This is a prayer I sometimes use to guide my confessional prayer time…It may seem a bit formal but I find it helps. I am not sure of its source – perhaps the Anglican Prayer Book…<\/p>\n
I find this formality helps me to see the holiness of God and His ways – that I am a truly sinful person! My righteousness is as filthy rags. I have nothing to stand on but His mercy and in His righteousness.<\/p>\n
“Holy and Merciful God, I confess to you that I have sinned agianst you in thought, word and deed, by what I have done , and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart, and mind, and strength. I have not loved my neighbor as myself. I have not forgiven others as I have been forgiven.\u00a0Have mercy on me, O God.<\/em><\/p>\n I have not listened to your call to serve as Christ served me. I have not been true to the mind of Christ. I have grieved your Holy Spirit.\u00a0Have mercy on me, O God.<\/em><\/p>\n I confess to you, O God, all my past unfaithfulness: the pride, hypocrisy and impatience in my life, not waiting on You.\u00a0I confess to you, O God.<\/em><\/p>\n My self-indulgent appetites and ways, and my exploitation of other people.\u00a0I confess to you, O God.<\/em><\/p>\n My anger, my own frustration and my envy of those more fortunate than me.\u00a0I confess to you, O God.<\/em><\/p>\n My love of worldly goods and comforts, and my dishonesty in daily life and work.\u00a0I confess to you, O God.<\/em><\/p>\n My negligence in prayer and worship, and my failure to commend the faith that is in me.\u00a0I confess to you, O God.<\/em><\/p>\n Accept my repentance, O God, for the wrongs I have done. For my neglect of human need and sufferings and my indifference to injustice and cruelty. Accept my repentance, O God.<\/em><\/p>\n For all false judgments, for uncharitable thoughts toward my neighbors, and for my prejudice and contempt for thsoe who differ from me, Accept my repentance , O God.<\/em><\/p>\n Restore me, O God, and let your anger depart form me.<\/em><\/p>\n Favorably hear me, O God, for your mercy is great.”<\/em><\/p>\n I find this caused me to think…at first I was offended to confess I was indifferent to injustice…or exploitaion of other people… surely, that’s not me!<\/p>\n But is it? Am I indifferent to the sufferings of those in Syria, the Sudan – do I hear the news and it doesn’t affect me? How ’bout those in my own community suffering from the cold? Am I too usy thinking of my own needs and agendas?<\/p>\n Surely I do not exploit others…or do I? What about the products I buy? Where are they made and under what conditions?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This is a prayer I sometimes use to guide my confessional prayer time…It may seem a bit formal but I find it helps. I am not sure of its source – perhaps the Anglican Prayer Book… I find this formality helps me to see the holiness of God and His ways – that I am…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal-thoughts","category-prayer"],"yoast_head":"\n