Listen to me God…
May the aroma of my praise come before You
May the physical act of my praise be seen as a sacrifice to You
Stop me from saying the callous, stupid things that I’m prone to
Zip my lip, so that the power of harm doesn’t see the light of day
Go further still, sanctify and purify my heart
so it’s heaven-bent on good and doesn’t tire of running after it
Keep me out of the influence and sway of dodgy characters
don’t let me aquire a taste for their sweet and sickening candy
Give me a teachable, humble spirit
Submit my heart to Godly wisdom
Don’t let me take offense from Jesus-lovers wanting me to grow.
Better still, make me quick to seek their guidance.
Set my heart against evil – it does me harm, it harms others
May my desire for good stand in the presence of evil
In all this, may I find myself in You:
my safe place, my sword, my shield, my rock
May the evil of others be seen for its dead-end fruitlessness
yet keep me safe as a light-bearing follower who runs after Your glory.
Please let this be.
– Simon Elliott