Prayer Of Repentance For Neglecting God's Work And Chasing My Own Desires
Heavenly Father,
I come before You with a humble heart, recognizing my failures and shortcomings in the very area I should have been most faithful—serving You with my whole heart. Lord, I confess that I have neglected Your work. I have allowed the fancies of my own heart and my own desires to take precedence over the calling You have placed on my life. I acknowledge that You have chosen me, called me, and entrusted me with the responsibility of advancing Your kingdom on earth, but I have fallen short. I have allowed distractions and worldly ambitions to cloud my focus, and for that, I ask for Your forgiveness.
Father, I know that You have called me to seek first Your kingdom and righteousness. In Matthew 6:33, You say, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Yet, I confess that I have not always sought Your kingdom first. Instead, I have pursued the fleeting desires of my own heart, thinking that in them, I would find satisfaction and fulfillment. I have allowed my attention to wander from Your work, and I have failed to serve You as I should. I repent for not keeping my eyes fixed on the eternal things, for not laboring diligently in the tasks You have assigned to me, and for being so easily distracted by the things of this world.
Lord, I have allowed the passions of my heart to lead me away from Your will. I have chased after things that are temporary, that do not bring glory to Your name. I have allowed my own desires to guide my steps, rather than Your Word and Your commandments. As it says in Isaiah 55:2, “Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?” I have labored for things that do not satisfy, and I have invested my time and energy into pursuits that have no eternal value. For this, I ask for Your forgiveness.
Yeshua, my Savior, You are the One who truly satisfies. You are the Bread of Life, the One who came to do the will of the Father. You have shown us what it means to live in complete submission to God’s plan, and I have fallen short of following Your example. You said in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.” I confess that I have not made Your work my food. I have allowed my own desires to fill me instead of the holy calling You have given me. I ask that You would wash me clean with Your precious blood, Yeshua. Your blood was shed for my sins, and I believe that through Your sacrifice, I can be made whole. I ask that Your blood would cleanse me from the impurity of my self-centeredness and selfish pursuits.
Lord, I also repent for the times I have let fear and insecurity keep me from doing Your work. I have allowed the doubts in my heart to overshadow the confidence that should come from knowing You are with me. You promised in Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” I know that I have nothing to fear when I walk in Your will, and yet I have allowed fear to paralyze me. I repent for not trusting You enough to step out in faith and for failing to follow through on the good works You have prepared in advance for me to do. Forgive me, Father, for the times I have hesitated, for the times I have shrunk back, and for the times I have chosen comfort and complacency over action.
Father, I repent for seeking after my own desires instead of seeking to honor You in all things. I know that You have called me to be a servant, to lay down my own will and to take up my cross and follow You. In Matthew 16:24, Yeshua says, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.” Lord, I admit that I have not always denied myself. I have followed my own desires, thinking they would lead to happiness, but instead, they have only left me empty and unfulfilled. I ask for Your forgiveness, Lord. I ask that You would help me to deny myself daily and to follow You with a whole heart, seeking first Your will and Your work.
Yeshua, I know that You are the One who can change my heart. You came to heal the brokenhearted and to restore what was lost. I ask You to heal my heart, Yeshua. I ask that You would replace the selfishness and pride in me with humility and a heart that desires to serve You above all else. You are the King of Kings, and You have called me to serve in Your kingdom. Help me to take my place, to do the work You have set before me, and to do it with all my heart, mind, and strength.
Lord, I pray that You would help me to fix my eyes on the eternal, not on the things of this world. I confess that my mind has been too focused on earthly things, on the passing pleasures and possessions that offer temporary satisfaction but no lasting joy. I ask that You would shift my focus, Lord, so that my heart longs for Your kingdom and for the eternal rewards that come from serving You faithfully.
Father, I thank You for Your great mercy and grace. I thank You that, even though I have gone astray, You are always ready to forgive, to restore, and to guide me back into Your will. I place my life before You once again, asking You to take my desires and to make them Your desires. Teach me to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and help me to live a life that is pleasing to You.
In Yeshua’s name,
Amen.
