"Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them." -Psalm 10:17-18
Oh, and God, when you hear their cries, though I know I'm not perfect, please use me to comfort them. When justice is brought to the little orphans and your people who are oppressed, open my eyes to see it and let Your Spirit work through me to be that change You and I both want to see in the world. Use me to shine Your love to the unloved, the helpless and those who feel they're worthless. Open my eyes and show Your people their worth. Redeem them, Lord. Use me for Your mission in a powerful way so no one in my life ever feels forgotten, worthless, depressed, or hopeless. Speak Your words of truth and love into their lives and their souls, God. I've been there. I know how it is to be lonely and forgotten, written off as worthless to the world and measured against giants. I've had my back against the wall. I've messed up and forsaken You time after time. But God, my face is toward You and my eyes are fixed on Your glory. Open them to see how You want to use me to show them Your kingdom. Turn my face toward those who need Your love. God, I love You and I want to see you smile down on me in pride. I want to see Your face beaming. I want to do things for You as You've done so much for me, redeeming me completely. I know I'll never measure up, but I want to try my best to give back to You in our relationship.
I surrender my talents: my smile, my words, my eyes, my ears, my heart, my hands and feet. They're all too small but I'll grin from ear to ear, speak words of love, have a vision for the world as You intend it to look and see Your people through Your eyes, listen with an open, sharp mind to use every opportunity You set before me, clean out my heart and make room for any who seek refuge in You, use my hands for only gentleness, healing, comfort, and honest work, and always walk where You walk in the world. God, I love You, and I see how You love me. It's the most wonderful thing, and even better to know You think everyone in this world is just as great as I am. I promise all of these things.
I know I'll fail, though I’ll strive with all I am not to. My smile will sometimes falter in the storms of life, my words will tear others down when I forget how You see me and how You see them, my eyes will look upon things unlovely, un-noble, and unrighteous, they’ll be harsh and hard toward people unlike myself when I remove the lens of Your love, I’ll shut my ears against those who are hurting, insensitive and unforgiving when they fall as I forget that You paid for THEIR redemption, just like mine. The space in my heart will fill up with fruitless pursuits, idleness, and ugliness when I kick You off its throne. Sometimes my hands will tear down and lash out; they’ll pick up the hammer to drive the nails further into Your hands upon that cross as I insist that my own way is the best, and my feet will refuse to move or walk the wrong way when I can’t see You working in the world.
I know this may all happen, and I know You deserve better. So I’ll be better. Every day, I promise I will. You deserve me at my best, God, because You’ve set Your hope and trust in me and made me a steward, a caretaker, of Your world and everything in it. Amen.
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