Prayer based on Exodus 32

Lord God, we have violated Your commandments. What can we do? We must repent. Like our fathers before us, we have found idolatry strangely attractive. Why would we believe our hearts when an unclean impulse draws us to created things? We hear the lying and enticing words of enemies. “These are your gods!” Is that message so sensible that we must follow it? No, the hearts of Your people are so weakened and foolish through habitual sin that we quickly believe ridiculous lies. Father, we thank You for the intercession of Your Son on our behalf. Surely Your justice would have destroyed us, were it not for Your eternal covenant faithfulness. Give us hope again today. We have security and deliverance from all sin and idolatry through the greatness of Your mercy to us in Christ. Even our leaders fail and fall. Yet our Captain is without fault, and is full of compassion for Your elect. Merciful God, we are on Your Son’s side, whatever the cost may be. All idols underfoot be trod! You, O Lord, are God. There is no other. We have sinned a great sin, but Your Son has made a perfect offering for us. He took the curse that we deserved, so that we would not face Your wrath against our iniquity forever.