Our Father and God, Your Word tells us plainly that You hate and despise, among other things, pride, lies, and hands that shed innocent blood. We confess to You that our nation is guilty of all three, and so we turn to You now to confess these grievous sins to You on behalf of our nation. We have been proud in that we have given ourselves the credit for what You have given us. We have told ourselves lies about the founding of our nation, and we have given ourselves over to the slaughter of the unborn. Father, we pray that this would be all be put right—by repentance and forgiveness, if possible, and by horrific judgments if necessary. Put this right, and cleanse us, we pray.
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.
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Father, we confess that we Christians have not understood the place You have called us to. We are supposed to be a priestly nation, and yet we have not interceded for our country, as priests ought to do. Forgive us for this negligence, we pray.
And Father, we confess our own individual sins to You now—and Selah . . . We do this in the great and glorious name of Jesus, and amen.
You have not tried to cover up your sins before God. You have confessed and forsaken them, and so hear the words of the gospel declared. I declare to you that your sins are forgiven through Christ.
Congregation: Thanks be to God!