Beautiful Prayer

Your love reaches all the way down

To Earth

To find me.

You, the King of the Universe,

The Creator of worlds,

The Power and Life of all people,

You love me.

I did not know real love

Until I felt Your presence.

I did not know Light

Until you reached into the darkness

And shined upon me.

I did not know life

Until I saw you in everything.

The bird does not fly on its own power.

Your life is in it and lifts it up.

Your life give melody to its song

And color to its body.

The flowers bloom in brightness,

Because your life shines out through them.

The sun climbs the sky in glory

Because you lift it up in brilliance.

You heat up its furnace

And send its fiery rays through space

To us,

To me,

That we might live in its glory

And work and play in its light.

You, O my Father,

Have designed a life–

Not a mere existence–

For me. Me!

And this life is a gift,

An eternal gift.

You want me forever

To live with you

To receive your love

To share your love with all

And to always be your child.

Thank you, O Father,

For being my Father,

And not some cold cruel dictator.

Thank you for your love

That speaks to my heart

In this place

In this day

In this moment.

Hallowed, revered, and glorious be Your name,

O my Father.

Let no one speak of me,

For all that I have

And all that I am

Is from You and of You.

I am but a poor shell

Filled with your life and your love.

Why should I get credit?

Why should I seek glory?

I am content to play at your feet,

And do my duty beneath your loving gaze.

I am, because You are.

I am, because your Son lives in me.

I am, because your Spirit moves me.

My nothingness

You filled with your everything,

So now I have meaning

And purpose and significance,

And You have glory.

This is all just as it should be.

For why should the puppet

Take credit to itself

And claim it lives a life of its own

When it is just moved by its master?

In that moving

Is life and joy and love.

So move me today, O Father,

That your name might be glorified

And that others might be blessed.

Give of yourself through me

And may others understand

That I am not the source,

Just a channel.

Most of all,

May I remember that I am not the source.

As I look to You,

As I reach out to You,

As I give you thanks and praise,

Then I am filled to overflowing.

Please, O Living Water,

Flow through the river banks of my life

And give drink to the thirsty

And refreshment to the weary.

O Father, you are my glory.

You are the glory of us all.

How long, O Lord?

How long?

How long until you split the sky

With the song of ages

And the light of angels

And the music of trumpets?

How long shall this earth

Remain in darkness

Choking on its own selfishness,

Killing itself in misery?

How long, O Father, how long?

Our eyes long for the glory.

Our hearts yearn for the peace

Of those peaceful shores

Where the golden buildings

Reflect on the silver waters

And the breeze moves ever so gentle

And the sound of music

Echoes without end through the trees.

We desire that day without night.

We long for the everlasting sunshine

In the place without clouds

Where the shadows of evil are no more.

O Father,

You have a family that yearns for home.

Bring us home!

Heal our pain.

Dry our tears.

Restore our loss.

Let us ever walk in the light of your presence.

Let us ever enter through your gates.

O Father,

Your kingdom come now into our hearts

That your kingdom may come to this world.

Pour out your grace

That your glory may shine.

Heal our hearts.

Revive our lives.

Change our habits.

Use us as You see fit,

Then we will know You have come

That You may come again.

Be in us

That you may come to us.

We mourn for your comfort.

You have made your angels

Servants of fire

And ministers of your love.

Make us the same.

The hosts of heaven kneel before You,

O Father,

Awaiting your orders

Eager to obey

Ready to serve.

All your commands are love.

Your instructions are life.

The fulfillment of your word

Is the multiplying of power.

Your will is creativity

Like galaxies spun from nothing,

Beauty appearing from nowhere,

Joy blossoming in the moment,

Eternity springing up to greet us.

My Father,

Do your will in my life

That I may have life,

Abundant forever,

From glory to glory,

Growing, rising,

Ever moving beyond new horizons.

Your will, Father,

Not mine.

I cannot see past my nose,

But You lift me to infinity.

I know nothing moments from now,

But You know eternity.

I am meek,

Content to let You lead me.

I am humble,

Satisfied to let You correct me.

You promise me the whole earth,

But if I may only sit on your footstool

And learn at your feet

Then I will be happy forever.

O Bread of Life, I hunger for You.

O Water of Life, I thirst for You.

According to your will,

Which your word assures me is best,

Provide for my needs today.

You know how much my stomach needs.

You know the clothes I need to wear

Today and tomorrow.

You know all things I need

To accomplish your mission.

Thank You now,

Before I even know my need

That You will provide all.

Thank You for the faith

To tell You, Thank You.

Bring my faith higher.

Let me grip your promises tighter.

I hunger for your assurance.

I thirst for your forgiveness.

More than my bread and water,

I crave your righteousness

That your will, not mine, be done.

My soul eats your words

As my mouth tastes your blessings.

What You say,

Not what I feel.

What You say,

Not what I think.

What You say,

Not what I am of my self.

I will eat your words

Like the hidden manna.

I will hide them in my heart

That I may not sin against you

That I may not doubt your love

That I may not speak falsely.

Morsel by morsel,

Verse by verse,

Renew and rebuild my life

Until I look and act and feel like You.

Transform every fiber of my being

Into your image and yours alone.

Let me be all of You

And none of me.

Fill me so that I am empty of self.

Father, how you must weep

As you watch us tear ourselves apart.

Like spiritual cannibals,

We devour each other.

Not enough to win,

Not enough to bruise and batter,

No, we must destroy and annihilate.

We falsely accuse and violently abuse.

We smear, defame, and politically assassinate.

We show no mercy

Because we feel no mercy.

