a prayer of repentance

In January I asked Al Webb, a LifePoint Elder, to lead us in a prayer of corporate repentance during a Night of Worship. I was moved by his leadership and asked him to share his prayer with me. During our Seven Days of Prayer I wanted to share this prayer to encourage us. We are without excuse regarding our sin. But God is merciful and gracious toward us when we repent and turn to Him. May this prayer help and encourage you in personal repentance.

if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Lord, we humble ourselves before you now, we seek your face and ask that your holy Spirit will work in each of our lives and within the life of our church to point out our sins, to help us confess and repent and turn from those sins and to submit ourselves fully to you and your word, so that you may use us fully as your church in our culture, community and our world.  We trust that you are already working in the hearts and minds of our people.

Help us to pursue you and your holiness and to experience that in our own person, our families and our church.

Forgive us for sometimes abandoning you, our first love, and for allowing ourselves to be distracted by our relationships, our religion, our activities, even our church activities, our preferences and our own agendas.

Forgive our insensitivity to one another’s weaknesses and for inadvertently causing those among us who are weaker to stumble.

Forgive us for tolerating sinful lifestyles and immorality within ourselves, our families and within the body of Christ.

Forgive us for our fear of men, for not calling sin what it is and for not confessing our sins to one another and not dealing with them among ourselves. Help us to boldly and lovingly confront, encourage, confess and strengthen one another in turning from our sinful ways and pursuing holiness in you.

Forgive us for being lukewarm, almost dead in our spirit, where we are only hearers of your word and not active doers. Please give us a hunger for your life-giving word and a desire and compulsion to share your word, your hope and your life with others.

Forgive us for not believing that in you and your word that we have the answers that people are searching for.

Forgive us for not loving you with our whole heart and for not demonstrating Biblical love to one another or to those of the world; for our tendency to only love and minister to those who are similar to us; for not crossing boundaries of economic and social status; for only surrounding ourselves with those who make us feel comfortable and secure rather than reaching out and touching and experiencing the blessings of the lives of those who don’t naturally run in our circles or meet our own needs.

Forgive us for our tendency to make judgments and assumptions about others within our church body who we don’t really know or understand; for holding on to hurt feelings. Help us to take the time to know, love and forgive one another even those we don’t naturally like.

Forgive us for our unwillingness to serve in your body, to give of our time and money, for our tendency to equate service within your holy church with other secular and community activities that have no eternal value.

Thank you for the work that you’ve already done on the cross which allows us to boldly stand before you as imperfect sinful beings and as an imperfect sinful church, forgiven and allowed to be a part or your holy body, your ministry on earth and heaven, something so big and awesome that we can’t even begin to comprehend it.

We humble ourselves before you now and ask that you hear our prayers, forgive our sins and that your spirit will be alive and ever active in the life of our church.  And that your spirit will lead us as we seek to participate with you in your ministry over this coming year.

We love you, Lord and come to you in Jesus name. Amen.

 

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