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.”
