Prayer of Confession: Water from a Rock

Here’s a prayer of confession inspired by Exodus 17: 1-7, where God provides water from a rock in the wilderness.  It comes from the Global Ministries website.

Prayer of Confession

(inspired by Exodus 17: 1-7)

God of mercy, hear our prayer.

When your desert people cried out to you in hunger and in thirst,

you gave them bread from heaven and brought out water from the rock.

When the poor and needy seek sustenance and there is none;

when their tongues are parched with thirst, you answer them:

“I, the God of Israel, will not forsake you!”

We—your people, too—hungry and thirsty for righteousness,

cry out: “Do not forsake us!”

But your answer comes, confounding and convicting:

“Do not forsake me!” you say.

“You, Lord?” we respond. “When did we see you?”

Then, like a feast spread before us,

you reveal your fullness in our neighbor’s longing gaze.

In your mercy you have created enough for our neighbor and for us,

except that we desire so much.

In your mercy you show us that our unbridled desire is killing both of us.

In your mercy, you show us the connection between our need for righteousness

and our neighbor’s need for water.

Free us from our greed, O God of mercy.
Pound righteousness from our stony hearts—like water from a rock—

that our neighbor may know no want;

that our lives might once more be full. Amen.

~ from Worship Resources for Lent and World Water Day 2014, compiled by the Canadian Foodgrains Bank.  Originally posted on the Global Ministries website (United Church of Christ, Christian Church - Disciples of Christ) http://globalministries.org/water/water-worship-worship-resources.html