A Prayer for Lent

When the dishwasher is not loaded as I would have loaded it, not my will but Yours be done. 

When my children are crying and disobeying and I want to yell in anger, not my will but Yours be done.

When I can't find a matching pair of socks to save a life, not my will but Yours be done. 

When my expectations are not met and my plans fail, not my will but Yours be done. 

When I want others to love me but refuse to give love in return, not my will but Yours be done.

When my heart longs for something else, something other than this messy blessed life, not my will but Yours be done. 

When I want to sleep an extra hour instead of meeting You in Your Word, not my will but Yours be done. 

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When I want to lift my voice and tell everyone how good I think I am, not my will but Yours be done. 

When I fall to my knees under the weight of Your holiness and am tempted to despair, not my will but Yours be done.

When I want to hold on to past hurts and load burdens on people's shoulders for sins they've committed against me, not my will but Yours be done. 

When I want to hold up in my house and hide from people desperate for real relationships and communication, not my will but Yours be done.

When I want to keep my doors locked and my family insulated from the realities of this life by withholding hospitality and grace to sinners and strangers, not my will but Yours be done. 

When bitterness threatens to weaken my love for my husband, not my will but Yours be done. 

When sin waits at my door, not my will but Yours be done.

When I pretend to have it all together, not my will but Yours be done. 

When I fail to extend Your message of hope and healing to a dying world, not my will but Yours be done. 

When I fight for my rights to enslave myself to my own passions and desires to the neglect of loving those around me, not my will but Yours be done. 

When I think I have some word to offer on Your behalf out of my own selfish pride, not my will but Yours be done. 

For Yours is the Kingdom, the power, the glory, the honor, the world and all that is in it, forever and ever. 

Lord, thank You for truth tellers in my life that point me to You. Thank You for Your Word that rejuvenates my weary, selfish soul. Thank You for Your grace and mercy that make every day new and provide us with opportunities to worship and serve You by loving others in Your name. Thank you for the hands and feet I get to wash and hold and serve each day. Align my will with Yours. Give me the heart of a servant so that I might look more like You. Thank Your for these many blessings I take for granted each day. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth and in our hearts, as it is in Heaven. Amen.