A Prayer

Lord, it is not a disbelief in your ability to push back mountains and chart the course of my life; however, my shortcomings derive from my inability to allow you to do so.
Having found ourselves enthralled in the trappings of this world, we may place our trust in many things that are of a transitory nature…the love of a spouse or child, the money in the bank account, the accumulation of spoils, or the well-mapped out career path. None, however, offer the protection, security, benefits or enduring peace that trusting in you afford.
Lord God, give us the strength to surrender our plans and purposes, our ideals and desires, our hopes and our dreams for the future at your alter of mercy, understanding and grace. Fortify our resolve to trust in you so that we might cultivate a bond that endures and a love for you that grows.
All things under the sun shall vanish just as quickly as they have appeared. Yet, our God remains the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Let us join with David in declaring that we shall not be afraid nor discouraged, for the God, my God, is with us. And he will not fail us nor forsake us.
Lord God, we ask that you would release our hearts, minds, and our souls to a spirit of wisdom and discernment, enabling us to throw off the shackles of bondage which impede on our journeys as a result of our sinful nature.
Anchor us in the sting of your rebuke…anchor us in the determination of your spirit…anchor us in awe, fear and reverence of your power…anchor us in the magnificence of your strength while we accept our undeniable weakness.
We pray all of this in the redemptive name of Jesus, who frees us from the snare of self-interest that grasps and clutches and delivers us into the presence of a free and open relationship with God and others.
My hope is that this message be inscribed on all our hearts: that God begins where clinging to things ends. Amen.