God.

Elijah lived a long time ago. But he isn’t so different.
He wanted to be safe.
He wondered why you let him down.
He was exhausted.
He wondered why bad people had the power.
He was afraid.
He wanted to tell you his complaint more than he wanted to hear your explanation.

We confess that we are like Elijah, sometimes.
We do good things. We expect good results.
We see your power for others. We predict how it should work for us.
We confess that we are unwilling to trust in you.

We confess that we are like the man possessed,
That we can’t think right, that we need your release and relief, we need your healing for our souls and hearts more, perhaps, than your healing for our bodies.
At least as much as for our bodies.

We confess we don’t know what you want, other than our faith.
Our faith that you are, that you listen, that you are listening right now.

Hear our cry, Lord God.
Hear our deep longing for you.
And help us receive the healing and hope you offer, not demanding the kind we want.
Because your healing heals us completely.
Your hope carries our hearts.
You, and you alone, God, are God.

Through Christ our Lord,
Amen.

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1 Kings 19:1-15; Psalm 42; Luke 8:26-39