Category: confession

Free gift of forgiveness


 

Prayer of Confession

We have failed to love you with all our heart
and to be good stewards of your creation:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

We have failed to take up the cross of discipleship
and to be good stewards of your gospel:
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

We have failed to be faithful members of your church
and to be good stewards of your spiritual gifts:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

 
Declaration of Forgiveness

God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners,
Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Confident in his free gift of forgiveness,
I declare to you Christ’s word of grace:
Your sins are forgiven.
Thanks be to God.

 
~ by David Beswick from his Worship and Preaching website.

From the blog
In the school of prayer with Terry Hinks
Go. Speak. Love. Forgive. Receive.
Forgiven and forgotten
 

The path of Christ

 

Prayer of confession

Almighty God,
Creator of the heavens and earth,
we confess that we do not always live into
the message of hope and salvation,
the promise of eternal life.

We live in ways that make the here and now
more important than the future.

We live in ways that put ourselves and our own success first
over the needs of others and the long-term needs of the world.

Forgive us for our selfish ways and call us into the path of Christ,
who humbled himself and gave himself up for us on the cross,
so that death might be no more
and that all can share in the joy of salvation and eternal life,
through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen.

 
~ written by Rev. Mindi, posted on re:Worship

From the blog
Prayer poem: Not unless
On the road affirmation
In the school of prayer with Michael Mayne
 

Return to the path

Prayer of confession

Almighty God,
You have set before us the path
but we have wandered on our own
to try to find our way.

Sometimes we are like toddlers
and we hear Your call and come back.

Other times, we are children testing boundaries,
ignoring Your call until fear finally makes us look back.

And still other times we are full of youthful rebellion,
demanding to be cut loose and set free,
not knowing how much we still need
to seek Your wisdom and guidance.

But most of all, too often we think we are adults
and have figured it all our and know our own way,
only to stumble and stray so far.

Remind us, parental God,
that we are always Your children,
that we are never fully grown up in Your sight,
that we always have much to learn.

Help us to seek You every day,
to acknowledge that we need Your wisdom and guidance,
and help us to return to the path and walk with You.
In the name of Christ,
who is our companion on this journey of faith, we pray.
Amen.

~ written by Rev Mindi, and posted on re:Worship

From the blog
On the road affirmation
Turn to the light
In the school of prayer with Ignatius of Loyola
 

People cry “peace”


 

Prayer of Confession

inspired by Jeremiah 6:13-16

O Lord,
All around us people cry “peace” when there is no peace.
How can there be peace
when voices are silenced, people suffer, and rights are denied?
How can there be peace
when bombs are falling, countries are at war, and justice is denied?

O Lord,
All too often we are the ones who cry “peace” when there is no peace.
How can there be peace
when people around us are lonely, stereotyped, and abused?
How can there be peace
when our own nations use violence in the pursuit of peace?

O Lord,
We confess our brokenness.
We confess our complicity.
We confess our contentment with “peace”
that is only about our own personal well-being.

O Lord,
Draw us to yourself, that we might live in your grace and pardon.
Challenge us to see through false declarations of “peace.”
Empower us to be peacemakers.

O Lord,
We stand at the crossroads and look.
Show us the ancient paths, where the good way lies.
Give us the courage to walk in it,
that all may find rest for their souls. Amen.

 
~ from Mennonite Central Committee website, posted on re:Worship

Day of Prayer: Saturday 29 November 2025

Rt Rev Rosie Frew, Moderator of the General Assembly, is encouraging Church of Scotland congregations to join together in a special Day of Prayer on Saturday 29 November, the eve of St Andrew’s Day.

More information and resources here

Watch live stream
They will be livestreaming the first hour (11am–12noon) and the final hour (7–8pm) of the day (UK time zone). So, if you’re not able to join in person, you can still be part of this time of prayer and worship from wherever you are.

From the blog
Make us a chalice
Theme: He heals the brokenhearted  [prayer sheet]
Change from the inside out
 

Trees of healing


 

I saw a tree that was growing on each side of the river. It is the tree that gives people true life. It has 12 different kinds of fruit, a new fruit every month. The tree’s leaves are like medicine. They make people of every nation well again.

A prayer for wholeness

We grieve and confess
that we hurt and have been hurt,
to the third and fourth generations,
that we are so afraid of pain
that we shield ourselves from being vulnerable to others,
and refuse to be open and trusting as a child …

O God of Wholeness, we rest in you …
You listen with us to the sound of running water,
you sit with us under the shade of the trees of our healing,
you walk once more with us in the garden in the cool of the day,
the oil of your anointing penetrates the cells of our being,
the warmth of your hands steadies us and gives us courage.
O God of Wholeness, we rest in you …

 
by Jim Cotter
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #349

From the blog
Settle yourself into the quiet
In the school of prayer with Terry Hinks
Theme: He heals the brokenhearted  [prayer sheet]
 

Slow us down

Prayer of Confession

O God, we long to rest in you,
      to trust in your goodness,
      in your care for us,
      in your abundant life.
But we don’t know how to rest
      and we have forgotten how to trust:
We seek material goods that we don’t really need.
We befriend people not always out of love.
We ask questions of you like the Sadducees did of Jesus,
      questions that try only to prove our point,
      not to grow in understanding of your desires for us.
Slow us down, Holy One.
Attend to us, Holy One,
      and show us that you are our salvation and our resting place.

