My Father and my God,
I come to You this morning through my Lord Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit. O my Father, “I am prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above!”
O Father, my thoughts of You are too few! I have too much of the world still within my heart. Because of this, I often don’t understand the things that I do. As the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 7, “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” My only hope is the deliverance in Christ! “On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand! I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name! On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand!”
O my God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit: help me walk in truth, righteousness, and holiness! You have redeemed me that I might reflect Your glory! But I am a very poor reflection! Forgive me, O Lord. My heart is still sinful. No, sin doesn’t reign in me, praise You, Holy Spirit, for Your work within me, but sin still remains and must be fought against every day. The battle is continual, fierce, tiring, and moment by moment. Yet, I am too weak of myself, and I readily know this to be true! Strengthen me, O Great Jehovah! Fill me Holy Spirit, with Your holy Presence, Power, and Holy Word. Cause me never to trust my heart or my emotions but only Christ who speaks in and through the Word. Help me, Holy Spirit, as I am dependent upon You and I am at Your sovereign mercy!
O Lord Jesus, cause me to bring all my thoughts captive to Your obedience. Make me think Your thoughts after You. Keep my mind meditating on Your Word. Cause me to beat my body into submission to You. Cause me to discipline my mind into submission to Your Lordship. Grant me a greater desire and hunger for Your Word, Your glory, Your holiness, Your righteousness, and Your kingly rule over me. Cause me to daily remember what You have done for me in Your life and death. Cause me to daily remember that sin is a liar. Cause me to daily remember that You purchased me, body and soul, to be Your own. I belong to You, Jesus! Cause me daily to look away from me and keep my eyes fixed upon You!
O my sovereign Lord and Savior, I am so weak of myself that I cannot stand one moment apart from You upholding me. Uphold me, Lord Jesus! Do not allow me to sin against You. Don’t allow me to wander! Don’t let me do my own thing or go my own way. Keep me on the straight and narrow path that leads to life. Keep me following You! Keep me hearing Your voice as a sheep of Your pasture! Keep me loving you! “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling. Naked come to Thee for dress, helpless look to Thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly, wash me, Savior, or I die!”
My Father, I am so sinful, weak, frail, broken, and fragile! Please forgive me for the sake of Christ’s person and work. Please forgive me according to the promise of Your Word. Keep my mind walking in holiness, subdue my sinful passions and emotions, fill me with Your Presence and Power. Be with me moment by moment, as You promised to never leave nor forsake Your people. O my God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit: You are holy, good, righteous, kind, gracious, just, merciful, long-suffering, wisdom, love, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, (all this and infinitely more) and You are immutably and eternally all Your attributes! You are glorious in splendor and majesty! Use me for Your glory! Here am I, send me! Use me, fill me, keep me for Your glory and praise. Discipline me, O Father, when I disobey and go astray! Humble me when I obey and stay in Your Word.
All this I ask in the authority of Jesus!
Amen.