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You are my victory

Lord God, give me deep peace in spirit and strength in body. Let me not fear, but trust deeply in you to provide and protect. Redirect my vision outward, to the needs of others, to the salvation of many, to the edification of the saints, to the encouragement and love of family.

You are my light and my salvation. You give me confidence for my task. You secure my feet along the way. You are my victory.

So I seek your face. I desire your presence. I need your love. Without you I have nothing and I am nothing.

You are to be praised for pulling us all out of the fire, for giving us new life, for rescuing us from the evil one. You put us in a wide place, brought us to security, placed us where we may grow and serve and love.

You know, O Lord, our failures and fears. You see our weaknesses. Have pity on us, O God, that we, in following the Christ, might become like him. Perfect us for your eternal fellowship. Make us strong in our weakness. Bring forth fruit from our efforts to serve others. Bless us that we might be a blessing.

In you I rest, O Lord. In you I am comforted.

By Jesus Christ who brought us life, amen.

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Renew, restore, revive, rekindle

Heavenly Father,

Renew in me the zeal of early days;

Restore to me the joy of your salvation;

Revive me by the Spirit’s power;

Rekindle desire to share the gospel with others.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

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We Judge Our Neighbor

Forgive us, O God, we judge our neighbor,
When we ourselves are guilty, too;
Instead of repentance, that vigorous labor,
We condemn the wrong that others do.

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For All the Suffering

For all the suffering, pain, and wrong,
today is yours, O Lord, and mine;
I will rejoice in prayer and song
and make my will with yours align.

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I need you near

When I begin my day, dear God, I need you near, to protect me from temptation, to give me power and focus, to remind me of your love, to show me the opportunities that come before me.

When I reach the half-way point of my day, heavenly Father, I need you near, to give me strength to carry through, to remain clear in my thoughts and plans, to avoid distractions from what is most important.

When I come to the end of the day, O Sovereign One, I need you near, to assure me that failures can serve the kingdom, to deliver the day’s activities in your hand, to thank for blessings and joys received, to give me rest.

I need you near, my Savior, at every hour, at every trial, at every challenge, at every celebration of success. For you, and only you, can give me meaning and life and hope. Stay near me, always, Lord and Friend.

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The Humble Son to Lead

You, O Lord, created me,
A living soul,
A breathing spirit, full and free,
Complete and whole.

You gave me life, and I was filled
With joy and love;
You blessed, your presence spilled
From heaven above.

We ruined the best, your presence spurned,
Our minds rebelled,
To you, O God, our backs were turned,
Our hope expelled.

The Lord refused to leave us be,
He had a plan—
A rescue from eternity
To save his man.

Continue reading “The Humble Son to Lead”

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Change my mind

Prayer based on Romans 12.1-2

Lord, I give my body to you as a sacrifice. I want to live in service to you. I want to be holy and pure and completely devoted to you, so that you will be pleased. I want the mind to lead in service, rather than emotions or the past or experience taking over. Keep me from going the world’s way. Transform me completely. Change my mind. Your will is good. Doing it pleases you. Nothing is as positive and perfect as your will. Today I will prove its perfection and taste its pleasantness. May your will be done in me, for your glory. In the name of my Lord and Savior and Example Jesus Christ, amen.

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Correct faults that mar the good example

Holy Father, correct in us those faults that mar the good example we might otherwise give before others.

Help us to keep our promises, to pay debts, to remember commitments, to guard our tongues, to avoid seeking attention and credit, to be on time, to be gentle and compassionate, to be truthful and honest in the smallest things, to carry through on projects, to finish what we start, to be generous even with small things, to draw others out rather than talk about ourselves, to be consistent in mood, to find the good in people, to be discontent with mediocrity, to mind our business, to care for the needs of others, to take time to listen.

Let love drive us to maturity.

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You Cramped Our Style

We paint ourselves into a corner, Lord,
And then complain that you have cramped our style.
Aren’t we cute? And cheeky? And perverse?—
Our great transgressions go from bad to worse.
We fall upon our faces, Lord, defiled—
The brush of sin we can ill afford.

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You Know

You know our struggles, Lord, and where they lead,
You know the price behind the suffering deed—
We feel none understands our pain and tears,
Our yearnings, daily needs and lonely years.

The Cross of Christ refuses selfish whining,
“Your will be done” cuts off Egyptian pining;
No lower could the Son of Mary go,
So death to self and dying, Lord, you know.

Continue reading “You Know”