Confession Prayers

(1) Briefest: 
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
('Kyrie Eleison' - said or sung since before the 6th century)

 (2) Christ the Lamb:
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
Grant us your peace.
('Agnus Dei' - said or sung since at least the 7th century)

 (3) God’s promise: Almighty God, our heavenly Father, in your great mercy you have promised forgiveness of sins to all those who with heartfelt repentance and true faith turn to you. So have mercy on us, pardon and deliver us from all our sins, confirm and strengthen us 4n all goodness, and bring us to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP)
(4) For children: Lord God, Heavenly Father, we sin against you every day in what we think, in what we say and in what we do. We are sorry and turn away from all that is wrong. Because of your great love, have mercy on us. Because Jesus has taken our punishment, forgive us our sins. Give us a desire to please you and joy in knowing you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Psalm 51)

 (5) Relying on God’s promises:
Hear our prayers, O Lord;
give ear to our pleas for mercy,
and forgive us our many sins.
Be faithful to your promises.
Answer us in your righteousness.
Enter not into judgment with your servants,
for no one living is righteous before you.
Make us know the way we should go,
for to you we lift up our souls.
Let your good Spirit lead us on level ground,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. (Psalm 143v1-2, 8, 10)

 (6) Psalm 51 and the heart:
Lord God,
we have sinned against you;
we have done evil in your sight.
We are sorry and turn from all our wickedness.
Have mercy on us according to your love.
Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us.
Renew a right spirit within us
and restore us to the joy of your salvation,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Psalm 51)

 (7) The two greatest commandments:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you and against our neighbour
in thought, and word and deed, through negligence, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry, and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us,
forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, are God, Amen.

(8) The two greatest commandments simple:
Most merciful God,
We confess that we have sinned against you in our thoughts, words and actions, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not always loved you with our whole heart, and we have not always loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; That we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, To the glory of your Name. Amen.

(9) From a knowledge of God’s wrath:
Gracious God,
We acknowledge that
by nature we were objects of wrath,
dead in our transgressions and sins,
following the ways of the world,
the flesh and the devil.
Yet in your great love,
you have made alive all who believe in Christ Jesus,
seating them in the heavenly realms.
And so we seek your mercy again through faith.
Forgive us our many sins and renew us by your Spirit,
That we may display the incomparable riches of your grace, and do the good works you have created us in Christ to do. Amen. (Ephesians 2v1-10)

 (10) From following the world:
Lord God,
You are light. In you is no darkness at all.
Yet we confess that we have walked in darkness, loving the world,
following the cravings of our sinful nature,
the lusts of our eyes,
and the boasting of what we have and do.
By the blood of Jesus Christ,
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness, that we may overcome the evil one, walk in your light, and enjoy fellowship with you our Father, and with Jesus your Son. Amen. (1 John 1-2)

 (11) From breaking law and wandering away:
Almighty God,
we have wandered and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the desires and schemes of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things that we ought to have done; and we have done those things that we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. We desire to hate and forsake all sins by which we ever displease you; and we resolve by the help of your grace to commit them no more.
Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father, forgive us all that is past; according to your promises declared to us all in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, for his sake, that we may live a disciplined, righteous and godly life, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.

 (12) General and for omission:
Almighty God, long-suffering and of great goodness:
We confess to you, We confess with our whole heart
our neglect and forgetfulness of your commandments,
our wrong doing, thinking, and speaking; the hurts we have done to others, and the good we have left undone. We desire to hate and forsake all sins by which we ever displease you; and we resolve by the help of your grace to commit them no more. In your mercy forgive what we have been, help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be; that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God. Amen. (Mark 12:30-31, Micah 6:8)

 (12) When deeply convicted:
Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, maker of all things, judge of all people, we acknowledge and confess the grievous sins and wickedness which we have so often committed by thought, word and deed against your divine majesty, which should provoke most justly your wrath and indignation against us.
We earnestly repent, and are deeply sorry for these our wrongdoings; the memory of them weighs us down, the burden of them is too great for us to bear.
Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father, for your Son our Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that from this time onwards we may serve and please you in newness of life, to the honour and glory of your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(13) Aware of total inability:
Lord God, eternal and almighty Father:
We acknowledge before your holy majesty that we are poor sinners, corrupt from conception, prone to do evil, unable of our own power to do good.
We endlessly break your holy commandments.
But, with heartfelt sorrow we repent and turn away from all our offences. Have compassion on us, most gracious God. Forgive us our sins, and daily grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit, producing in us the fruits of holiness that we would be pleasing in your sight. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (John Calvin)

 (14) Extensive:
O most great, most just and gracious God; your eyes are too pure to behold iniquity; but you have promised mercy through Jesus Christ to all who repent and believe in him. We therefore confess that we have sinned and come short of your glory. In our baptism you took us into your covenant in which you promise to be our God and we to be your people. But we have not loved you with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, neglecting to revere your holy name. We have not sought first your kingdom and righteousness. We have dealt unjustly and unlovingly with our neighbours. We have not been content with our daily bread, being troubled about many things and failing to sit at Christ’s feet. In him, You have revealed your wonderful love to us and offered us pardon and salvation; but we have made light of it, resisting your Spirit and word, and not turning at your correction. We have run into temptation and tolerated what is evil. The sin that we should have hated, we have committed. And we pile up our transgressions which testify against us. So have mercy upon us, most merciful Father! You alone are our hope. As those who are your children, give us the Spirit of your Son that we may walk according to your wisdom and ways, and be received into your glory, through Jesus Christ our only Saviour. Amen. (From the Savoy Liturgy: Based on the Lord’s Prayer)