Prevail
Though Weary
Proverbs 30:1 — I am weary, God, but I can prevail.
It is
quiet
and painful
here.
It has been
so
for awhile.
I need You, O God,
to breathe,
I want You
to be.
I need You
more than I
want You,
I want You
more than I need
anything else.
O Lord,
my God and Savior,
these dark waters
cry out for Your light.
Push back
my enemies,
cut down
my oppressors,
and bring me out
of this affliction
that I may be free.
Amen.
Desperate
Reliance
Psalm 63:1 — 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.
When You found me, Lord,
I was desperate
and my need was great.
It was good,
for it drove me to rely on You,
to trust you.
Now I call out to You, O God,
to renew my fervor,
to reinvigorate my worship.
I do not want comfort in this life;
for I know comfort
leads to death.
I do not desire ease in this life,
for I know ease
leads to complacency.
Take Your infinite power
and give me just a drop;
take Your immeasurable beauty
and bless me with a breath.
Never let me grow stagnant, Father,
for I refuse to die
a slow death.
Never let me grow complacent, Lord,
for I do not wish
to lose eternity.
Amen.
Hidden
From View
Psalm 55:1-2 — Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me.
Tear after
tear,
petition after
petition,
grief after
grief,
cry after
cry
I have brought to You
in this hidden place
away from view.
Alone,
on my knees,
blinds drawn
and lights dimmed,
desperate for an
answer.
Not a single soul
has known
nor wandering eye
seen
this hidden war
for redemption.
I have lost count
of the days,
the seasons,
the time -
have You forgotten me,
O Lord?
Amen.
Beyond Glory
Unfathomable
Isaiah 40:28 — Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
Here I am,
placed between
the wondrous unknown
of Your sovereignty
and the sobering reality
of my human inability.
To my left
I see the limits of my flesh,
the trajectory of my bones.
To the right
I see the limitlessness of eternity,
the trajectory of my soul.
Here I am
in the middle
knowing that You are my only hope,
glad that You are my only hope.
Here I am
in the middle
knowing that I am not able,
glad that I am not able.
If I was anywhere else,
I would be
in the wrong place.
Now
I see You,
I know You,
I know just how
unfathomable
You are,
and my soul rejoices.
Amen.
Never Enough
Worthless Treasure
Ecclesiastes 2:1 — I said to myself, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.
I am nothing
if not weak,
I am empty
on my own -
I cannot bear the weight
of my suffering.
The evil of this world
wears me down,
I have nothing to gain from it.
It has left me broken and destitute,
it smiles
at the pain surrounding me.
Why, O soul,
do you seek peace in this world?
Why, O spirit,
do you seek truth in this place?
For all this world has -
all it can give -
is never enough.
Amen.
Persistence
Pursuit
Romans 8:29 — For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
Praise You, Lord,
that I look less
like me
and more like You
today than yesterday.
Your persistence with me,
Your pursuit of me
even when I ran
is the mercy
that saves me.
I can do nothing
but praise
and yield
to Your will for me,
Your power to change me.
Thank You, Lord,
that I am not
the same -
that I will never be
again.
Amen.
Always
Eternal
Matthew 6:10 — … your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
My imperfect circumstances
do not
call Your perfect will
into question.
My broken body
does not
bring Your complete goodness
into doubt.
Your sovereignty
is the condition
of my contentment;
Your grace
is the pillar
of my peace.
You are the only
authority,
You are the embodiment of
good,
You are the always
eternal.
Therefore
I am perfectly held,
completely loved,
and eternally secure.
Amen.
Preparation
Eternal
1 Peter 5:4 — And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
There is a day soon coming
that every single one of my sorrows
will be redeemed
and I will be restored.
Though it may never come
in this life,
it will undoubtedly come
and joy will be mine.
If Your promises are true, O Lord,
I am content to live the rest of my days
in suffering;
for I know the prize that awaits me
in perseverance.
In every one of my afflictions
draw near to me, Lord.
Strengthen my faith -
make me resilient
in my suffering,
not after it is through.
Fill my cup with the joy
of everlasting hope in You, O mighty God,
that I may persist in the battle
and have the victory.
The day is fast approaching
where light will swallow darkness whole
and I will sit in my heavenly place.
Therefore,
with every passing moment
I will fight -
standing firm in my faith,
steadfast in my obedience,
preparing to receive my
eternal crown.
Amen.
Saving Rebuke
By Love
Hebrews 12:7 — Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their Father?
I loved Your discipline
until You disciplined
the parts of me
that I hoped wouldn’t have to change.
I cherished Your rebuke
until You rebuked
the parts of me
that I wanted to stay hidden.
