Transported by a vision into the throne room of God, the prophet Isaiah was compelled by the heavenly sight to cry out, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5).
Confession of sin should likewise be our first and most natural response when coming before our holy God in worship. The Scriptures teach that “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Moreover, we are assured that “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:8-9). To confess our sins corporately to God, therefore, is to demonstrate faith in His willingness to forgive, and—when followed by an assurance of God’s pardon—to experience His glorious Gospel at work in our midst.
Here are some prayers of confession from Scripture and history to help guide you in the work of confession.