Description

This is a song designed to help the believer confess and repent of sin especially in the public assembly. Even though God commands that we confess our sins to Him and seek forgiveness throughout our lives and not just at conversion (1 John 1:9), we often fail to acknowledge specific circumstances, thoughts, or acts that were sinful. It is far more comfortable to admit that we are sinners in a general sense and to confess to God that we have sinned without divulging (or even remembering) the details. But God requires more and has commanded that we “acknowledge our sin to [Him] and not hide our iniquity” so that He might “forgive the guilt of our sin.” (Psalm 32:5) We need the Spirit’s work in us to help us be aware of and to prick our hearts for things like worldly thinking, a lack of awe over God’s power, thoughts that glorify ourselves, not cherishing the gospel, and not seeking God’s presence with warmth and enthusiasm. May this song help us to corporately sing (and pray) what Jesus taught us in the Lord’s prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses.” (Matthew 6:12)

Lyrics

Show Original Wordings

We have not known You as we ought
Nor bowed before Your pow’r;
The things of earth have filled our thoughts
And wasted many hours.
We have not feared You as we ought
Nor stopped to give You praise;
By countless words and deeds and thoughts
Your love we have betrayed.

Chorus:
Lord, forgive us
By the mighty cross
And from above
Rain down Your love;
Lord, break our hearts
By the grace You impart
And give us strength to fight this war.

We have not served You as we ought,
Commands are left undone;
Our works with wickedness are fraught,
Our battles scarcely won.
We have not loved You as we ought
Nor cherished saving grace;
Your presence we have coldly sought,
The world we have embraced.
We have not known Thee as we ought
Nor learned Thy wisdom, grace, and power:
And trifles of the passing hour:
We have not feared Thee as we ought
Nor bowed beneath Thy watchful eye,
Nor guarded deed and word and thought
Remembering that God was nigh
Chorus (new)
We have not served Thee as we ought,
Alas! the duties left undone,
The work with little fervor wrought,
Our battles lost, or scarcely won!
We have not loved Thee as we ought
Nor cared that we are loved by Thee:
Thy presence we have coldly sought,

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