Prayers for confession and repentance
Coming back to God after drifting away
For coming clean with God and finding his mercy waiting.
Also for backslidden · drifted from god · coming back to god · haven't prayed in years · stopped going to church · return to faith · prodigal · far from god · lost my way · rededicate · walked away
I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.” ’ “He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
“Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
“Yet even now,” says Yahweh, “turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.” Tear your heart, and not your garments, and turn to Yahweh, your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and relents from sending calamity.
From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of Armies. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’
Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding. “Behold, we have come to you; for you are Yahweh our God.
Seek Yahweh while he may be found. Call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts. Let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him, to our God, for he will freely pardon.
A prayer
Original writing, not a quotation of Scripture.
Father, it has been a long time. I didn't leave all at once. I just stopped praying, then stopped reading, then stopped showing up, and one day I realized how far away I was.
I'm coming home, slowly, a little embarrassed. The father in your story ran to meet his son while he was still a long way off. Thank you that you haven't changed.
Take me back, and help me find my way into your people again. In Jesus' name, Amen.