When we find ourselves in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty all around us, Scripture is clear that the church’s primary response must be one of prayer. We firmly believe that any move of God begins with us humbly coming to Him in repentance for sin and seeking revival.

On September 27th we held a “Repentance Sunday” prayer service at Outward Church Outward elders and leaders identified several topics of repentance and led us in a time of guided prayer and scripture for each one. We are posting these prayers on our blog so that you can continue to pray through these topics of repentance on your own. We believe in the power of prayer and want to be a church devoted to prayer. Let’s seek the Lord together!

It is our self-reliance that so often keeps us away from repentance. We mistakenly and sinfully go through our lives depending on our own abilities and not recognizing our complete and total need of God. Not only do we need Jesus for our salvation, but our very lives, our livelihood, every breath we take is dependent on Jesus.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:1-3

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:9-13

Father God, we love you. We recognize that we need you. We need you not just once, not just at the moment of our salvation, but every hour of every day.

And yet, Lord, we fail to live that out many many times. Father, we confess that our default mode is often to rely on our own strength and abilities to get through the day, confident in our successes, and sure of ourselves. In doing this we fail to recognize that our whole world was made by you. Each day that the sun rises is a sign of your grace. Jesus, by you all things were made, and only through you are all things sustained. It is by your will, not ours, that all things hold together. It is by your will, not ours, that we’ve been called to you. It is by your will, not ours, that we even have any strength, any abilities, any success at all.

God, we confess to you right now as a people, and as individuals, that we have been self-sufficient, not trusting in you as we should, but trusting in ourselves. Father forgive us of this sin. We know that Jesus died on the cross for this sin, along with so many others, and we further confess our total need of Jesus to cover this sin.

Jesus, you tell us that you are the vine, and that we are the branches. The only way for us to bear fruit is to abide in you! Lord help us to ABIDE! We don’t want to be separated from you, because without you we will surely wither.

Amen

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:25-26