I enjoy the parts of the bible that offer self-contained prayers. While most of those prayers should be interpreted in the context of events in which they are presented, those prayers often have universal relevance.
One example appears in Jeremiah 3:22-25:
Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel ... We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God ... and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God.
What a great prayer of contrition! It contain humility, shame, and admission of guilt. But it also contains hope, in that it acknowledges that true hope for salvation comes from God. So although this prayer is specific to the circumstances of when it was written, it also applies to us, and our continual need to reaffirm our relationship with God.
