These unison confessional prayers were created to accompany the Lenten sermon series “Walking the Hard Road: When Faith is Challenged.” You are welcome to use or adapt these liturgies for worship, with credit. When printing these liturgies, please use the following credit line: “Prayer by Rev. Carol Holbrook Prickett.”
Week 1: “When We are Offered Shortcuts”
Merciful God, we come to you
with Lenten repentance.
Turn our heads from all the things that tempt us—
power, possessions, perfection.
Keep our eyes trained on Christ
as he makes his way to the cross.
Teach us to strip away everything
that does not glorify you,
so that our whole lives
may be a sign and symbol of your grace. Amen.
Week 2: “When Our Shelter is Torn Away”
Gracious God, we lay before you now
the times when, in seeking our own safety,
we have made a place unsafe for others.
We confess to resisting your message
of welcome and shelter
when it threatens our status quo.
We ask you to gather us up again,
and tenderly show us how wide your world is,
wide enough for all your creatures
to find a place called home. Amen.
Week 3: “When Bad Things Happen”
Patient Lord, forgive us for the things
we have done and not done.
Forgive us for the words
we have said and not said.
Forgive us for the life
we have lived and not lived.
Renew our trust in your guidance,
that we might reflect the image
of the One we profess to follow
in thought, word and deed,
and know deeply the power of your mercy.
In Christ’s name do we pray. Amen.
Week 4: “When It Goes to Waste”
Gracious Lord, forgive us
when we have been wasteful with your blessings,
careless of ourselves and others,
finding ourselves far away from you.
Forgive us when we have been too tight-fisted with your love,
unwilling to share your grace,
finding ourselves at odds with your extravagance.
Forgive us when we have been quick to anger
and slow to mercy.
Open us again to your loving heart,
that we might feel how you rejoice,
each time we turn our face to you once more.
In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.
Week 5: “When There’s Not One Right Answer”
Merciful Lord, forgive us
for the ways we judge each other’s faithfulness
our defensive postures
our quick aggravations
our comfortable soapboxes.
Teach us instead to look inside ourselves
and to strive each day
to do the most beautiful that is within us.
In the name of Christ we pray. Amen.
Week 6: “When We Keep Silent” (Palm Sunday)
Holy Christ, this is the week
we cheer you on a Sunday,
fail you on a Thursday,
betray you on a Friday,
and creep away on a Saturday.
Yet this is the week you ride into danger for us,
establish a new covenant of grace for us,
pray for us, and die for us.
As we walk through your redemption story this week,
send your spirit on us,
so that we may know how we have failed,
but also know how much more we are forgiven.
In the name of the One
who stopped at nothing to save us from sin,
we offer our prayers. Amen.
Week 7: “When All Seems Lost” (Easter)
Saving Lord, forgive us for how easily we forget
your promise never to abandon us.
Forgive us for how easily we dismiss others
when they share your truth with us.
Forgive us for how easily we celebrate today
and return to our lives tomorrow
like Easter never happened
like you aren’t still with us
like you aren’t still calling us
to live as your new creations.
Refresh our courage, and renew our dedication
to do the daily work of living our faith
rooted in your power, mercy and love. Amen.
Deep Well Worship 