Gratitude for a Renewed Heart

I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

(Psalm 16:8-10)

I praise you, good and loving Lord,

for the ways that you have filled my heart

during these forty days.

Your presence has

  strengthened me,

  comforted me,

  encouraged me,

  filled me with hope,

  convicted me of my sin 

          (and that’s not a bad thing),

  inspired compassion, mercy, and grace within me.

  given me peace.

Oh, that wonderful peace that only you can give!

And in this past week, as my heart has

meditated on your passion,

I am humbled by the magnitude of your love.

"Love so amazing, so divine,

demands my life, my soul, my all!"

I thank you for these forty days of Lent.

I have needed them.

But then again, you knew that long before Lent began.

Sometime last year, you began to whisper to me,

"My child, you need prayer. 

You need to open your heart to Me."

I offer this prayer in the shadow of the cross.

I have left the tomb, with you wrapped in burial cloths.

I know how this ends, so I cannot spend my Saturday 

in mourning and fear.

I know that Sunday is coming.

I know that death cannot hold you in the tomb.

And because death did not hold you in the tomb,

then I also know that death will not hold me there, either.

For you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,

     nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

Over these forty days

you have shown me once again

that you are God,

  and that you are gracious and compassionate,

  and that you are forgiving,

  and that you are always with me,

  and that your blessings are more than I can count,

  and that though I cannot know the future,

        I can know you.

And that is enough.

That will always be enough.

You, Lord, will always be enough.

I love you, Lord. I really do.

My heart is glad, my tongue rejoices,

and my body will rest secure,

in You.

Amen.

Thank You, Lord, for Listening. And for Answering.

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; 

     turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. 

Show me the wonders of your great love, 

     you who save by your right hand 

     those who take refuge in you from their foes. 

Keep me as the apple of your eye; 

     hide me in the shadow of your wings.

(Psalm 17:6-8)

O Lord, my God,

you are Sovereign Lord over all the world,

and yet you know me by name.

What joy fills my heart

at the knowledge that

I am precious to you!

I know that not a word I pray,

  not a thought I have,

    not even an un-uttered inner groaning

fails to capture your attention.

Whatever I pray,

however I pray,

you will always answer.

Sometimes your answer is, “Yes.”

Sometimes your answer is, “No.”

Sometimes your answer is, “Trust me.”

But always, you answer me

according to your infinite wisdom

and your steadfast love.

Because you hear my prayers

and answer them,

I continue to cry out to you:

Show me your steadfast love,

protect me from harm,

shelter me in your loving arms.

Thank you, O Lord, for loving me.

Thank you for listening to the cries of my heart.

Thank you.

That is all. No answer required this time.

But still, I know you will.

Because that’s who you are.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

Sacred Thirst

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; 

     I thirst for you, 

my whole being longs for you, 

    in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 

I have seen you in the sanctuary 

     and beheld your power and your glory. 

Because your love is better than life, 

     my lips will glorify you.

(Psalm 63:1-3)

Thank you, O Lord, for awakening in me

an unquenchable thirst.

If there is a silver lining in this pandemic

(and of course there is, 

because you are always working

all things 

for the good 

for those who love you),

then it is this:

It has turned countless hearts toward you.

And in these turbulent and troubling days,

my own heart is more and more urgent

in seeking you.

Earnestly I seek you, Lord;

     I thirst for you,

my whole being longs for you,

     as in a dry and parched land 

     where there is no water.

You, Lord, have shown me your goodness

in more ways than I can count.

You, Lord, have graced me with your presence,

and given me glimpses of your glory.

Every day, if only I have eyes to notice.

Having tasted of your goodness and mercy,

I long for more and more.

I find this to be true:

     In you I find satisfaction 

     for the thirst of my soul.

But I also find this to be true:

     The more of you that feeds my soul,

     the more I want, the more I need.

Today, I turn my heart toward you.

Today, I seek you.

Today, I will cling to you.

Today, I will praise you,

that others may find the same satisfaction 

and the same thirst

of a heart turned toward you.

Thank you, O Lord, for awakening in me

an unquenchable thirst.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David", using prayers in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

Faith That Declares, "Nevertheless"

But I will hope continually,
    and will praise thee yet more and more.

(Psalm 71:14)

I wonder, O Lord, what these days mean.

The earth is at a standstill,

our world has come to a screeching halt.

People are scared, and with good reason.

An invisible enemy has crippled us,

and the only thing we can do

is withdraw, separate, isolate, quarantine.

I wonder, O Lord, what these days mean.

Restaurants reduced to carry-out,

businesses shuttered,

entire cities closed down,

massive layoffs and sudden unemployment,

leaders struggling to find answers to questions

nobody ever thought would be asked.

Ever.

The pain is real for your children, Lord,

all over the world.

This virus is afflicting sickness and death

upon your people, Lord,

all over the world.

     Grief

     Fear

     Panic

     Despair

     Anguish

     Sleeplessness

     Doubt

These aren’t just words, O God.

These are what we’re feeling.

Right. Now.

I wonder, O Lord, what these days mean.

And yet, in spite of my questions,

and in spite of the troubling days

your people are living,

still I turn to you, and with all confidence

I say,

NEVERTHELESS!

Nevertheless, I will hope continually,

and I will praise you more and more.

