The good news of Christ
Success! See, Lord, how I succeed,
How I have reached the upper cloud!
For you no longer have I need,
My failed successes make me proud.
My failures! Lord, my failures! Show
How you transform them into power;
My shameful vision brings me low,
I need your hand to lift me higher.
You, oh Lord, are the great destroyer of pride, that beast which never seems to die.
The God of gods, you bring man down to the dust.
You desire that your creature desire you.
You seek to bless, and we bless your name for seeking us to bring light to our darkness.
No one can perform the wonders that you accomplish. You are all we need. Cause us to make you the only desire of our heart.
O Lord, you cry to see the city
That does not know the ending hour;
For willful creatures you feel pity,
For helpless souls who need your power.
O God, how sad that friends ignore
The coming judgment soon at hand;
Those lovers of self we warn, we implore
The arrogant scoffing at your command.
With you, O Savior, let us cry
At our own hearts of hardened stone;
We mourn our sins, the wall we deny,
And the pride of life to which we’re prone.
Kind and loving heavenly Father, to have health of body and mind is a wonderful blessing. Soundness, strength, and responsiveness bring great joy, even when the limbs respond and the mind functions so easily without much thought given to them. Thank you for these gifts.
At the same time, give us compassion and patience with those who are bereft in some way of these gifts.
For each of us, God of compassion, may we seek our answers, not in man and his remedies, but in the welcoming embrace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who was a man of pain and suffering, and a man of obedience, joy, and promise, because he did your will and found meaning in your loving purpose.
Lord, show me my selfishness,
the ugly face contorted by desire,
passions springing up to control,
self in the center of my world,
hurts in others like an exploding grenade,
destruction of every good thing.
Lord, show me the love of Christ,
the beauty of his holiness,
driven by your blessed will,
your love the spring of life,
peace among men, in brotherhood,
the building of the eternal kingdom.
Blind and weak, O Lord, are we,
So give us strength, and make us see;
As each man fights his war
Against the lion’s roar,
Assured of final victory.
In us the fleshly battles rage,
But we the powers of God engage,
Confessing every need
For will and word and deed,
To gain by faith the eternal age.
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Lord, so much I have to ask of you! So much I want to see happen in my life and in the lives of others! So many needs that I think I have!
There is one request, out of them all, that I know you will answer positively. I confess to not knowing what will be best for me and mine. I cannot foresee the effects of what I ask. So I pray, Your will be done.
I pray this because I know that you will do what is best for us all. You seek to bless. You want to draw us near to you. So whatever I am asking, I pray that you will do everything according to your will.
And in your will I rest and find peace.
John Gipson writes, “Isn’t Jesus to be trusted? If we cannot rely on His words, when it comes to prayer, can we trust Him in anything else?”
Read his article here.
A day for you is like a thousand years,
And a thousand years, a day; above all time,
You do not count the passing hours like man;
Nor sight is lost of promise, but every word
Fulfilled according to your eternal plan.
The power and glories of heaven are fully yours,
But still you see and care for the smallest bird,
And man—of all creation the most sublime.
Awry we’ve gone, our bundle of failures and fears,
My people and with them I as well, a prime
Example—You do not cast us off; your hand
Is ever upon us—hear and forgive us, Lord.
Give me desire for good,
To see it, do it, praise it,
For me, for mine, for all:
Help me to know and prize it.