A Prayer for the Guilty

O my God, I am utterly ashamed;
I blush to lift up my face to you.
For our sins are piled higher than our heads,
and our guilt has reached to the heavens.

We have been steeped in sin.

But now we have been given a brief moment of grace
In his unfailing love God did not abandon us.
We have actually been punished far less than we deserve.

O Lord, you are just.
None of us can stand in your presence
(from Ezra 9:6-15).

The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us (1 John 1:7,9).