The Prayer Book of the Rabbi
Because Jesus lived a sinless life, he never offered a prayer of confession. Yet for all of us who follow him, confession remains a critical component of our spiritual lives and our relationships with God.
Each week we offer a "Prayer of Confession" as a congregation, admitting our sinful actions and thoughts and asking for Christ's forgiveness. Because that prayer must speak for our entire family of faith, it tends to incorporate broad themes and concepts. But like in any relationship, we also must make time for specific, personal apologies and forgiveness-requests. Because of our innate selfishness, and because all sin is first and foremost against God, we should find ourselves regularly confessing to our Father and asking for his mercy.
Psalm 51 - the Story of King David
King David was a "man after God's own heart." As King, he had immense capacity to work good for his people and his God. And, when David sinned, he did so in proportion to that same capacity. David's most famous exploit involved committing adultery with Bathsheba, then murdering her husband, Uriah (one of David's 30 closest friends) to cover up his sin. You can find the full account of that story in 2 Samuel 11-12.
After the prophet Nathan confronts David, the king has a change of heart; overwhelmed with his regret, sorrow and shame, David prays Psalm 51. In this Psalm, David says,
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing spirit.
In the midst of our own struggles with sin, we too need a clean heart, and a new and right spirit. Scripture promises that, "if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9).
However, we need more than the occasional prayer in the "big" sins of our lives; following Jesus requires us to live a life of confession, constantly bringing our flaws to light and allowing our Father to restore to us the joy of his salvation.
Extras:
The prayer of Blind Bartimaeus, "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!", appears not just in Mark 10:46-52, but throughout the New Testament. Perhaps most famously, a version of this prayer comes from Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14. From these passages, we receive what is often called "The Jesus Prayer."
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
In seasons when we cannot find the right words to say, the Jesus Prayer can be almost a mantra. More than merely a prayer of confession, this cry for mercy is applicable to innumerable life situations. Though the Jesus Prayer emerged in the eastern Orthodox tradition, from the Egyptian deserts during the 5th Century, today it can be heard on the lips of Christians around the world.