Prayers of Confession on the Image of God
Leader: Scripture teaches us that there is one good and holy God; that we were created in God’s image, to commit ourselves to Him, to do good works, to reflect His glory, and to know Him as loving Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Genesis 1:27, Ephesians 2:10, Isaiah 60:1-3, 1 John 3:1, Luke 2:11)
All: I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.
Leader: The scripture teaches that God has given us commands for our own good and the good of our community, but that each of us has failed in thought, word and deed. We have sinned, and the punishment is death. (Deuteronomy 6:24-25, Romans 7:18-20, Romans 6:23)
All: I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.
Leader: The scripture teaches us that Jesus Christ has ransomed us from this punishment through his sacrificial death on the cross; that death has lost its sting; that there is no fear; that love abounds; that someday every single person will see Jesus for who He really is; and that anyone who believes these truths is a new creation whose life is on a new trajectory: the old life has passed away and new life has come! (Mark 10:45, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, 1 John 4:18, Philippians 2:10-11, 2 Corinthians 5:17)
All: I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word. In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Heavenly Father,
We confess that we are not always able to see your handiwork in the people and things around us. We do not always see your image in our neighbors, and we do not always see your creative fingerprints in the good things in our world. Our eyes and our hearts are darkened by sin, and we too often take our sinful perspectives for granted. Transform our eyes and hearts with your Holy Spirit, so we may see the light of your creation and the love of redemption that we have in Jesus. Help us to see and live according to Jesus’s vision and life. Hear our prayers as we continue our confession in silence…
Submitted by Allen Thompson
O God,
you created all people in your image.
We thank you for the astonishing variety
of races and cultures in this world.
Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of friendship,
and show us your presence
in those who differ most from us,
until our knowledge of your love is made perfect
in our love for all your children;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lutheran Book of Worship: Minister’s Desk Edition, Augsburg Publishing House, 1978.
Dear Lord, You are the King of the world, the Creator of all things, and the Giver of life. You have made us in Your image and invited us to be Your children—the heirs of Your kingdom—and we give You our thanks and praise. We stop now to confess that we have sinned and fallen short of what You would have us be. We have found our identity in earthly things like work, money, family, reputation, our homes, our friends, even our country.
We have worshiped them more than You. We have turned away from being part of Your Kingdom work to satisfy our own agendas. We have broken Your heart with our sin, and we are sorry. Please forgive us. Help us open our hearts to receive the gift of forgiveness that You offer through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Create in us clean hearts and fill us with Your presence. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
Lord God, You are the Creator of the universe; You made us in Your image as Your partners. You know how the world truly works and, for the benefit of the whole creation, You have called us to a particular way of being in this world. In our arrogance, we think we know a better way. We despise the way to which You have called us and we take up our own desires and ideologies, imagining that we know better than You. Forgive us, Lord, for our backwards living. In Your loving-kindness, teach us that Your way is good. Change our hearts to desire what You desire and to seek what You seek. Lord, thank You for Your grace and Your mercy. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Adapted from the Brief Statement of Faith
In sovereign love, you O God created the world good
And make everyone equally in your image,
Male and female, of every race and people,
To live as one community.
But we rebel against you; we hide from you, our Creator.
Ignoring your commandments,
We violate your image in others and ourselves,
Accept lies as truth,
Exploit neighbor and nature,
And threaten death to the planet entrusted to our care.
We deserve your condemnation.
Let us continue to pray in silence, confessing our sins before God and asking for forgiveness.
Silent Prayer
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Submitted by Chip Hardwick
Heavenly Father, forgive us for delving so much into our own lives that we forget the love and purpose with which you have created us. When we are faced with doubt and despair, help us to turn to you with faith and confidence. Through your Holy Spirit, remind us that you have made us in your image and claimed us again in Jesus. Hear our prayers as we continue our confession in silence…
Submitted by Allen Thompson
Gracious God, sometimes I am so caught up in my failures, in all the ways I am not like you, that I neglect the deeper truth, the earlier truth of Genesis 1. You have made me, as a human being, in your image and likeness. I am like you in a profound and abiding way. Amazing!
Lord, as I consider this truth, help me not to get puffed up, or to think of myself more highly than I ought, or to start acting as if I am a god. Yet, may I take seriously my likeness to you. May this truth shape my sense of identity and my purpose. May it help me to live faithfully in response to your intentions for my life. Amen.
Loving God, You created us to be Your people, made in Your image, and set apart for Your glory. But we have chosen to disobey You, and have determined that our way is better than Your way. We have become slaves to sin; our souls have been corrupted and we have broken Your covenant. We repent and turn back toward You. Forgive us and set us free from our corruption and darkness. Thank You for Jesus Christ, Who reconciles, restores and redeems. We seek to honor Him with our whole lives. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Merciful God, You made us in Your image, with minds to know You, hearts to love You, and wills to serve You. But our knowledge is imperfect, our love inconstant, and our obedience incomplete. We refuse to go where You lead us. We fail to grow into Your likeness. Have mercy upon us. Forgive us and free us from our sin. We ask in the gracious name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Heavenly Father, we confess that we are unable to do all the work that you wish for us to do. We are held back by our own desires and our own apprehensions. We know that you make us bearers of your image and ambassadors of your Word, but we too often serve ourselves and not you. Forgive us and redeem us, so that we may grow closer to you. Guide us as people and as a church to reveal Jesus’s sacrifice and generous love through our gifts. We pray these things in his name, and we ask that you receive our continued confession in silence…
Submitted by Allen Thompson
Gracious God, again we thank you for creating us in your image. Today, we are reminded that your image is not captured fully in the solitary individual but also and necessarily in human community. In some astounding way, our relationships with others reflect who you are as God.
As we seek to live faithfully as human beings created in your image, may we see you in the interplay of our relationships. May your reality shape our community, so that we might be more like you each day. Amen.
Holy and Loving God, You created us in Your image to enjoy You, to love You, to serve You. But our souls have been corrupted by our hard-heartedness, by our self-centeredness, by our pervasive sinfulness. We turn to you in genuine repentance and seek Your forgiveness. We trust Your promise that You will forgive, redeem, and restore. Help us to forgive others as You have forgiven us. We ask for Your mercy in the Name of Jesus, who has come and will come again. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Lord God, You are the perfect Creator, and You tell us we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We confess that our pride prevents us from believing this truth. We question Your craftsmanship and often wish that you had made us a different way. Heal us of this sinful tendency. Help us celebrate how You have made us in Your image with perfect purpose and care. Lord, we know that You call us into Your holy service to use our gifts to further Your Kingdom on earth. We confess that we find ourselves using our God-given gifts to further our own agendas instead of Yours. Renew our hearts and strengthen us. Go with us as we do the work You have given each of us to do. In the powerful Name of Christ, Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
Heavenly Father, Although we surrender our lives to you individually, we are called to live and serve in community as one body. Nevertheless, we do not see each other equally or accurately. We tend to think that some are more gifted, more attractive, even more godly than others. Rather than claim Christ’s righteousness for all who believe, we judge one another, even ourselves, on worldly merit. Forgive us, Lord. Redeem us from our wrong thinking. Open our eyes to the truth of your perfect plan for your church body to work graciously as one. We pray this humbly in Christ’s name. Amen.
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church
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