Prayers of Confession on Rejection

Heavenly Father

We confess before you and before one another that we do not always trust your goodness.

We are worried about losing control of our lives, and we are scared of what taking up our cross would mean.

Give us confidence in your love for us, so that we are not afraid of rejection by others. Give us faith in your forgiveness so that we can admit our mistakes and be free of the desire to seem like we get everything right.

Give us faith in your forgiveness so that we can treat our leaders with love and mercy. And give us the courage to take up our cross and walk the difficult path of justice, mercy and humility.

Empower us with your Holy Spirit to live as your sons and daughters.

Through Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

Jacob Traeger

Almighty God, you created us good, but by our sin, we have corrupted that goodness. Through our sinful nature, our default way of life is rejection of you, living for self, and doing what’s easiest. We are sorry for assuming we can save ourselves. Please show us our absolute need for you as we silently confess our sins to you now… 

Austin D. Hill

Dear Lord, we come to You this morning first to give You our worship and praise. You are the King, You are the Lord, You are the one who did indeed create us and give us life. You never leave us. You are always reaching out Your hand to lift us up. We praise You. But we also come because we need to confess our sins to You, to open the hidden places of our hearts before You.  We too often arrange our lives around the idols of this world and not around You. We want what others have or what they tell us to want. We are afraid of rejection by the world, forgetting that You are the only one we need to serve. We look for love in ways that will never bring us peace or lasting joy.  Please forgive us. In Jesus’ Name we pray.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Holy God, You are the anchor amidst our fears. You know the sins we can’t even admit to ourselves. You show your faithfulness even when we reject You. You offer grace even when we offer judgment.   Forgive us, God. Help us overcome our fears. Help us face all of our sins. Help us to be faithful. Help us to be full of grace. Remind us that we are a people of redemption, not a people imprisoned by our sins. And help us to live as people of hope, shaped by Your forgiving love. Amen.

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Contempt, a Prayer of Confession

 Contempt is so painful
|To be dismissed, disregarded
Questioning instead of dignity
Accusation instead of personhood
I have felt its sting and hollowness
As have you, my Jesus
Help me hear the needed messages
Help me let go of what isn’t true or helpful
Heal my wound
Time of silent confession
I have wielded the weapon of contempt fully conscious of its destructive power
I have launched it from conditioning, in ignorance and reaction
You never have, my Jesus
Forgive me and heal all I have hurt
Make my ways like yours, my Jesus
Deliver me from a spirit of judgment, criticism, and contempt
Help me see all as you see them- beloved and needed
Especially those who are hard to love
Time of silent prayer
I am most ashamed of aiming contempt at you, my Jesus
For rejecting you, judging you
Making demands of you
I am so very sorry
Forgive me, renew me, abide in me so there is
More of my true me
More of you and your ways
More of your grace extended through me
For the healing of the world
Time of silent prayer

Contempt, a prayer of confession © 2016 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia, www.revlisad.com

Our gracious God, you repeatedly move towards us, even when we pull away. You are not deterred by our rejection of you nor our running from you. Your love is persistent. We confess our distrust of your promises and misunderstanding of your character. Restore our faith in your unfailing love so that we might live and love as you have taught us.

Submitted by Laura Murray