Father, we live in a time when the worldliness of the unbelieving world is truly stark. We confess that in many places of our national life. — in our letters, on our politics, in our entertainment — our rebellion against You is highhanded in the extreme. Father, we confess that our nation is guilty of this sin, and we confess it to You now.
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.
Father, we confess also that we Your people have allowed this kind of highhandedness to appear in Your courts and we, for fear of looking legalistic or judgmental, have said nothing. We confess our silence as cowardice, and we confess this to You now.
And Father, we confess our own particular sins to You now—and Selah . . . We do this in the strong name of Jesus, and amen.
You have confessed your sins to God. You have done so in the name of Jesus, and you have done so honestly. That is all that is necessary, and so as a minister I declare to you that your sins are forgiven through Christ.
Congregation: Thanks be to God!