Praise your name always

Oh God, sometimes You seem so far away. I cannot always sense Your presence or feel Your power. At times there seems to be only darkness around me. How long do Ihave to live in this void, O God? How long?

Break into the night around me, O God; fill in the vast emptiness. Enter into my conflict lest I fall and believe I cannot rise again. I continue to trust in Your ever-present love. I shall again discover true joy in my relationship to You. I will proclaim Your praises, my Lord, for you will never let me go. I know that nothing can be hidden from you. I can only acknowledge my errors and accept your loving forgiveness.

O Lord; heal the hurts of those who have been affected by my failures. Restore to me the joy and assurance of a right relationship with you. Reinstate me in your purposes, and help me to avoid the snares and pitfalls along the way. It is only then that my tongue will be set free to sing your praises and my hands to perform the tasks you have set before me. It is only then that I can relate deeply and meaningfully to all those I encounter and communicate to them the message of reconciling love.

I come to you with only the desire for a new spirit in my heart. I come with a sincere desire to be your servant, to walk in your course for my life, to receive your love and channel it to my fellow human beings about me.

I thank you, God, that this is acceptable to you and that I will remain your child forever. And I will praise your name always.