One of the most meaningful portions of our worship gatherings are our public prayers. Every week we include a prayer of confession for a particular sin. Our desire is that through these prayers we will not only confess our sins corporately, but learn how better to confess our sins personally. The following is a prayer of confession that was prayed by Colin Smith on November 29, 2020.
Oh Lord our Father, God of all Creation and Master of our future,
You have called us to give worth to you and you alone, and promised us such grandeur of our new life that it exceeds our every imagination. You have promised us a new world where all suffering, loss, fear, and regret are gone. You have promised us that everything that happens in this world is a part of Your plan for our future, which You call us to every day.
Yet, in spite of this, our eyes are easily drawn away from this future and the God who gives it to us, and cast instead on the world right in front of us. It is so easy for us to fear the threats of this world, which blinds us to the power and purpose You have over these threats. We are frequently tempted by the fulfillment of pleasures in this world, yet they pale in comparison to Your glory and Your promises. Our minds often focus on the things of this world instead of on You, Your grace, Your mercy, and Your love.
Oh Lord, forgive us for this short-sightedness, and open our eyes to the wonders above. By the Scripture of James, you tell us that this is adultery against you, and by the Scripture of Colossians, you tell us this is idolatry, worshipping the things of this world rather than the Creator of them.
At its best, this world is merely a broken, stained shadow of the perfection You promise us, and at its worst, it is at war with Your perfection and plans.
Father God, please cleanse us of this sin which seeps so deep into our minds, our eyes, our hearts. Etch Your promises upon our hearts, steel our minds to your purpose, and cleanse our eyes of the ease of their distraction.