My Father and my God,
You are the glorious God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You transcend both space and time, yet You are immanent with all Your creation. “You are Immanuel: God with us.”
O Father, You are infinitely and immutably merciful, gracious, kind, long-suffering, and forgiving, and yet you are righteous, holy, and just, and You punish sins and transgressions. But You have forgiven my sins, and a multitude of other’s sins, because Jesus satisfied the justice of God against them. Jesus has fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law in my place, on my behalf. He has imputed His righteousness to me. O Lord, I am redeemed by Christ alone! I trust Christ’s perfect Law-abiding life and sin-atoning death as my righteous standing before Your holy throne. “Christ is the solid Rock upon which I stand; all other ground is sinking sand!”
Lord Jesus, strengthen me for I am sinful, weak, ignorant, and broken. I stand not in my own strength, but I am strong in Your strength alone, my sovereign Lord. I know the pull of sin in my heart that would lead me in the way of ungodliness, unholiness, and unrighteousness. But I also know the strength of the Holy Spirit, Who leads me beside still waters and down paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Help me to stay on the narrow path that leads to life. Don’t let me sin against You! Keep me, dear Lord, as You promised, in the palm of Your hand, which alone is the place of safety. Sin and Satan would undo me, but, Lord Jesus, You have promised to defend me in this spiritual warfare that daily rages.
Fill me, Holy Spirit, with Your holy and sweet Presence and Power. Captivate my mind with Your Word so that I might more consistently think Christ’s thoughts after Him. Transform me more and more into Christ’s image. Grant me a greater desire for Your Word and for the holiness of God. Strengthen me for today’s labors, challenges, and temptations. Bring my mind back to the promises of Your Word, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, moment by moment, so that I will not be overcome in this spiritual battle with the world, the flesh, and the Devil.
Bless the corporate worship of Your people this Lord’s Day. Bless Your people to praise the name of Jesus for in this You are well pleased, Holy Father. Bless the faithful preachers of the Word to faithfully preach Your Word. Cause us, cause me, to bow to Your Word, to sing the praise of Jesus, to walk in His ways, to humbly come before You in prayer, to confess my sins to You, to believe Your promise of pardon, to rejoice in Christ’s blood and righteousness, and to proclaim His name as the “only name given under heaven among men by which we must be saved!” (Acts 4:12). Help me, O Father; keep me, Lord Jesus; strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I might walk by faith, rejoice in hope, be clothed with humility, strive to be a peace-maker, to love You, love my brothers and sisters in Christ, love my neighbors, and even love my enemies, and cause me to diligently keep my eyes fixed upon Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith.
Discipline me when I go astray from Your Word. Keep me humble when I walk in obedience to Your commandments. O my God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, I love you, but I pray that You cause me to love you more! Cause my love for You to grow and increase. Cause my obedience to Your Word to grow and increase! I trust You, but cause me to trust You more and more; strengthen my faith. I desire You, O Lord, but cause me to desire You more. I love Your Word, but cause me to love it more! I am needed! I am dependent upon You! “It’s in You that I live and move and have my being!” (Acts 17:28). “I need you every hour, most gracious Lord, no tender voice like Thine, can peace afford.”
Hear my prayer, O Father, for Jesus’ name’s sake!
Amen!