Lenten Struggle, Lenten Prayer 2017

LENTEN STRUGGLE, LENTEN PRAYER 2017

Loving and gracious God –

The words of this song are a cutting challenge to me:

"...for Thee all the pleasures of sin I resign..."

- the pleasure of getting my own way

- the pleasure of having human understanding over just accepting that God understands

- the pleasure of making my own decisions without stopping to pray

- the pleasure of being 'right'

- the pleasure of easy faith without 'dark nights' of hanging on

- the pleasure of times where no one ignores/threatens/maligns or judges me 'unfairly'

- the pleasure of 'certainty'

- the pleasure of taken-for-granted comforts (clean water, shelter, electricity) that so many do not have -

For these sins - the sins of unthankfulness, sloth, selfishness, pride, despairing, independence, demands for 'fairness' - and as well as all the other sins that plague me which I don't even recognise: Lord have mercy.

I ask you Lord Jesus to help me today to change and grow, as you save us all from ourselves, so that we live and work to your praise and glory.

AMEN.