I praised Your correction
until You corrected
the parts of me
that I desired to stay the same.
I asked for Your light
until it exposed
my darkness,
I asked for Your Spirit
until it revealed
the cost.
Your love is
discipline,
rebuke,
and correction.
Your Light
exposes,
Your Spirit
reveals,
and it is good.
It is not enough
to receive parts of You
but not all of You, Lord,
when all of You
is what I need.
Amen.
Stripped
By Grace
Isaiah 48:10 — “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”
I was stripped of
what was most precious
to me
that I would see
there is nothing more precious
than Your love.
I was stripped of
what I thought
I controlled
that I would know
how little control
I really have.
I was stripped of
what gave me
security
that I would realize
how insecure I am
without You.
I was stripped of
what I thought
I knew
that I would understand
how meaningless I am
without You.
I praise You, Father,
for the refining grace
of being stripped
of anything
that seeks to replace You.
Amen.
Evidence
Beyond Doubt
Psalm 71:1 - In you, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame.
I am
the evidence
that You are capable
of taking impossible things
and redeeming them
for good.
I can rejoice
that I have joy
beyond my circumstances,
my environment,
my afflictions.
You have led me through
enough
in this life
to give me confidence
in the plans
You have for me -
why would I doubt You
for a single moment?
Amen.
Union
Forever Yours
Ephesians 5:25 — … just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
Your eyes saw me
in my mother’s womb,
our union began
in the empty tomb.
O perfect love,
divine and true,
Your grace to me,
my need for You.
Past my mistakes,
brokenness too,
my deepest longing,
Your endless pursuit.
You are my Rock,
my eternal Bloom,
You are my Safety,
my precious Groom.
Forever Yours,
what can undo
this covenant love
with me You choose.
Amen.
Shine
Renew & Awaken
Psalm 5:3 — In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
In the morning
I look to You -
You made the morning sun
shine
and gave me breath.
Today
is a new day.
Fill me
with the fullness
of Your Spirit,
the fullness
of Your love
and wonder.
I am
Yours -
have Your way
with me.
Renew me -
refresh my spirit
and breathe life
into my bones.
Awaken me -
arise my soul
and speak truth
over my mind.
Keep me from
distraction
and deception,
from blindness
and foolishness.
Open my eyes,
Father -
let me see.
Amen.
Identity
In You
Ephesians 2:10 — For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
My identity is in You,
Lord,
and You alone.
Though I am quick to forget,
my purpose is in You
my value is in You
my hope is in You
my joy is in You
my strength is in You.
You give to me
what nothing else can,
what no one else will
and it sustains my life.
Draw near to me, Father,
and remind me of who I am
by showing me who You are.
You are my comfort,
my resting place.
You are my foundation,
my only hope.
Let Your will be done.
Amen.
From The Beginning
Set Apart
Psalm 139:16 — …all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
I was set apart by You
from the beginning of time.
You had plans for me
before I knew You.
You had a life for me
before I followed You.
You had a name for me
before I said a word.
All that I face
all that I have endured
all that I was
and all that I am
has been reconciled
and set free.
Every pain
and loss,
every rejection
and hurt
You redeemed
on the cross.
Because of Your grace -
absolutely
undoubtedly
unashamedly
nothing else but Your grace -
I am made new.
Amen.
Beyond
Myself
Isaiah 40:8 — The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.
Beyond the skies
and past the stars,
there You are.
Beyond the flesh
and past the heart,
there You are.
Beyond the shame
and past the guilt,
there You are.
Beyond the temptation
and past the facade,
there You are.
Beyond the fear
and past the doubt,
there You are.
Beyond myself
and past my soul,
there You will remain
forever.
Amen.
Aware
Of You
Isaiah 6:5, 7 — Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty… “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
The awareness
of my unholiness -
the full picture
of my human condition -
and the understanding
of Your decision
to make me
in Your image
for Your pleasure -
this is the
fullness
of my worship.
Amen.
Elsewhere
In You
Psalm 91:2 — I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
You are my
safety.
You are my
security.
You are my
protection.
You are my
freedom.
You are my
identity.
You are
all of the things
that I look for
elsewhere.
You are
all of the things
that I hope for
elsewhere.
Teach me, Lord,
to see You in full view,
to know You with my whole heart
and be free.
Amen.
Sing
For You
Psalm 119:103 — How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
To You
I will run.
In You
I will hope.
For You
I will live.
You are
my promised land,
my narrow path.
You are
my heavenly home,
my eternal banquet.
Like honey
on my lips
and a melody
in my heart,
You are
everything that is good.
O Lord,
my Dwelling Place,
You make my spirit sing.
Amen.