Saturday 7 September 2019

September 2019


The Bible says, husbands love your wives as Christ has loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Our Father we have not loved our wives in a sacrificial way. We have instead loved ourselves. We have not given ourselves up for them but have instead expected them to give themselves up for us. We have been selfish. We have not been willing to die for them. We have not truly loved.

“Father we confess our sin and ask for your forgiveness. Have mercy on us.”

Father we have sinned sexually. Our hearts have desired other women. We have secretly looked at images of other women; we have let our eyes roam and our hearts be discontent with our wives. We have allowed people around us to speak of women in ways that are degrading, depraved and rude. We have joked and laughed at gender stereotypes. We have treated women as sex objects as if they were made for our pleasure. We have not appreciated our wives, our sisters and our mothers.

“Father we confess our sin and ask for your forgiveness. Have mercy on us.”

Our Father we have tolerated thoughts of ‘the other’ in our minds. “Look at what they are doing. Look at those people,” we have thought. Instead of loving the outcast, the refugee, the widow and the orphan we have loved ourselves. We have tolerated hatred of people of other races in our own hearts and families. Forgive us. Change us. Transform us. Save us.

“Father we confess our sin and ask for your forgiveness. Have mercy on us.”


The Bible says
“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross.

Our Father we confess before you those very many moments when we have wanted a better husband, when we have been discontent, ungrateful, moody, rude and even mean. We confess that we have not had the mind of Christ but have instead sought to get our own way, to dominate the conversation and elevate ourselves. We have sought power not humility. Rule and not submission. Greatness rather than the cross

“Father we confess our sin and ask for your forgiveness. Have mercy on us.”

We pray for hearts of love. Hearts that seek the good of our families. Hearts that are outward rather than inward. We pray for your mercy on our families and your grace in the place of our mistakes.

“Father we confess our sin and ask for your forgiveness. Have mercy on us.”

Father we confess those moments when we have gossiped and slandered our husbands – perhaps in our hearts; perhaps in our speech. Forgive us. We confess those moments when we have allowed others in our presence to degrade their husbands and mock their failings. We confess those moments when we have put ourselves first and demanded our rights because we are worth it – forgetting that you who is of infinite worth – instead submitted yourself to us. We confess that our hearts are far from you and pray that you would draw us towards you. Change us. Mould us. Make us to love more for your glory alone

“Father we confess our sin and ask for your forgiveness. Have mercy on us.”

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