Thank you, Father, for forgiving us,

For giving us yourself through Christ.

Thank you, Father,

For the cool waters of your mercy

That stand heaped up in floods

And ready to pour down

On the forest fires of our anger.

Thank you for already forgiving us

For failing to understand how forgiveness works.

Our hearts–

Battered and bruised,

Vulnerable and exposed,

Trampled on by stomping feet

Time and again

Year after year

Seemingly without end–

Our hearts are channels of love.

Like pipes letting water flow freely,

Or blocked with obstructions,

So our hearts are open or closed.

Mercy flows in and out,

Or it is obstructed and stopped.

Forgiveness is received for giving.

It is the water of love that flows.

Pour it in and through our hearts.

You taught us this on the cross

Where Jesus opened His arms

To extend global forgiveness

And to have His heart pierced with the sword.

Father,

Help us not to forgive others

As they forgive us.

No, help us forgive others

As You forgive us.

Your example

Is the blessing of mercy.

O my Savior

Guide this erring heart,

Enlighten this feeble mind,

Lead me straight to You.

Like the sunrise in the morning

Fill my eyes with your light

That I may not behold the darkness

And that I may not follow after it.

Purify me, refine me,

Remove all dirt and dust from my life

That I may not throw up my own clouds

And make shadows of my own devising.

Focus my imagination

So that it lays hold of eternal realities.

Give me ears to hear

And eyes to see

The King in His beauty

And the Father sitting upon His throne.

I ask that You do all these things,

But I know You already do them,

Because You are the great magnet

Attracting, drawing, wooing

All hearts to You.

With You is peace and purity and holiness.

So today, when evil assaults me,

And when sin slips in quietly and unnoticed

To distract me and pull me from You

Uphold me by the right hand of your righteousness.

Whisper a word in my ear.

Tug gently on my heart

And turn me in the right direction.

Squeeze my hand and let me feel your presence.

Without You

I have no incentive

No reason to resist.

With You

I have all that I need

All that I want.

Sin loses its power

Because it is swallowed up

By the power of your love.

O Savior, Shepherd of my soul,

Walk with me and guide my steps.

Train my heart to seek You early

To seek You always

And I shall never stray from You.

My Father,

I vaguely know You.

Your will is so mysterious to me.

I seek help.

I ask questions.

I get confusion in return.

Why are there so many false teachers?

I know they can’t all be right,

But how do I tell them apart?

There are so many

Who only want my money

And my praise.

Teach me your truth, Lord,

Only your truth.

Lead me in a plain path,

Down a marked highway

With signs and stripes.

Too often I wander in the wilderness

Where there are no trails

Or too many paths

In too many directions

With no signs or markings.

O Word of God,

Unless you teach me,

Unless you deliver me,

I am lost.

Speak, Lord, for your servant listens.

Teach, Lord, for your child learns.

Open your Word to my mind

And my mind to your Word.

Let my feet walk in a plain path.

Let my eyes see the Light

So I can walk straight forward.

If ever there was a time in my life

Or in this world’s history

When truth was needed

When a prophet should speak

It is now.

Let the prophets and apostles speak!

Let God’s people listen!

Let my heart say,

Your Word,

Your Word alone.

O my Father, my Father!

Deliver me

from unreasonable and wicked men.

How long shall I suffer at their hand?

They accuse me

And persecute me

And seek to destroy my soul.

I try to please and get along.

I return that which I had not taken.

What more can I do?

O innocent Lamb of God,

Let me not strike back in anger.

Control my spirit

And keep me from evil

Though I am surrounded by evil.

I have sinned.

I am not perfect,

But I have repented

And followed your ways

All these years and forever.

I am falsely accused

And my mistakes exaggerated.

Forgive them, O Savior,

And deliver me.

Lead us together in the paths of peace.

Bond our hearts into one

That we may serve together.

How good and how pleasant that would be!

Ah, the bliss and glory

Of bowing before your throne

And beholding your smile!

To be in your heaven

And beyond this pain, this death.

Bring us, O Lord, Bring us!

But now they seek after my life

As if I am some monster.

They throw dirt on my name

As if I am a plague.

Keep me, my Father,

That I may not depart from your truth

Nor transgress against your law

Nor turn my face against your holiness.

Keep me! Keep me!

Deliver me for your righteousness’ sake

And make me a jewel in your crown.

Heavenly Father,

I am so glad the kingdom is yours,

Not mine, not ours, all yours.

We destroy, hurt, and damage,

Kill, degrade, and pollute.

You, O Father,

Create, repair, transform, and restore.

Your infinite power

Keeps the atoms together

And the planets in place

And the trees growing

And the flowers blooming

And my heart beating.

I am yours, all yours.

You have eternity in your hand.

I am in the apple of your eye

And content to stay there.

I will praise You, and You alone,

Forever and ever.

May my gratitude never end.

May my awe never stop.

May I continually get nearer to You.

O that the whole realm of nature was mine

Still it would be a tribute far too small!

You are simply incredible!

Awesomely wonderful!

Surpassingly beautiful!

Infinitely indescribable!

May all worship You, only You.

Let the entire universe,

Things animate and inanimate,

Join in the chorus

And sing of your wonders

And tell of your goodness!

Let there be no silence.

Let the domes of heaven ring!

Let there be no darkness.

Let God’s glory shine everywhere!

It is right and good

To give God thanks and praise

For He is the source of every good thing.

Let our eyes look only to Him.

Let our hearts respond only to Him.

Let our light shine only for Him

For He alone is our Light!