Finding Life Again

^{Photo by Kristjan Kotar on Unsplash.}

I bless you Lord,

for your sovereignty, control, and care over my life.

Thank you for taking the reigns

over my heart, my relationships,

my past, present, and future.

I bless you Lord that as I relinquish my control to you,

laying at your feet,

my needs, wants, expectations, and desires,

you meet me with better —

your beautiful presence,

your belonging and acceptance,

your wonderful guidance,

your friendship,

for the yoke you’d share with me,

a perfect fit for the burden I share with you,

which becomes light and easy

as you give shalom peace

for the works you’ve given me to fulfill,

and the paths of righteousness you have called me to.

You are the Word,

that spoke all creation into existence,

and knew me before the world’s foundations were laid.

You are the source of Life,

and in you I find a fountain of living water,

restoration and life abundant.

Amen.

The Lord Is God

^{Photo by Fabio Fistarol on Unsplash.}

Beautiful Lord,

anointed by the Spirit of the living God,

on mission to deliver the good news

to those who are sick, castaway, rejected, and afflicted,

I praise you Messiah for saving me,

for binding up my broken heart,

the Balm of Gilead for this hurting world.

I praise you for delivering me from the confines of my iron cage.

disintegrating the bars of my control, proving, and striving,

releasing me from the darkness of my fears and anxiety.

Lord, you save.

And my enemies that spun lies and deception,

tempting my darkened heart to despair and grasping false hopes,

from my broken DNA to ripened sin,

lost, lost, lost in a tangled web of grief and regret —

you obliterate and have crushed them under your heel.

Your day of vengeance and retribution has come.

and your absolute victory — certain and true.

You take me from grief and mourning,

you are the lifter of my head,

washing mind, body, and soul with comfort and hope.

You anoint my head with the oil of joy,

my cup overflows.

You are the giver of good and perfect gifts,

and praise wells up in my heart,

and my heavy spirit is shed off like old, dead skin.

Yeshua, you are Adonai,

you are Messiah, Deliverer, Healer,

the Way, the Truth, the Life,

the Author and Perfecter of my faith.

You make me yours —

a tree of righteousness,

strong, holy, bold, righteous, and true,

it is your work,

I gratefully surrender my life, my heart, my relationships to you,

so take control of my life

and have your way in me.

You are merciful, just, and true.

Amen.

The Lord Is Close

^{Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.}

Precious Lord,

Thank you for being close,

that when I draw near, you draw nearer still,

thank you that you incline your ear to hear my cries,

that you already know every word before it passes my tongue,

you know every nuance and movement of my heart.

I praise you that you are the answer,

you have the answers,

you are the way, the truth, and the life.

I surrender moment by moment,

my needs and burdens, desires and questions to you.

trusting in your timing and answers.

Renew a right spirit within me Lord,

grant me godly confidence, faith and courage,

vision of your will,

to follow and obey you with diligence and faithfulness,

all the while communing with your Spirit,

aligning with your Word,

I put my trust and hope in you.

I bless you Lord.

Amen.

Sweet Forgetfulness

^{Photo by Mihaly Koles on Unsplash.}

Lord,

I bless you for your presence,

gentle and humble in heart,

warming the center of my spirit,

elysian springs of eternal waters

bursting in me.

To know you as my center,

to regard you as my life,

keeping my gaze focused on you,

by your grace,

transports me to here,

now I am present,

in sweet forgetfulness of my past,

and the worries of my future,

knowing I follow my good Shepherd

through this day,

trusting this is exactly where I need to be,

where I belong,

in your presence.

Amen.

Surrender

^{Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash.}

Lord,

Thank you for meeting my deepest grief with your comfort,

fulfilling my loss and longing with your presence,

finding me when I was bewildered, confused and lost.

I praise you that wherever I am, wherever I go,

I’m yours and will always belong.

Thank you for delivering me from my fears,

my fear of man, being invisible, unseen, unknown, rejected.

