A Prayer of Confession,

Dear Heavenly Father,

In all of creation we see your fingerprints. Christians or non Christians alike, you are in the fabric of our lives. In our hearts we know you are there, because you teach us right from wrong.

Yet Lord, we seldom treat you like God or worship you. Please forgive us.

We like to think of ourselves as nice people. We are really not bad. We do not rob or kill, we shake our self righteous heads at adulterers, at backstabbing and ambitious colleagues, and the like.

But are we so good? Envy stabs at our hearts when we meet others better off than us. We cloak ourselves with the obligatory Christian humility, but in reality, we puff up with pride inside at the slightest success or praise. We bicker over matters that reflect the smallness of our hearts. We cheat, sometimes, when we think nobody is watching. We find it natural to bully those weaker than us. Greed gets the better of us, enough is never enough. We want a bigger house, more houses, a bigger car, a second car. More bags, more shoes. More food, better food, more varieties. An endless and aimless chasing after the wind. That’s us.

Forgive us Lord. For it is for people such as us that Jesus came.

Until He came and took hold of us, we had no purpose in our lives. We trade your glory and eternal kingdom for idols made by our hands that do not satisfy. We do whatever we feel we can get away with, allowing our sinful nature to be in charge.

But now, we thank you for Jesus, because through him, we are no longer chained to sin, but are free to live a new life according to your purposes.

So, help us Lord, to leave behind the sinful nature that you detest. Help us do so by allowing the Spirit to do its work in us, instead of depending on our own efforts. We know that when we try to change on our own, we end up testing our strength but achieving little. We become absorbed in ourselves, ignoring who you are and what your Spirit is able to do.
Remind us often, instead, to trust in you and welcome your Spirit’s dwelling in us— so that though we still experience the limitations of sin, we are alive in Christ and our hope and purpose is in our inheritance in heaven.

Even when we tire of our struggles and our aching bodies, we ask that you help us maintain a heart of joy and expectancy, thanking you for the gift of your Spirit who prays alongside us and keeps us present before you.

All this we ask in Jesus’ name.

(Prayed at ORPC 16 August 2009).