A Devotion by Vicki Bentley

A Prayer of Worship

You and I breathe without really thinking about it unless we are stressed physically or emotionally. The Apostle Paul exhorts us to, “pray without ceasing.” How does anyone really do that? Reading through the New Testament you get a glimpse. I think it culminates in Romans 12:1-3 when Paul exhorts “Present your body as a living sacrifice which is your reasonable service…” The entire chapter is a primer for living, breathing prayer. To go along with that thought I wanted to share a prayer from 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers.

Lord, I’m Yours. Whatever the cost may be, may Your will be done in my life. I realize I’m not here on Earth to do my own thing, or to seek my own fulfillment or my own glory. I’m not here to indulge my desires, to increase my possessions, to impress people, to be popular, to prove I’m somebody important, or to promote myself. I’m not here even to be relevant or successful by human standards. I’m here to please You.

I offer myself to You, for You are worthy. All that I am or hope to be, I owe to You. I’m Yours by creation, and every day I receive from You life and breath and all things. And I’m Yours because You bought me, and the price You paid was the precious blood of Christ. You alone, the Triune God, are worthy to be my Lord and Master. I yield to You, my gracious and glorious Heavenly Father; to the Lord Jesus who loved me and gave Himself for me; to the Holy Spirit, and His gracious influence and empowering.

All that I am and all that I have I give to You. I give You any rebellion in me that resists doing Your will. I give You my pride and self-dependence that tell me I can do Your will in my own power if I try hard enough. I give You my fears that tell me I’ll never be able to do Your will in some areas of my life. I consent to let You energize me…to create within me, moment by moment, both the desire and the power to do Your will. I give You my body and each of its members…my entire inner being; my mind, my emotional life, my will…my loved ones…my marriage or my hopes for marriage…my abilities and gifts…my strengths and weaknesses…my health…my status (high or low)…my possessions…my past, my present and my future…when and how I’ll go Home.

I’m here to love You, to obey You, to glorify You. O my Beloved, may I be a joy to You!

Our Father in heaven sees you through eyes of love – so much so that He sent His only begotten Son. Don’t you think that He wants to hear your voice in worship and petitions? It is our part to sing unto the Lord whether it be praise or sorrow and then…to listen because He has so much to share with each of us personally, intimately, passionately.