Even though God’s glory is evident throughout all of creation, He still stoops to love the weak and the broken. While He abounds in grace and gentle mercy toward us, though, we often neglect to extend that same care toward others. The following prayer, excerpted from this month’s featured resource, Streams of Mercy, helps us to confess our sinful attitudes toward those we are called to love:
Almighty God,
We admit before you that we often find it difficult to live in community with one another, as you call us to. We are judgmental toward others, particularly when you have given us strength in an area where they are weak. We frequently struggle with malice, hypocrisy, envy, deceit, and slander. Though at times we may control our tongues, in our minds we rehearse endlessly the sins and weaknesses of others, as we try to justify ourselves and feel superior. At times we cause others to stumble into sin, and so do damage to their hearts and souls. Father, forgive us for the many sins that we commit each and every day. We cast ourselves on your mercy and thank you for the blood of Christ, which cleanses us from all sin, and for the obedience of Christ, which replaces our record of rebellion with the glory of his perfect holiness.
Holy Spirit of the living God, help us, we pray. Cause us to hunger for your Word and to grow in obedience to you. Help us to be faithful sojourners and joyful recipients of your grace. Make Christ appear excellent to us and beautiful in our eyes as we worship, as we work, as we live together, and even when we sin against one another. Help us to recognize our sin and to repent quickly, asking forgiveness of one another and helping one another to find peace and joy in the goodness of your Son instead of in our own obedience. May your great and mighty power, which raised Christ from the dead, be strongly at work in each of us, helping us to love one another with powerful gratitude and to live lives of increasing holiness, purity, and love for you and for one another.
Purchase your copy of Streams of Mercy and experience the wonder of confessional prayer.
Excerpt taken from pp. 178–79 of Streams of Mercy by Barbara Duguid, ed. by Iain Duguid (ISBN 987-1-62995-342-7) with permission from P&R Publishing Co., PO Box 817, Phillipsburg, NJ 08865 (www.prpbooks.com).