Prayers of Confession on Stewardship
Almighty God, you bless us so richly. You renew us and give us new life. You equip us with the gifts of your Spirit. You give us an amazing calling to follow you each day. But we fail to use the gifts that you’ve given us. We complain that we don’t have enough. We covet and lust after things we don’t need. Please help us to see how you’ve already blessed us with your gifts as we silently confess our sins to you now.…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
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.
Gracious God, we fail to give to others, when you have so generously given to us. We look for our maximum benefit and minimum sacrifice. We have forgotten where every good gift comes from – you. Holy Spirit, shape our hearts to have a posture of gratitude and open our hands to give, that others might see you generous grace and love.
Submitted by Laura Murray
God, the fact that we feel uncomfortable is evidence that we perceive the injustices in our world. We don’t ask you to help us hear the cries of injustice, but rather to give us courage to act against the forces of selfishness and pride that would alienate us from the work of wisely stewarding your earth. Teach us how to seek the full manifestation of your Kingdom on earth, which includes justice. And as we embark in this important work, heal our lands, touch our families, and reveal your glory. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Gracious God, you are the giver of every good and perfect gift. You give us our talents, our freedom, and our financial resources. We struggle to give back to you from these gifts. We often worry that these gifts are not enough; that we must hold onto them for ourselves and for our family. Remind us again that you have blessed us to be a blessing to others, and free us for more generous living. Forgive us, O God, for all our sins, as we continue to pray in silence…
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
Loving God, you show us grace and mercy, again and again and again. You shower gifts on us that we could never earn, and you are slow to punish us when we most deserve it. All too often, we forget to give you thanks. We take your grace for granted, and we assume your mercy will always be there. Even worse, we are so slow to share your grace and mercy with others, out of gratitude for what you have done for us in Jesus Christ. Forgive us for these and all our sins, as we continue to pray in silence…
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
Gracious God, you tend to the earth as your vineyard, longing for it to bring fruit. You want our society and our lives to look more and more like the Kingdom of Heaven. We work against your plans, sometimes by what we do, and sometimes by what we leave undone. We abuse the land, take advantage of the weak, and turn a blind eye to the poor. We fight against your purposes, and we need your forgiveness. Pardon us for these and all our sins, as we continue to pray in silence…
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
O Giver of every good and perfect gift, we confess that we are poor stewards of your bounty. You give us time, but we waste it. You give us life, but we use it to glorify ourselves. You give us wealth, but we make it serve our own comfort and security. We miss out on the joy and affirmation that you give us when we are generous. Change our hearts O God, that they would reflect your goodness to us and the world. Forgive us now for all of our sins, as we continue to pray [in silence/in song]…
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
Gracious God, thank you for giving human beings authority over your world. It is truly an honor to receive this from you.
Forgive us, Lord, for all the ways we have been poor stewards of the world you’ve entrusted to us. Give us wisdom to know how best to use the authority you have given us. Show us how to use and care for the earth in ways that honor your intentions.
Thank you, Lord, for those who are leading the charge in this area. Thank you especially for wise believers who are helping your church find our rightful role in the matter of caring for the earth and using it well. Thank you for many younger believers who are being trained and educated to lead this charge in the future.
This day, may I care well for the piece of the world you have entrusted to me, using it rightly for your purposes and glory. Amen.
Ruler of all, we live each day as if we’ll live forever, yet none of us know how long we have. We are sorry for squandering our days, our resources, and our abilities. Please renew our sense of urgency in following you as we silently confess our sins to you now…
Submitted by Austin D. Hill
Lord, how often our giving is corrupted by self-interest and by the hope of receiving favors back from others. We are sorry for our tendencies toward selfishness. It is clear that with You we bring nothing to the table, yet You give freely to us without any hope of return. Father, please forgive us. Give us the grace to respond to the promptings of your Holy Spirit inviting us to reach out to the lonely, the lost, the sad, and the needy. Open our ears that we may hear you, and in that hearing take action. We pray this in Christ’s name. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
God of All Grace, All that we are, all that we have, and all that we will become is a gift from You. Forgive us when we forget this, and assume that time and talent are made by us. Forgive us when we pridefully count our earnings, rather than delighting in Your gifts. Remind us of the high calling: to be the stewards of Your abundance, caretakers of all that You have entrusted to us. Make us faithful with little, and also with much, That we may give ourselves as You did, wholly and completely, even unto the cross, In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
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