Prayer at Daybreak

I found a link to this over at Slice of Laodicea, a blog I frequent & would suggest you start frequenting it as well if you're interested in Apologetics or just a lively discussion on Biblical topics. Here's the link to the actual thing, Prayer at Daybreak. I'll post my thoughts at the end of it. I'm going to post the entire prayer, and make bold the things that spoke to me.

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O Lord Eternal and Creator of all things,
Who of Thy inscrutable goodness called me to this life;
Who bestowed on me the grace of Baptism
and the Seal of the Holy Spirit;
Who imbued me with the desire to seek Thee,
the one true God: hear my prayer.
I have no life, no light, no joy or wisdom;
no strength except in Thee, O God.Because of my unrighteousness I dare not raise my eyes to Thee.
But Thou said to Thy disciples,
'Whatsoever you shall ask in prayer believing, you shall receive.'
and 'Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do.'
Wherefore I dare to invoke Thee.
Purify me from all taint of flesh and spirit.
Teach me to pray aright.
Bless this day which Thee give unto me, Thy unworthy servant.
By the power of Thy blessing enable me at all times to speak
and act to Thy glory with a pure spirit, with humility, patience,
love, gentleness, peace, courage and wisdom:
aware always of Thy presence.
Of Thy immense goodness, O Lord God, show me the path of Thy will,
and grant me to walk in Thy sight without sin.O Lord, unto Whom all hearts be open,
Thee know what things I have need of.
Thee are acquainted with my blindness and my ignorance,
Thee know my infirmity and my soul's corruption;
but neither are my pain and anguish hid from Thee.
Wherefore I beseech Thee, hear my prayer and by Thy Holy Spirit
teach me the way wherein I should walk;
and when my perverted will would lead me down other paths
spare me not O Lord, but force me back to Thee.
By the power of Thy love, grant me to hold fast to that which is good.
Preserve me from every word or deed that corrupts the soul;
from every impulse unpleasing in Thy sight and hurtful to my brother-man.
Teach me what I should say and how I should speak.
If it be Thy will that I make no answer,
inspire me to keep silent in a spirit of peace
that causes neither sorrow nor hurt to my fellow man.
Establish me in the path of Thy commandments
and to my last breath let me not stray from the light of Thy ordinances,
that Thy commandments may become the sole law
of my being on this earth and all eternity.
Yea, Lord, I pray to Thee, have pity on me.
Spare me in my affliction and my misery
and hide not the way of salvation from me.
In my foolishness, O God, I plead with Thee for many and great things.
Yet am I ever mindful of my wickedness, my baseness, my vileness.
Have mercy upon me.
Cast me not away from your presence because of my presumption.
Do Thee rather increase in me this presumption,
and grant unto me, the worst of men,
to love Thee as Thee have commanded, with all my heart, and with all my soul,
and with all my mind, and with all my strength:
with my whole being.Yea, O Lord, by Thy Holy Spirit, teach me good judgment and knowledge.
Grant me to know Thy truth before I go down into the grave.
Maintain my life in this world until I may offer unto Thee worthy repentance.
Take me not away in the midst of my days, nor while my mind is still blind.
When Thee shall be pleased to bring my life to an end,
forewarn me that I may prepare my soul to come before Thee.
Be with me, O Lord, at that dread hour and grant me the joy of salvation.
Cleanse me from secret faults, from all iniquity that is hidden in me;
and give me a right answer before Thy judgment-seat.
Yea, Lord, of Thy great mercy and immeasurable love for mankind.
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I really don't know what to tell you. Basically, this prayer is a much more elequent version of what I pray for my life. It is my sincear hope & prayer that God contines to guide me in His will. I hate it when I stray from His path, as it does nothing but harm for me and my loved ones.

Even momentary slip ups, those moments when I let loose & resurrect the evil that died when I came to Christ, I hate them. I wish not much more than for my quick - sharp tounge, my temper, my lustfullness, to be finally cast down & burned. But when I don't stop and pray in those moments that these things tend to come to life, I'm ignoring God & asking for trouble.

I long for His guidance, to know when & how to speak, and when not to. And Christ gives me that guidance through the Holy Spirit, yet I ignore it more often that I'd like. It is so frustrating. The more I seek His will the more Satan puts people in my life that I will just go off the handle with if I don't stop and pray. And if that means being in prayer 23.5 hours a day, that's what I need to do.

Slowly, I am coming to that. It's just these set backs are so painful. I get discouraged easily with myself, and indeed with others, and Satan temps me to act on that rather than acting on love.

Even the sarcasm, boy that's going to be a hard one, has got to go. I mean the things I say in good spirit, I never intentionally hurt anyone yet I know I have to lay that down. If I want a better relationship with my Father, I have to willingly and joyfully give up the things that seperate me from Him. And when I slip up I have to drop to my knees in repentance and then correct the issue with whoever might be in my path at the time.

I cannot fight with someone (there are many of them), I cannot continue to get in screaming matches with someone just because "they deserve it" for whatever they do to me. Let people think of me what they will, Christ will defend me, has defened me in a way I'll never match. Let them accuse me, let them think wrongly and speak lies. Let them believe their lies. I care not (I strive not to care at any rate).

Christ said nothing when He was accused. He said nothing in His defense as He was nailed to that cross for my sin. That's what I long to model. I long to do as Christ does. I want to follow Him, even unto death for I know He is with me and that in the end I shall spend eternity with my dear Savior.