I’m seen, known, understood, and loved,

with your Spirit within me transforming me into your poetry.

Deliver me out of the spirit of this age,

rebellion, witchcraft, self reliance, and doing things my way.

I’ve made a mess out of my life,

and I ask for grace to surrender all to you.

I repent to you of my perfectionism and performance,

abandoning control over my life, my relationships, and my heart,

asking you to come in and take over,

please rule and reign over all of me.

Cleanse me once more with the spirit of the fear of the Lord,

implant in me the desire, motivation, and hunger to seek after you,

to want you most,

to love, obey, cherish and guard your Word and Spirit within me and without.

Let me trust in you with all my heart,

moment by moment,

not in my own understanding,

acknowledging you in all my ways,

that you would make my path straight,

and guide me in the narrow way to find and know your life abundant.

I bless you Lord,

you are the only Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Amen.

Pride’s Death

Lord,

you came as nothing —

humbly in fragile skin with an open heart,

and quietly suffered for my sins

and died for me.

My pride —

an impassive rock face,

moving forth, cold and bitter like a glacier,

taking all life down underneath its path,

you bore on your shoulder,

to carry as your cross to bear,

obedient to death where it crushed you.

A landscape of thorns and snares in the glacier’s wake,

sin begetting sin, pain begetting pain,

propelled by my fear, selfishness, and rebellion,

was the place from which your crown of thorns was made.

Placed on your head,

you knew and became my sin,

felt my trauma and pain,

in mercy and compassion your love bled freely

cleansing and healing the soil of my heart.

I stand at the foot of your execution stake,

not understanding why your mercy chose me,

but I’m so grateful and receive your gift.

I bless you for your mercy and kindness,

and I love you Lord.

Amen.

To Life!

^{Photo by Luke Richardson on Unsplash.}

Lord,

You call me from the leopard-haunted hills,

the lion’s lairs entrapping me in trauma and fear,

your voice cutting clear through the fog of shame,

joyful, calm, warm, full of life and strength.

Even as I stumble down,

your hand finds me to lift me up,

steady my step,

reassure my heart,

as you lead and guide,

and take me away.

You walk me through desert wastelands,

low grounds and sparse resources,

forcing me to unclench my hands,

lower my shields, and cry out to you.

You lovingly provide for me,

humbly caring for my needs,

watching me with compassion

even in and through my grumbling, distress, and discomfort.

Who is this coming up from the wilderness?

You enable me to lean on you, my Beloved,

and you lead me now to grasslands, green pastures,

to wide plateaus, up hill tops,

showing me mountain tops and ranges,

majestic and formidable in height,

calling me forth to follow you,

with the promise of adventure, life, spacious expanses,

freedom and life with you.

Grant me to be bold and courageous,

like Joshua and Caleb,

trusting your promises,

serving you, blessing you,

being transformed in your image

as I run with you,

live in your strength,

rest in your promises,

and cling to you.

I praise you Lord for bringing me from the dead

and giving me life!

L’chaim!

Amen.

Your Prayer Quote

^{Photo by Josephine Amalie Paysen on Unsplash.}

Your Prayer Quote

^{Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.}

Forgive Me

^{Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash.}

Abba,

I trust you.

You are the righteous judge

with all-encompassing wisdom,

seeing the hearts of men.

You are true and right,

ruling over all in perfect justice.

Thank you for your mercy,

for forgiving me

when I deserved all the penalties you took for me.

I put my vengeance and bitterness on the cross,

I bring my wounds before your feet,

and I trust you God to judge, bring justice, redeem,

and to avenge my wounds.

I forgive myself, for believing lies,

being my harshest critic, a relentless slave driver,

setting unreasonable standards

that was never my yoke or burden.

I bless my enemies because I love you

and let them go, entrusting them to you.

Thank you God for your deliverance,

your grace to forgive,

your love and sacrifice that sets my soul free.

I will rest in you alone,

trusting and following your Son.

Amen.