认罪的祷告
记得多年前有人问我,崇拜程序中为什么需要有认罪祷告,他认为,认罪削弱了崇拜的喜乐,他不明白,已蒙赦免的罪人为什么需要不断祈求神的赦免。
主祷文为这个问题提供了一个简要的答案。耶稣教导我们祷告说:“赦免我们的罪,因为我们也赦免凡亏欠我们的人”(路加福音 11:4)。耶稣教导我们的祷告如果也包括认罪,那么,信徒也当然需要经常祈求赦免了。此外,主祷文中的认罪也牵涉我们与其他人的关系,作为一个接受和给予赦免的信徒群体,我们一起这样祷告,是合情合理的。
认罪的确表明一个令人沮丧的事实,就是罪深深影响了我们的生命。在诗篇51篇中,大卫被人指出他的罪之后,他感到愧疚难当,他的痛苦驱使他认罪悔改。
然而,当大卫准备称颂这位赦罪的神时,我们就留意到这篇诗篇也有喜乐的一面。认罪的祷告就是通往喜乐之路!
那位教导我们祷告“赦免我们的罪”的耶稣,就是我们所依靠的救主,祂能赦免我们的罪。赞美主!
主啊,我为做了伤害祢和伤害别人的事深感懊悔,求祢赦免我;感谢祢使我仍得救恩之乐。奉耶稣的名祈求,阿们。
诗篇 51
1 神啊,求你按你的慈爱怜恤我,按你丰盛的慈悲涂抹我的过犯!
2 求你将我的罪孽洗除净尽,并洁除我的罪!
3 因为我知道我的过犯,我的罪常在我面前。
4 我向你犯罪,唯独得罪了你,在你眼前行了这恶,以致你责备我的时候显为公义,判断我的时候显为清正。
5 我是在罪孽里生的,在我母亲怀胎的时候就有了罪。
6 你所喜爱的是内里诚实,你在我隐密处必使我得智慧。
7 求你用牛膝草洁净我,我就干净;求你洗涤我,我就比雪更白。
8 求你使我得听欢喜快乐的声音,使你所压伤的骨头可以踊跃。
9 求你掩面不看我的罪,涂抹我一切的罪孽。
10 神啊,求你为我造清洁的心,使我里面重新有正直 的灵。
11 不要丢弃我,使我离开你的面,不要从我收回你的圣灵。
12 求你使我仍得救恩之乐,赐我乐意的灵扶持我。
13 我就把你的道指教有过犯的人,罪人必归顺你。
14 神啊,你是拯救我的神,求你救我脱离流人血的罪,我的舌头就高声歌唱你的公义。
15 主啊,求你使我嘴唇张开,我的口便传扬赞美你的话。
16 你本不喜爱祭物,若喜爱,我就献上,燔祭你也不喜悦。
17 神所要的祭就是忧伤的灵,神啊,忧伤痛悔的心,你必不轻看。
18 求你随你的美意善待锡安,建造耶路撒冷的城墙。
19 那时,你必喜爱公义的祭和燔祭,并全牲的燔祭。那时,人必将公牛献在你坛上。
Prayer Of Confession
"Have mercy on me, O God.... For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me." — Psalm 51:1, 3
I recall someone asking me, a number of years ago, why we needed to have a prayer of confession in our worship services. He thought the confession of sin diminished the joy of worship, and he didn't see why forgiven sinners needed to keep asking God to forgive them.
The short answer to this question can be found in the Lord's Prayer. Jesus taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us" (Luke 11:4). If the prayer that Jesus taught us includes a plea of confession, then clearly believers need to ask for forgiveness regularly. And since the confession of sin in the Lord's Prayer involves our relationships with others, it makes sense to pray this together, as a community of believers who receive and extend forgiveness.
Confession does convey the depressing reality of sin's impact on our lives. In Psalm 51, David is overwhelmed with guilt as he is made aware of his sin. His anguish moves him to repentance.
But notice that this psalm is also joyful as David anticipates praising the God who forgives. Prayers of confession are gateways to joy!
Jesus, who taught us to pray, "Forgive us our sins," is the one by whom those sins are forgiven. Praise the Lord!
Lord, I am sorry for all the things I have done to hurt you and others. Forgive me, I pray. Thank you for restoring in me the joy of your salvation. In Jesus' name, Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
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