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/
