MY PRAYER: Developing Real Purpose in Life
by Jack Watts
Heavenly Father,
When I reflect upon my life from the days of my
Mischievous youth to those of my grandiose twenties,
I knew You were there for me and would never leave,
But in all honesty, life was all about me—my goals,
My ambitions, my desires, and my striving to achieve.
Although I knew You, and had already accepted Christ
To be my Lord and Savior, it was still all about me
And my perpetual desire to become great for You.
Then, as so often is the case, all of my pretentiousness
And flamboyant thoughts of what I was going to do for You
Were dashed upon the rocks of life’s relentless challenges.
Instead of being a strong, bold, courageous, and immovable force,
I became timid, hesitant, and demurring—almost as if my faith
Could only be expressed in safe places and with safe people.
I would love to say this hasn’t been the true report about me,
But in the deepest recesses of my heart, I know that it is.
I need to tell You that it is and confess my timidity openly
And honestly. I also need to acknowledge that this is not
Who I want to be, or who I intend to be, from this day forward.
Instead, I want to fervently assert that I Am Not Ashamed
Of You, of Your Son, of Your Word, or of the Gospel that has
The power to penetrate the darkness and transform it into light.
I Am Not Ashamed to be the person You have called me to be,
And I Am Not Ashamed to stand strong for You, for my family,
Or for our mighty nation, the United States of America. Father,
For as many of my numbered days as there are left to be lived,
I intend to use each of them to be the salt that is required to counter
Our depraved, corrupt, and decadent society, as each of us
Relentlessly, vigorously, and consistently transforms our
Beloved nation into the “city on a hill” You desire it to be.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, which is necessary
To strengthen, sustain, and lead me, this is my commitment to You,
Amen.