Confess

My brother Ben led a prayer of confession in our gathering this past Sunday and he had the perfect words expressing how my heart felt. Thanks brother. May I come back to this and come before God with a contrite heart knowing He will fully forgive me.

"Dear God,

 

Our longing is not for you, as we frequently follow the desires of our flesh.

Our time is not used for you, as we frequently waste the time you give us.

Our lips are filled with ungodliness and our hearts with discontent. Lord please change us.

 

Even as we pause at this very moment to ask forgiveness, our minds may be wandering away from you. We lack hearts of true repentance; we are filled with cockiness, taking your mercy and grace for granted and lack brokenness over our sin. Our perspective of ourselves is far too great and our perspective of you is mistaken.

 

We ask that you flesh out these secret sins we still hold on to so dearly. If we’re mindless about them, expose them to us today. If we’re purposely, and shamefully mindful of them, create in us a truly remorseful heart, as you help us eradicate our intimacy with them, as we turn away from them, coming clean to both you and other brothers and sisters about these sins.

 

Have mercy on us, O God as you change our self-conceited perspective of ourselves, as we view you for who you are. We are deserving of severe, eternal punishment for our rejection of you. Help us to think of ourselves as much smaller, and think of you of much, much greater.

 

According to your steadfast love and your abundant mercy and your son’s work on the cross, wash us thoroughly from our iniquity and cleanse us from our sin!

 

Amen."