Confession: Wilderness Places
Here’s
a prayer of confession for the Lenten season.
It was written by Moira Laidlaw.
Prayer of Confession
(inspired by Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke
4:1-13)
Gracious and merciful God,
we confess to you our
reluctance to enter the wilderness
places
where we are confronted with
our true selves.
The places where we are tempted to put wordly
values
before our desire for you,
and when our hunger for power
and wealth is greater
than our hunger for seeking and doing your will:
Forgive us, O God, and increase our trust
in you.
When we are tempted to use the
gifts you give us
to benefit ourselves at the expense of serving others:
Forgive us, O God, and increase our trust
in you.
When we are tempted to use
sensational means to increase people’s faith,
rather than being guided by the humility of
Christ:
Forgive us, O God, and increase our trust
in you.
When we are tempted to use
bribery to influence and control people:
Forgive us, O God, and increase our trust
in you.
When we are tempted to
manipulate you, O God, to satisfy our own needs:
Forgive us, O God, and increase our trust
in you.
A
time of silence for personal confession
Merciful God,
save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil.
Forgive us our sins and fill us with the joy and peace of your salvation.
So strengthen us with your Spirit during this Lenten season
that we put our whole trust in
you as confidently as Jesus did.
This we pray in his name.
Amen
Words of Forgiveness
As the Apostle Paul wrote:
“...if you confess with
your lips that Jesus Christ is Lord
and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
These words contain the good news
that in Jesus Christ we are
forgiven.
Thanks be to God!
