before you and before each other.
Remove all barriers that divide us,
and let there be no obstacle to our love for you
and for one another. Amen.
All pray in silence.
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
God of forgiveness and mercy, hear our prayer as we confess our sin. With moments so critical we let time go by. With deliverance so near we linger in the darkness. With Christ as our armor, we yet fear the unknown foe. With the night having passed, we still hesitate to greet the new day. 0 God, lead us forth, that we may meet the moment you graciously ciously give us. Dispel the shadows, so that your will may be clear. Clothed with light and new life in Christ, let us go forth as those awake to your will.
James G. Kirk. When We Gather, Revised Edition: A Book of Prayers for Worship.
Almighty God, we, too often, live in fear. Fear drives our self-preservation, our self-centered decisions, and prevents us from comprehending the wonder of your presence among us. Like Peter, we would desire to build a box in which to adore you in a way that assuages our fear, increases our control, and defines our comprehension of who we think you are. The metamorphosis on the Mt. of Transfiguration is too terrifying for us. While we repose amazed at the immanence of the incarnation in the birth of God, we are repelled by the transcendent, mind-altering glory of the transfiguration. Forgive us for the way in which we limit our understanding and allegiance to you by our fear of your glorious preeminence. We prefer a tamed god rather than one whose Shekinah comes with pillars of fire by night and clouds by day, of a brother who walks with us with dirty feet and soiled clothes rather than one whose garments brilliantly gleam with the radiance of the Father God. Today, may we live in freedom to follow this glorious God-Man whose radiance shines amidst the gloom and darkness of sin, immanent and transcendent in life, death, and resurrection. Amen.
Scott Bullock
(Prayer of Adoration)
Holy God of light and glory:
You alone are good.
You alone are pure and righteous.
And, therefore,
You alone are worthy of our praise,
our devotion and honor.
In the brilliance of Your light,
we are revealed as we are and
left speechless … without excuse;
were it not for Your grace and mercy
we are hopeless as well.
(Prayer of Adoration)
Seeing who we really are,
we can hide no longer behind our bravado,
our rationalizations and our protests.
We confess that we are sinners
in need of your forgiveness.
As individuals and as a body.
we therefore join our hearts and voices to pray
together confessing our sins …
(time of silence) AMEN.
Gracious God, You have called us out of darkness and into the light of Your love. You have redeemed us and made us whole in order to set us free from bondage. The challenge You place before us is to die to self, surrender our wills, and serve sacrificially. But we cling to our sinful humanity and to the trappings of this temporal life. Forgive us for being stubborn, selfish, and sinful. Set us free to embrace the values of Your Kingdom, transform our hearts to long for You, and empower us to live courageously as Your children. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Allen Thompson
Leader: We are people of the resurrection. Witnesses to God’s glorious victory in Jesus Christ, which brings peace and transforms the power structures of this world.
But we also know that we live in the tension between the now and the not-yet. We are participants in Christ’s new life – but at the same time we find ourselves still clinging to the old age. So we confess our sin, our brokenness, our turning against God and his ways, how we’ve done that both individually and collectively.
All: God of resurrection life, hope, and peace
We confess that too often we are not peaceful
You have brought light, but we focus on the darkness
We have doubts and anxieties about our lives
About our nation
About our world
Instead of loving others, we are fearful of them
We seek to hide ourselves away in safety
Rather than live in vulnerable relationship with the world
As our brother Jesus Christ does
We need your Holy Spirit in our lives
Turn our hearts towards you
Take away our fear and self-centeredness
Make our trust in you stronger than our trust in ourselves
And bring us peace
Amen
Leader: Hear the good news. God is not absent, distant, dead. He is alive! Christ is risen! In him death has been defeated and life has been restored.
In Christ, God comes to those who don’t trust. God comes to those who are scared and anxious. God comes to you, and says “your sins are forgiven.” There is nothing left to fear. God is with you – God is for you and on your side.
Submitted by Jacob Traeger
I tell you this: To those who have received Christ and believed in his name, God has given the right to be called children of God. And God demonstrates his own love for us in this way: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! So I say to you that your sins are forgiven. Live joyfully, serving God in the freedom of this reconciliation.
Submitted by Jacob Traeger
We are a people that prefer the darkness. The darkness hides that which we wish others dare not see and that which we loathe about ourselves, our twisted thoughts, perverted practices, and foolish follies. The darkness keeps us from being made, from being exposed, from being set free. We fear the reality of our lives that the light will illuminate, but in such fear we say no to freedom that the light brings. John proclaims that the incarnate Word is the life and light of humanity and the darkness has not overcome it. We confess our preference for the land of deep darkness, for wallowing in our sins and trespasses, and admit our need for the light to shine upon us. Forgive us, O Lord for our darkened hearts and minds and bring us your light! AMEN.
Scott Bullock
Gracious God, You call us to be salt and light but we often keep our lights hidden away. We do not use our words or actions to encourage others to pursue a life with You. We take the Gospel for ourselves, but do not feel the urgency to share this gift of grace with the world. Forgive us and help us to bear witness to the hope we confess, so that others may follow You. You are the Hope of the World. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Dearest Father, we long for light, but dwell in darkness. We crave the warmth of the sun, but crawl into our caverns of sin and sadness. We are a people who prefer the misery and melancholy that we know then the majesty of Your mercy and might that you offer. We are like the tired and tragic creature of Tolkien’s imagination, withered and worn, waylaid by our own wanton wickedness, shrinking from the light, and slinking into the shadows. Free us from this state. Rescue us from the night that enshrouds us. Have mercy upon our wretchedness. Illuminate our hearts, our souls, and our minds. Make us righteous people who, “shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43).
Scott Bullock
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Check out our Calls to Worship on Light.