Our Father and God, You have established Your Church as a royal priesthood in this world, and so we intercede for the nations of men now, confessing on their behalf so that the grace of Your forgiveness will soon be extended to them all.
Our Father and God, You are the one true God, and there is no other. We confess that we live among a people who have multiplied gods, thereby multiplying authoritative voices and sources of law, so that we might pretend that knowing Your word is too confusing a task for us. Father, we confess that we are a stiff-necked people who do not want Your Son to rule over us. We pray that You would hear this prayer of confession on behalf of our people, and we pray that Your Spirit would do what it takes to bring us to the point of true repentance. We confess the idolatry of our people to You, Father, and cry out for mercy.
We know, Father, that if we in the Church regard iniquity in our own midst, or in our own hearts, this prayer will be ineffectual
. And so, Father, within the Church, we acknowledge that many idols have been set up in our sanctuaries, and that our nation has fallen the way it has because we in the Church have led the way in disobedience. We pray that You would grant us forgiveness, and bestow a true restoration on the people who are called by Your name. Forgive us our iniquities, we pray.
We confess our own sins to You now—and Selah . . . We do this in the strong name of Jesus Christ, and amen.
Through the word of the prophet, God declares peace and healing to you, his people. Because these promises are the sure word of God, and true gospel, and as a minister of those promises, I declare to you that your sins are forgiven through Christ.
Congregation: Thanks be to God!