A Prayer

"Lord, how do I cry out to you? Instead of what I read in your Word, how do I know that the things that fill me with pain and fear are not the truth? My desire is to know You, and to know Jesus, more and more each day. Yet my pain and struggles overwhelm me. They seem more than I can bear. How do I release this burden to you and receive the peace that is yours?

"Lord, I have learned that any 'peace' that is not of You is a lie that can never stand. If we could be truly happy and 'right' without You, then why did you come? The truth is, 'there is no way to peace and happiness without the living Word working within us.'

"I cry out to you, sometimes in frustration, sometimes in deep pain, sometimes in confusion. I seek to know all that I can and should do to find You. It is your Word that brings the guidance and assurance I need. It guides me like a light on a dark path. It speaks truths that will lead me to your life. It helps me help others, desiring that the Father be glorified. It tells me that 'all things... ALL things are possible through you.'

"How do I cry out to you? I will use only what I truly have. I will cry out to you with my words that, when given in truth, will reveal my heart. May it be a heart that is consistently changing into the likeness of your Son, speaking only the things that are true. May you grow me away from the world and toward your heart. May my desires be the desires of YOUR heart. Help me to seek your will in my life and in the lives of others. I cannot obtain your righteousness otherwise.

"Let me remember that if I 'call to You, You will answer me and show me great and mighty things.' May I desire them for Your glory and Your glory only. I will use what you have given me as I cry out to you... the words of my mouth that reveal the truth of my heart. Then I will seek your Words that reveal Your will to me. May you renew me with your will. Amen."