Dear God:

I once saw a prayer that stated, “Please keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.” This is so appropriate for me today. I need Your comfort, Your protection, Your enveloping Love. I need You to keep me close to You, tightly close. I can feel myself straying, wanting what I want when I want it, disregarding another’s feelings. I can feel the pull of the enemy – and I can hear his voice in my ear, whispering insults and comebacks to mock others.

Help me, dear Lord, to walk in Your grace. Help me to seek Your way in all I do and say throughout the day ahead. Help me to let go of my selfishness and self-centeredness. Help me to hold my tongue instead of allowing it to flap in the breeze of reactions and thoughtlessness. Help me, please.

It saddens me to send You these words today, these pleading prayers. Shouldn’t I know better by now? Shouldn’t I act better by now? Shouldn’t I think better by now? Oh, I am so full of myself! Please empty me, dear Lord! Please bless me with the humility and grace that I am certain will only ever come to me because of You. Show me the way, dear Lord, to Your path, Your message, Your words. Show me the way to You.

Thank You a gazillion times multiplied by infinity…
Your challenging child,
Jessica