Father, in Jesus' name, it is amazing to think that You know my heart and You love me the same. I can sense my heart drifting from You these last few days. Lately, I must confess that I am beginning to be consumed with thoughts of ministry, thinking that more ministry projects and reaching more people are the signs of success. When walking in obedience to Your Word and in intimate fellowship with You is true success.
God, help me to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that easily entangles and let me run with perseverance the race You've marked out for me. Help me to fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. O God, by the Spirit, lead me to confess and repent of my pride, selfishness, selfish ambition, desire to please man, indifference, and apathy towards You. Lord, please help me to put the heart motivations and practices of the old man to death.
Jesus, fill me to overflowing measure with Your Spirit. Make me a man whose greatest desire is You and that You are honored and glorified in and through my life. Make me one who loves Your presence so that as the psalmist I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the most beautiful palace of the wicked. Bring me to the place that I would rather be poor, languish in obscurity, be marginalized, mistreated, misunderstood, laughed at, persecuted, and even killed as I live in intimate fellowship with You, Jesus, than to be rich, famous, celebrated, honored, memorialized, and given preference in this world. Jesus, since You have the words of eternal life let me never turn from You to enjoy temporary worldly pleasures that fade away.
God, make my love so great for You that I'll choose to walk with You even if those closest to me in this world walk away from me. Jesus, may You have the preeminence, priority, and first place only in my heart, life, marriage, family, and ministry. Forgive me for the many times when I've treated You as if You had to compete for my love and affection with someone or something else. The thought of that is absolutely ridiculous for there is no one like You - not even infinitely close - and no one who has done or could even come close to doing what You have done for me.
God, pour Your Spirit upon my life like gasoline and set my entire life ablaze with Your holy presence. Get my eyes and heart off of what You're inviting me to partner with You in and get them on You, Jesus - the One who is with me, in me, and will do what You've called me to do through me. Make me a man who is deeply dependent upon You. Bring me to the place where I realize that apart from You I can do nothing and yet I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me. Grant me great confidence for You are with me and have promised to never leave me nor forsake me. Give me a heart that is made perfect towards You so that You will show Yourself strong on my behalf as others see and experience You, Jesus, through me. I ask this in Your mighty name. Amen!