None on earth has seen your face and lived,
Your fiery glory beyond the likes of man.
Before your throne of light we can’t endure,
We fall, trembling, to the ground in fear. Continue reading “Washed and Welcomed”
That desire is decision
Heavenly Father, my prayer today is simple.
I desire to be with you, now and forever.
That desire is decision.
I will do whatever is necessary to enjoy your presence. Continue reading “That desire is decision”
When you are present
When you are present, God of my life, every place is a sacred place, every hour a moment dedicated to your glory, every person a potential saint.
Be present with me, live within me, act and speak through me, reign ever over me. Continue reading “When you are present”
Far from your presence
Nothing surpasses having a clean heart, O God, so that we may come near to you. Far from your presence, we chase after love in endless pursuit and constant frustration. Let us turn to you in full confidence of faith, knowing that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, that the Spirit transforms us into the divine image, and that you work in us and through us and for us for your eternal glory. Continue reading “Far from your presence”
Never beyond your reach
Wherever I go, you are there, God omnipresent. Jonah thought he could flee from you, but we are glad that no one can go beyond your reach. For us as Christians, this is our joy and peace, as we penetrate the world with the gospel and count on the presence of Christ. Continue reading “Never beyond your reach”
May we to your Messiah fly
O God of peace who freely shares,
In fretful hearts come reign;
We leave before your throne our cares,
Our hurts, our fears, our pain. Continue reading “May we to your Messiah fly”
The most progress
If they had told me, I would never have believed the peace and satisfaction that comes from your presence, O Lord.
Let me welcome the struggles, O God, as evidence of my desire to be made over again in the image of Christ. Continue reading “The most progress”
In your presence
Above all things, O Lord, let us rejoice in your presence. Let our hearts love you and let our mouths proclaim you. Let our souls hunger for you and let our whole being desire you; until we are one with you, for you are God, blessed for ever. Amen.
—Anselm of Canterbury (c.1033-1109) (From Prayer of the Day)
The greatest thought
The greatest thought to me is dear:
The sovereign God is always near
In Jesus Christ, his Spirit lives
Within my heart, and ever gives
Without reproach, he does not fail—
Beside this thought, all others pale. Continue reading “The greatest thought”
The worst that can be said about a man
The worst that can be said about a man is that he’s godless, that you, my Lord, are absent from his life. Let it never be true of me.
Let nothing separate me from your presence. Let no one come between us. Let no love edge you out from my heart.
I wish to walk in your sight and please you in all things, to know your goodness and justice and mercy. I wish to be welcomed on that final day into the gates of heaven.
Keep me safe in your hand, O Lord, under the shadow of your wing. My weakness frightens me, but your strength steels me against the howling winds of worldliness.