Perhaps the most common expression of a prayer of confession is the following:

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your  Name. Amen.

The key elements in this prayer include:

• Knowing who God is: “Most merciful God.” 

• Acknowledging internal and external sins: “We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed.”

• Acknowledging sins of commission (doing what you shouldn’t): “By what we have done.”

• Acknowledging sins of omission (not doing what you should have): “And by what we have left undone.”

• Acknowledging sins against God: “We have not loved you with our whole heart.”

• Acknowledging sins against our neighbor: “We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.”

• Expressing true remorse: “We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.”

• Appealing to Christ’s work: “For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us.”

• Resolving to change: “That we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.”

For those who might want to delve more deeply into the practice of Prayers of Confession, you might find the following books and articles to be of interest and benefit:

• Prone to Wander: Prayers of Confession and Celebration by Barbara Duguid & Wayne Duguid Houk
• Streams of Mercy: Prayers of Confession and Celebration by Barbara Duguid
• Extravagant Grace: God’s Glory Displayed in Our Weakness by Barbara Duguid
• How to Pray About Your Sin by Bryan Chapell
• The Fruit of Confessing Sin by Garrett Kell