Confession: Quench our Thirst

Here’s a prayer of confession inspired by Exodus 17:1-7 (where God provides water from the  rock) and John 4 (where Jesus converses with the woman at the well).  It was written by Rev. Renee C. Jackson, and posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways website.

Prayer of Confession
(inspired by Exodus 17: 1-7, John 4)

God of mercy, hear the prayers of your thirsting people.
For every time we have attributed your miracles in our lives
to our own hands alone,
Forgive us, we pray.

For every time we promised to trust you but turned to our own way
when your response did not come soon enough
or in the way we expected,
Grant us mercy, O God.

For the many opportunities to extend forgiveness
that we have refused,
Show us what it means to love, again, dear Lord.

For each way we put our own understandings above your wisdom,
For each time we resist your command to be reconciled with those
who believe differently from us,
Direct us in the way of peace, we pray.

For our silent sins, our quiet acts of violence,
and our indifference to the suffering round us,
Forgive us, Loving One, and quench our thirst with your grace;
Remake us into vessels of tenderness and compassion.
For Christ’s sake we pray.  Amen. 

Words of Assurance
(inspired by Romans 5, John 4)

Because of God’s great love for us,
we have peace with God and access to God’s grace
all through Jesus Christ
who, while we were still sinners,
died to free us from the bondage of sin.
Therefore, we may ask of Christ
to give us the living water that quenches the dryness of our souls.
In this we know we are forgiven.
Thanks be to God!

~ from Thirsting for Grace: Service Prayers for the Third Sunday of Lent, written by the Rev. Renee C. Jackson.  Posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways website. http://www.ucc.org/worship/worship-ways/