Prayers of Confession on Plans

Lord, through history Your people have refused Your plans in exchange for self-indulgence. Adam and Eve sought to define good and evil for themselves. The Israelites demanded water in the desert. David took Bathsheba and killed her husband. Today, we are no different. We exchange intimacy for fantasy. We horde wealth rather than trust in Your provision. We confuse self-help for discipleship. Lord, You declare, “My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Forgive us for trusting more in ourselves and our desires than trusting in You and Your plans. We are sorry. Change our hearts. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Good and gracious God, we all have fallen short of your glory. No matter how hard we strive to live for you, we end up choosing our will instead of yours, failing to live out your plan for us. Help us to see  how great your plans for us are as we silently confess our sins to you now…

Submitted by Austin D. Hill

Omniscient God, we are a proud people who often turn away Your messengers. Open our eyes to those You have sent and let us graciously receive them into our lives. You have a plan for us that we may not see, so humble our hearts so that we may see what You have in store for us. Ground us again in the wisdom of Scripture and in the Living Word which is Christ Jesus. Renew us at the fountain of His wisdom, so we may find joy in obedience and freedom in giving ourselves to You. Give us the courage to be the ones that You send, and let our actions and intentions reflect You and give you glory. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Gracious God, forgive us today for the times when we don’t trust You to help us grow. Even though You nurture us daily, we often choose to live in our own strength, ignoring the plans You have for us. Help us to place our trust in You as you we silently confess our sins to You now…

Submitted by Austin D. Hill

Eternal and loving Father, You comfort, support, and encourage us. Your goodness and kindness go beyond our understanding. Your grace is richer and deeper than we can begin to comprehend. Yet despite Your gracious love and faithful care, we seek to go our own way and to trust our own resources. Time after time, we choose our plans over Your will. Over and over again, our pride, self-reliance, and self-centeredness lead us astray. We confess we are sinners in need of forgiveness. We admit we are flawed, broken people in need of mercy. Through the person and work of Jesus Christ, forgive us for all the times we have failed You. Cleanse our hearts, and make them fresh and new. Renew our minds for Your Kingdom’s sake. Empower us to be Your Son’s disciples for His glory. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord, in the power of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Dear Lord, we praise You and thank You for Your goodness and grace, for creating us and putting us in the world, for dying for us and giving us new life. We confess we do not live as redeemed sinners. We still hesitate to trust in Your loving plan for our lives. Our overwhelming and consuming concern continues to revolve around our own needs rather than those of others. We say we love You with our lips when our hearts are so easily distracted by earthly things. We humbly ask for Your forgiveness. Jesus, help us to hold true to what we have attained by Your grace. We pray this in Christ’s Name. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Marvelous and merciful God, Your Son modeled leadership and servanthood for us. But we confess we have elevated our desires and plans over Your will for our lives and for Your world. We want authority and power over others to use for our own purposes. Forgive us for our half-hearted devotion and our double-minded attention to Your way. Remind us You desire servants first and foremost. Enable us to serve in the name of Jesus, the One who came to serve and to give His life a ransom for many. In His name we pray. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Faithful God, we confess that we have trusted our own plans instead of Yours. We have built and saved and schemed to secure our future, but we haven’t placed our trust in You. We know that Jesus told us to store up treasures in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy, yet we have stored up treasures on earth in the meantime. Forgive us for trusting our own hands too much, and trusting Your hands too little. Amen.

Cody Sandahl