May 17, 2020

"Lord, I turn to You
to get the inside track
and obtain special favors,
Your direction for my schemes
Your power for my projects,
Your sanctions for my ambitions, 
Your blank check for whatever I want.
Change me Lord.
Make me a man who asks of You and of others
What can I do for You?"
--Robert A. Raines, from the book Improving Your Serve

Yes, Lord. Oh, yes, Lord.
Help us to turn our eyes off ourselves and to You.
Help us to pray to the Father whose name is holy, whose kingdom is coming, whose will is the only will that should be done.

We ask that You give us what we need.
And please don't give us things that make us too comfortable,
that make us too proud
that make us forget our dependency on You.

Please forgive us.
Help us to forgive others.
Change our world through rippling effects of mercy and grace and love.

From when our eyes open in the morning with tumbling thoughts of the day
to when we close them at night
may our days be filled with moments with You.
May we be changed by being in Your presence.
And may our world be changed.

Help us to see the lavish gifts of beauty and grace You surround us with:
the deep purple of the pansy
the innocent smile of the child
the hush before a storm blows in.

And Lord make us Your ambassadors in our homes and in our hurting communities. We pray that You will bind the spirit of suicide. We pray for hope and healing.