Prayers of Confession on the Prophets

Adapted from Ezra 9:6-15

Pastor: O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.

All: From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt.

Pastor: But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. For we are slaves.

All: Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery but has extended to us his steadfast love.

Pastor: And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, which you commanded by your servants the prophets. And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again?

All: O LORD, the God of Israel, you are just. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”

Submitted by Dustin Ray

You give us prophets, holy God,
to cry out for justice and mercy.
Open our ears to hear them,
and to follow the truth they speak,
lest we support injustice to secure our own well-being.
Give prophets the fire of your Word,
but love as well.
Though they speak for you,
may they know that they stand with us before you,
and have no Messiah other than your Son.
Jesus Christ, the Lord of all. Amen.

The Worship Book: Services, The Westminster Press, 1970.