 
~ by Rev. Catherine Rolling,  posted on re:worship

From the blog
In quietness and trust is your strength
Broken spirit sacrifice
3 Ancient prayers
 

One body, different gifts

 

We have different gifts,
        according to the grace given to each of us.

If your gift is prophesying,
        then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
if it is serving,
        then serve;
if it is teaching,
        then teach;
if it is to encourage,
        then give encouragement;
if it is giving,
        then give generously;
if it is to lead,
        do it diligently;
if it is to show mercy,
        do it cheerfully.

 

Prayer of Confession

God you have given each of us many gifts,
but sometimes we cannot recognize
what gift we have to share,
so we hide it under a bushel.

God you remind us that all gifts are needed,
but sometimes we let ourselves be convinced
that some gifts are more special than others.

God you call us to work, to live, to love together as parts of one body,
but sometimes we decide that membership in the body
is limited by our understandings.

God, for the times we have ignored or mislabeled Your gifts,
for those times we have cut another off from the body,
We offer words of repentance,
we ask for forgiveness and grace.

… time of silent prayer …

Words of Assurance/Forgiveness

God is the giver of MANY gifts.
God is the Creator of the ONE body.
God is slow to anger and quick to forgive.
God helps us to share and honour the gifts of all,
God helps us to heal the wounds and reunite the body.
We are forgiven, loved, and accepted.
Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Amen

 
~ by Rev Gord, posted on re:worship
 

From the blog
Open the door, open the window
We are a body
Circle me, Lord
 

Planted together


 

Prayer of Confession

(based on Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)

Merciful God, you plant each of us like seeds in the same field and together we are nourished and nurtured by the sun. We sway in the wind and are refreshed by the rain. We are blessed by the knowledge that you want us to grow towards what you call us to be.

When we deprive others of that same opportunity,
forgive us.

When we want to uproot those whom we believe
do not belong in our part of the field,
forgive us.

When we label others as good or bad
rather than accept them for who they are,
forgive us.

When we are reluctant to acknowledge
that we ourselves are a mixture of weeds and wheat,
forgive us.

When we are afraid to look into the fields of our own lives
to see what is growing there,
forgive us.

O God, you know us inside and out, through and through.
You search us out and lay your hand upon us.
You know what we are going to say even before we speak.
So we pray that you will help us to reach out to the uprooted and rejected,
the lonely and the outcast,
and to develop and grow the good in ourselves, in others and in the world.
This we pray in Jesus’ name.
Amen

~ by Moira Laidlaw, posted on re:worship

From the blog
Pilgrims together
Soft eyes help
United by love
 

Open confession


 

Advent Confession

inspired by Isaiah 61: 1-4, 8-11

Holy God,
open our eyes to the presence of your Spirit
upon us, within us, among us.

For our apathy in the presence of oppression,
Forgive us.

If we have contributed to the brokenheartedness of anyone,
Forgive us.

For our participation in systems that enslave,
Forgive us.

When we are deaf to your good news,
Have mercy and open our ears.

When our mouths remain too tightly closed,
Loosen our lips with songs of praise.

Hear our prayer, O God, and forgive our sins.
Hold us in your mercy, now and forever. Amen.

 
~ author unknown, posted on re:worship

From the blog
Theme: God makes all things new  [prayer sheet]
3 Prayers for Advent
Hard of hearing
 

Asking One, ask us

A prayer of adoration and confession

inspired by Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 11:1-13

Seeking One,
you are the beginning and the end of our search.
Finding One,
you are the alpha and omega of all discovery.
Asking One,
you are the voice and the silence of our exploration.
Giving One,
you are the fullness and the emptiness of all yearning.
Persistent One,
you never abandon your search for us,
nor tire of our repetitive to-ings and fro-ings.
Receiving One,
you endlessly welcome us home,
and spread before us a feast
in the face of our constant requests for mere morsels of bread.

Search us, O God,
and find within us the secrets we hide.
Ask us, O God,
and receive from within us the pain we bear.
Keep knocking at the door of our lives
until we open our wills to your purpose,
our lives to your life, and our yearning to your hope.

When we forget to seek you and discover that we have lost our place:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

When we ask once and leave it at that:
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

When we draw back from knocking, lest we disturb you:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Strengthen our courage; bolster our endurance;
spur us onward in your way in our world
through the power of the Holy Spirit
and the name of Christ.
Amen.

 
~ written by Anita Monro and posted on re:worship

From the blog
When hot and bothered
Good grief
In the school of prayer with the Celtic Saints