Mercy Road Daily Prayer ~ Wednesday November 16, 2011


Lord God,

When I think about your unfailing love and perfect justice, my heart is filled with joy. Nevertheless, when I ponder your holiness, and call me to imitate you, I am discouraged, because I know I cannot live up to your standard, and I need your help to live with integrity. I need your strength to resist the temptations of this world and reject the idols of my heat. I need your courage to stand up against evil, and those who slander, gossip, and lie. I need your wisdom to rebuke the arrogant, proud and self-righteous.

Look upon me with favor, gracious God, that I might live in your presences. Lead me, in the way I must go to follow you and instruct me in how I should live. Don’t be silent, Lord, but speak to me, so I can hear your voice. Don’t allow those who oppose you to oppress me, or malign me. Don’t let them harm me or make my life difficult for no reason. Protect me and defend me, Lord.

Demonstrate you justice and truth to all who are merciless and unjust. Undermine their selfish plans and bring them to their knees. Reveal their wickedness to all so that they might be exposed for who they really are. Do not let them prosper from their evil.

However, as for me, Sovereign Lord, be kind to me, I pray, so that others will know you are good. Because your great love for me, bless me and rescue me from my sin. For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain. I feel as though I am fading like a shadow at dusk. People seem to brush me off like a worthless insect.

I am weak because I cannot eat; and I am tired because I cannot sleep. I am wasting away under the stress and strain of my life, and I need your help, O God. I need your great love to strengthen me, and your mercy to give me hope for tomorrow. I need to know that you will protect me from danger and hold me up when I am about to fall. Though I know I am responsible for many of my own struggles, I need your help to get out of them so that I will not be ashamed, and you will not be dishonored by my failures.

Give me a thankful heart for all that you have already done for me, Lord, and let me never stop singing your praise. Help me to do that which is just and right in your eyes and do not leave me at the mercy of those who might oppress me. Let me see my salvation in you and feel the assurance it provides. Help me to love your commandments, and obey them out of my love for you. Deal with me according to your steadfast love, and not according to what I deserve. Deal with me according to the sacrifice Jesus made on my behalf when he stretched out his arms and hung on the cross for my sin.

Help me to be true to him and faithful to you through the power of your Spirit living in me. For the sake of your Son Jesus, I pray all these things in his holy name, Amen.

~Read: Psalm 101, 109:1-30; 119:121-144; Revelation 21:9-21; Matthew 17:22-27