For the next few months, the weekly blog post will contain the confession of sin for the upcoming Sunday. I encourage you to use this to prepare your hearts for worship.

Most gracious and most merciful God, we confess to You and to one another that time after time we have entered Your presence with countless prayers but with hearts that have been closed to Your grace. We have lifted our hands to You in praise, but our feet have still walked in the ways of evil. We have rehearsed Your commandments but have refused to see Your face in the needs of our neighbor. We pray, Lord, that You forgive our lack of faith and pardon our acts of injustice. Grant us the healing that comes from Your presence and the cleansing of Your all-powerful Word, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

The words of the gospel for those who repent and believe:

If, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. (Romans 5:17-18).