My Father And My God,
Hear my feeble prayer for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, teach me by Your Word how to pray effectively for Your glory and the good of Christ’s Church. Open my eyes to see the wondrous things in Your Word. Lord Jesus, show me Your glory in the Word. Establish my heart to do Your will and to keep on seeking You through Your Word!
You alone are mighty, but I am weak. You alone are wise, but I am foolish. You alone are all-knowing, but I am ignorant of so many things! You alone are holy, glorious, and infinite, but I am sinful, defiled, and finite. You alone, O Lord, are the Creator of the heavens, the earth, the sea, and all that in them is, but I am simply dust and ashes. Therefore, my Father and my God, look upon me in Your mercy, and fill me with your Spirit and Word.
Teach me, my God, to walk in wisdom, and to be clothed with humility as was my Savior Jesus. Keep my tongue from gossip, backbiting, and slandering others, but let it impart grace to those who hear! Cause me to do Your will, which alone is good, and to deny my own will which is corrupt. Teach me Your Word so that I might diligently and faithfully submit to Your glorious Providence.
Thank You, heavenly Father, for Your forgiveness! Thank You that when I confess my sins to You that You are faithful and just to forgive and cleanse from all unrighteousness! Thank you that You no longer hold my sins against me but cast them as far as the East is from the West. You never bring those sins up against me again for they are all washed away by Christ’s blood!
Thank You, Lord, for Your kindness, mercy, grace, forgiveness, goodness, justice, holiness, and righteousness! You are the awesome God of heaven and earth. Lord, I love You because You first loved me! Sadly, my love for You and for others is not what it ought to be. It is so far from it!! I fail to love You with my whole heart! I fail miserably every day!
I feel the sinful pull in my heart towards unrighteousness, and yet I realize the work of the Holy Spirit keeping me on the straight and narrow road! I daily experience what Paul wrote in Romans 7:22-23: “For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.”
O Holy Spirit, without You I would fall flat on my face! As a washed pig returns to the mud, and a dog returns to lick his vomit, so I would run headlong into the way of sin unless You keep me in the way of truth and assure my heart of forgiveness in Christ! O Holy Spirit, keep me! Do not let me sin against You. Do not let me drift, grow cold, or indifferent! Keep my feet planted upon the Rock, Christ Jesus as You have promised!
I praise You, Jesus, that You never failed to love Your Father, with Your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength on my behalf, and that of all Your people. I have no hope apart from Your active obedience! I have no hope apart from Your passive obedience! I simply have no hope of redemption and reconciliation apart from Your person and work! I am hopeless apart from You, Jesus! But united to You I have all things necessary for my salvation! Hallelujah! What A Savior!
O Lord Jesus, what Amazing grace and love! “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! For once I was lost but now I am found, I was blind but now I see.” Strengthen me, Lord Jesus, by Your Word and Spirit that I may be sold out for You, that I may boast only in You! May I be blessed by Your hand to honor and glorify You in all my words and works.
O Lord Jesus, lift me up when I sin and keep me humble when I obey! Lift me up, O Lord, for I am struggling against being downcast and discouraged. Keep depression and discouragement far from me. Revive me in Your joy and peace! Keep my eyes focused upon You, so I don’t become weary and discouraged.
O Lord, I am needy, foolish, and weak, and I need You every moment of every day. As the hymn writer wrote, “I need Thee ev’ry hour, Stay Thou nearby; Temptations lose their pow’r, When Thou art nigh. I need Thee ev’ry hour, In joy or pain; Come quickly and abide, Or life is vain.” … “I need Thee, oh, I need Thee; Ev’ry hour I need Thee; Oh, bless me now, my Savior, I come to Thee.” And again, “Guide me, O my great Redeemer, pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but you are mighty; hold me with your powerful hand. Bread of heaven, bread of heaven, feed me now and evermore, feed me now and evermore.” Strengthen me for today’s work and service and make me walk faithfully and obediently for Your glory.
I ask all this in the authority of Jesus!
Amen!
~Pastor S. Henry