A Prayer For Me

     Today in church, the Prayer of Confession that we used during worship expressed so much of what I am feeling about my life. It was taken from a book by Hannah Whitall Smith called The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life. I think it's a prayer I should be saying every day! I am writing it into this post, with some word changes to make it more contemporary-sounding. [That means I replaced Thee's and Thou's with more up-to-date language. This has made it sound the way I would pray it.]

     Lord Jesus, I believe that you are able and willing to deliver me from all the care and unrest and bondage of my Christian life. I believe you died to set me free, not only in the future, but now and here. I believe you are stronger than sin, and that you can keep me, even me, in my extreme weakness, from falling in its snares or yielding obedience to its commands.
     And Lord, I am going to trust you to keep me. I have tried keeping myself, and have failed, and failed most grievously. I am absolutely helpless. So now I will trust you. I give myself to you. I keep back no reserves. Body, soul and spirit, I present myself to you as a piece of clay, to be fashioned into anything your love and your wisdom shall choose.
     And now I am yours. I believe you accept that which I present to you; I believe that this poor, weak, foolish heart has been taken possession of by you, and that you have even at this very moment begun to work in me to will and to do your good pleasure. I trust you utterly, and I trust you now. Amen