A Prayer About a Tuned Heart
Righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:22-31
Most holy and loving Father, today is the perfect day for me to remember and rehearse the perfect redemption you’ve given me in the perfectly free grace of Jesus. As well as I know the lyric of this gospel, I tend to lose its music. When this happens, instead of getting on the dance floor, with you, Father, I just start shuffling through life, like a hapless hopeless orphan, much more preoccupied with the whinings of my life than with the wonders of your love. So I’ll start this day preaching the gospel to my heart, trusting in its power to tune my heart to sing your praise.
Father, I’m such a foolish man to think I could ever “right” my heart and world through my own efforts. The “putting-right-of-all-things” (righteousness) only comes from you and it only comes through trusting in Jesus. That I even believe in Jesus is a gift, for you had to give me the very faith I needed to acknowledge the depth of my need and receive the fullness of your provision in the gospel.
I’ve always fallen, and to continue to fall short of your glory-the standard of your judgment. That’s why I first fell upon and, once again today, fall afresh upon Jesus-the one in whom I experience free grace and full justification.
Lord Jesus, I never want to take for granted what you’ve done for me. At the ultimate price of your life of obedience and your death on the cross, you have freed me from the fear of death and the fear of life. You have redeemed me-you have bought me back for yourself. I am no longer my own-once a whore, now your Bride… I am yours. You are my righteousness, my holiness, my sanity, my center, my hope, my peace, my joy, my anchor, my assurance, my contentment, my song… and a whole lot more… so very Amen, I pray in your name.