This week we are asking everyone to read this prayer multiple times a day as corporate confession and repentance.
The practice of confession and repentance allows us to take responsibility for our actions, attitudes, and words. Confession and repentance set us free from shame, unworthiness, and obligation that accumulate whenever we make foolish, selfish, or harmful choices. Confession brings the healing presence of God and invites God’s transformative power into our acknowledged areas of sin, struggle, and weakness – whether sins of commission or omission.
Lord hear the prayer that we, your sons and daughters, now pray together. We confess the sins that we have committed against you. We recognize that we have done things that we should not do, but do anyway. And we have things in our lives that we should do, but don’t. We have behaved corruptly by having independent spirits and have not looked to You to unify us.
We’ve sought comfort and convenience instead of following nudges from your Spirit. We have not stood for the marginalized and poor in our community. There have been times when we have participated in impure acts and not followed your way of purity. We have been unjust with our brothers and sisters, our neighbors, and with those with who we do not agree with. We have not kept the commandments that you have given to us. We have abused the Sabbath Day. We have sinned in thought, word, and deed; we have not loved you with all our heart and soul, we have not loved you with all our mind and strength; we have not even loved our neighbor as ourselves.
Forgive us, Lord, for following the patterns of this world and falling into a materialist mindset. We have chosen the immediate for the eternal way too often. So today, we humble ourselves and pray and seek You. Your Word promises that if we, who are called by your name, will humble ourselves, and pray, and seek your face, and turn from our wicked ways; then we will hear from heaven, and you will forgive our sin and will heal our land.
Forgive us, God, for the times we’ve missed the mark. Help us to live our lives, filled by the power of your Spirit within us. We ask that you would be with us– extending your grace, granting your freedom, providing your protection, and empowering us with your strength. We pray that you would bring about an awakening of your presence in us as never seen before. May your name be proclaimed in all the earth and may every evil plan of the enemy be torn down. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Discuss in Your Group
- In reading through this prayer last week, what parts of the prayer really resonated with you personally?
- Were there any additional steps that you took to move from repentance to believing? Did you make a
plan? Were you able to share that with anyone? - Were there other sins that God brought to mind that were not mentioned in the written prayer?
- One of the things we prayed for was an awakening of God’s presence through the Holy Spirit
transforming us. Are there any areas of freedom and awakening that you can share?! How can we
celebrate that together!