For the midst of chaos, 

in the midst of trouble,

in the midst of sickness,

in the midst of grief,

in the midst of deep darkness,

is You.

You, O Lord, are my hope.

You strengthen me by your presence 

Right. Now.

There is no chaos out of which you cannot

create entire worlds.

There is no trouble which you cannot put to rest.

There is no sickness which you cannot heal.

There is no grief which you cannot comfort.

There is no darkness capable of extinguishing your light.

You, O Lord, are my hope.

And that is enough.

Though I may experience all forms

of misery and trouble,

NEVERTHELESS!

I will hope continually,

and I will praise you more and more.

Blessed be you, indeed, O God,

Father of my Lord, Jesus Christ,

who by the power of the Holy Spirit

comes to me

and fills me with hope.

I may always wonder, O Lord, what these days mean.

But this I will always know:

You are my God. And that is enough.

Because you are my God and my Hope,

praise will ever be on my lips.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am “Praying with David,” using prayers from the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

I Love You, Lord

I love you, Lord, my strength.

(Psalm 18:1)

"I love you, Lord."

I speak those words from my heart, O God.

When I awaken, and when I sleep,

and every hour in between,

I love you.

I love you, Lord,

because you have first loved me.

You have loved me faithfully,

  and unconditionally,

  and lavishly,

  and graciously,

  and eternally.

You, Lord – 

  who have given me life, abundant life;

  who have walked with me through trials;

  who have delivered me from trouble;

  who have blessed me with family;

  who have provided for me;

  who have been with me always – 

you, Lord, I love.

I love you, Lord,

because you have first loved me.

You gave your Son

to me

and to the whole world.

In him you have given me

eternal life.

I love you, Lord,

and to you I give my life.

"Take my life, and let it be 

consecrated, Lord, to thee."

Take me, use me, I pray.

Make me an instrument of your

  healing,

    grace,

      mercy,

        justice,

          steadfast love,

        compassion,

      comfort,

    hope,

  peace.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayer from the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

When You Can't Pray, God Hears You Anyway

O Lord, all my longing is known to you; 

     my sighing is not hidden from you.

(Psalm 38:9, NRSV)

Sometimes I can’t find the words to pray, O God.

My heart is heavy, weighed down.

The emotions and feelings swirl in dizzying chaos.

I’m sad – our world has been turned upside down.

I’m afraid – this is a really big deal. 

   (I know, you tell me not to be afraid. But this stuff is scary).

I’m anxious – no one has ever faced this before.

I’m angry – people are hoarding toilet paper. TOILET PAPER!

I’m worried – 

  for my wife and children, 

    for my parents and in-laws,

      for my siblings and extended family, 

         for my church,

            for my community,

         for the newly jobless,

      for strained and closed businesses,

    for the nations of the world,

  and even for me.

I’m restless – what can I do?

I’m on edge – what’s going to happen next?

I have all these things swirling around

in my heart and my mind, O God.

And I can’t put them into words.

But then, I realize that you already know.

O Lord, all my longing is known to you;

     my sighing is not hidden from you.

You know the deepest thoughts of my heart – 

the ones I hide from everyone else,

even the ones I have never been able to admit to myself.

When I can’t find the words to pray, it’s okay,

because your Spirit intercedes

with sighs too deep for words.

When my sighs and groans are all I can offer you,

you hear me still.

And you know.

Thank you, Lord, for listening to my heart

even when I don’t know what to say.

Thank you, Lord, for answering the prayers

that I don’t even know how to lift up.

Thank you, Lord, for knowing me through and through,

and for loving me eternally.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers from the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.

Praise Is Always Appropriate

We praise you, God, 

     we praise you, for your Name is near; 

     people tell of your wonderful deeds.

(Psalm 75:1)

It is good and right, O Lord,

that praise should flow from our hearts

and over our lips

every day.

For you are good beyond measure,

your blessings falling upon us faster than we can count.

Praise is not reserved

only for those times when life is good;

for even in times of trouble,

your goodness far exceeds our trials.

We awoke this day with the rising of the sun – 

   which, by the way, is amazing to witness,

   a gift you paint for us every day on the horizon.

And you have breathed into us the breath of life,

and given us this day – 

   also, as a beautiful gift.

Indeed, there is beauty everywhere;

open our eyes, that we may behold your goodness.

We praise you, O God,

     we praise you, for your Name is near.

There may be fearful things in our lives:

    sickness

            economic cHaos

      jobs put on p-a-u-s-e

  more sickness (it is a pandemic, after all)

     social ------ distancing

isolation

loneliness

But your love casts out fear.

In our distancing, our isolation, our loneliness,

you have come near,

to dwell with us.

In your Presence there is peace.

We praise you, O God,

     we praise you, for your Name is near;

     people tell of your wonderful deeds.

Let it be said of us, O God,

that we are among those 

who tell of your wonderful deeds.

For our world can use good news today.

As we experience your goodness,

open our mouths to sing your praise;

and inspire us in the depths of our hearts

to show your grace and compassion and mercy,

so that even more people

will tell of your wonderful deeds.

We praise you, O God, we praise you.

Amen.

During the season of Lent, I am "Praying with David," using prayers found in the psalms as inspiration for personal prayers.