A Tradition of Prayer
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From the Prayer Room
of First-Plymouth Congregational Church
Lincoln, Nebraska
A Resource for Everyone Seeking Spiritual Growth Through Prayer
Welcome
We welcome you to First-Plymouth Church's Prayer
Room. The devotional materials you will find here are provided to give you a
chance to spend a few minutes in prayer and meditation. This session
introduces you to a simple form of prayer that can be used by anyone during the
course of a busy day.
The Five-Minute
Prayer is for all of those people who think that they do not have time for
prayer because of the demands of modern society; or for those who don't feel
comfortable with more "traditional" verbal prayers. The focus of this
prayer is simply setting a brief time aside to be with God.
Prayer of Confession
Being Honest with God and OurselvesI said, "I will confess my transgressions to GOD," and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
--Psalm 32:5b
Both the Hebrew and Greek words for sin are rooted in the an archery term for having “missed the mark” or “fallen short of the target.” Acknowledgement of sin through prayers of confession is a way for us to note, to ourselves and before God, that we have missed the “mark” we believe God set for us. Traditionally, the church has recognized three primary forms of confession: general confession, personal confession, and sacramental confession.
Many United church of Christ congregations use a general confession in the order of worship, especially when the Lord’s Supper is being celebrated. General prayers of confession typically express regret or sorrow for past communal sins, request forgiveness from God, and resolve to make amends. For example, in the prayer that follows, the prayer is composed of seven parts: a) opening statement recognizing God's presence and nature, b) acknowledgement of sin's reality, c) example of sin, d) expression of sorrow or repentance, e) request for mercy, f) intended action that grows out of the process of reflection and confession, and g) closing.
(a) Most merciful God,
(b) we confess that we are in bondage
to sin and cannot free ourselves.(c) We have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart.
We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.(d) We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
(e) For the sake of Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us.
Forgive us, renew us, and lead us,(f) so that we may delight in your will,
and follow in your ways,(g) to the glory of your name. Amen.1
General prayers of confession are typically followed by words of absolution or assurance. These words remind of God’s forgiveness. Two examples of are:
God hears the confession of our hearts and lips. Through Jesus Christ we are forgiven all our sins, and by the Holy Spirit empowered for new life.2
Anyone in Christ becomes a new person altogether; the past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new. Friends, believe in the good news of the gospel: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.3
Prayers of personal confession give us an opportunity to admit to God those actions, thoughts, feelings, or circumstances that distance us from the fullness of God’s intention for us. Personal confession can be a fruitful time of self-examination and a time to seek God’s grace. This type of confession can help to move us forward in increasingly faithful directions. Personal confession has been part of individual Christians’ devotional lives for many centuries.
Sacramental confession is confession before a priest or minister. While this form of confession is not generally practiced in Protestant churches, it has a long and rich tradition in the Roman Catholic Church where it is considered a sacrament. Some Catholics elect to participate in sacramental confessions as a means of deepening their own devotional life. However, Catholic doctrine maintains that, in some instances, sin can only be forgiven through confession to and absolution by a priest.
Confessional prayer is not about telling God something God doesn’t already know. Nor, as some fear, is it intended to “make us feel bad about ourselves.” Rather, it helps us make honest connections with those thoughts and actions that fall short of living as God wishes us to live. The act of confession and the assurance that we are forgive provide us a release from the burden of the sin we carry around. However, this form of prayer is only as effective as we are willing to be honest with God and with ourselves.
An awareness of God’s grace is an important part of the confessional prayer. Sometimes people either cannot or will not accept the good news that we truly are forgiven. Yet, without this acceptance, our confession is incomplete.A Short Guide to Confessional Prayer
1. Divide a sheet of paper into the seven sections listed below. (See the form below for an example.)
2. Write your own prayer by filling in each section.
a. Opening. Write an opening address to God or use a name for God that expresses your best sense of who God is. Include as least one quality or attribute of God, e.g., loving, merciful.
b. Acknowledgement of sin. In your own words, find a way to acknowledge the ways you have “missed the mark” where God is concerned.
c. Example of sin. Give examples of the sin you are bringing to God, and from which you are seeking release.
d. Expression of sorrow and repentance. In your own words, tell God how you feel about the actions, thoughts, attitudes you’ve named and offer words of sorrow and/or repentance.
e. Request for mercy. Write a sentence or phrase asking for God’s forgiveness.
f. Intended outcome. Write a sentence or phrase that describes the desired outcome following forgiveness, e.g., “That I may joyfully serve you, my God.”
g. Closing. Write a sentence, phrase, or word to close the prayer.
3. Accept the reality of God’s forgiveness. Reading an assurance of pardon, like the two printed above, will help with this.
1.
Reprinted form Book of Worship © 1986 by permission of the United Church of
Christ Office for Church Life and Leadership.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
Adapted from “Ways of Praying” by C. H. Still, provided by the UCC’s office for Church Life and Leadership for use in local congregations of the UCC. © 1998.
Prepared for
First-Plymouth Congregational Church United Church of Christ, Lincoln, NE.
The
outline for the prayer is adapted from Spiritual
Awakening by John Ackerman, The Alban Institute, 1995.
The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ n the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
If you would like to have a special prayer request added to First-Plymouth Church's prayer list, or if you have a concern you would like to share with our staff, please e-mail us through the Rev. Nancy Erickson.