Week 3: Take My Life & Let It Be

Wednesday
Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

May the moments of my daily living be considered consecrated to You. Cast Your grace on my human attempt to glorify You through my ordinary living. I pray for a heart of endless praise and joy for Your gift of forgiveness and unending love. Lord, my life is not mine to control or determine. You have claimed my life as sacred and divine for the building up of Your kingdom. Continue to remind me of my purpose as Your created. I pray that my praises effortlessly and continually flow from my heart. Forgive me for the times and seasons of life when my heart is reluctant to praise You.

Thursday
Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.

I remember a family vacation in Mesa Verde, Colorado. After we explored the cliff dwellings of the Pueblo people, the guide asked the kids in the group to open the palms of their hands. He went on to say how our hands will create many things in our lifetime, as the Pueblo people created a beautiful home with their hands. I remember looking at my palms and dreaming of all the work and blessings that would come from them. Hands which would receive a college diploma, (and soon-to-be a Master's degree), hold the hands of 1st graders in Hong Kong, hold a bowl of food for the children in Nicaragua, carry medicine in a clinic in Guinea, carry sleeping bags for 3rd graders on camp-out night in Washington, pray over a friend during her grief of a lost one, hold her best friend's bouquet on her wedding day. Lord, my hands have moved "at the impulse of Your love." You have directed me to many beautiful places and people. I pray that my hands may continue to work for the redemption of Your love. Thank You for placing me in so many places for the glory of Your will. I am humbled to be the "works of Your hands."

Friday
Take my voice and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.

Fridays are my "coffee date" days. Thank You for providing me conversations that revolve around You and nurture my faith. You have given me the gift of appreciation for music. Thank You for giving me a mother who worships and serves You through her gift of musical talent. As I venture into my profession, I've come to realize how language shapes relationships. The abstract force of language creates connections, pain, loss, joy, disappointment, excitement. May the "language" of my life point to the cross. May my singing, my conversation, my writing, and my thinking worship You. When I feel hopeless and exhausted, fill my song with Your hope and strength. Remind me of my purpose: to proclaim Your message.

Saturday
Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose.

Lord, relieve me from worry about my financial future. Allow me to live in the freedom that You will provide. Relieve me from anxiety of becoming a competent and successful speech-language pathologist. You will provide the intellect and confidence to serve those with my education. Lord, may I remember that all I earn or work for - belongs to You. May I use my successes to glorify You. Keep nurturing my spiritual gift of giving. You choose the "powers" that my gifts will contribute to. Lead me to a life that I give all, my intellect and gold,  to You.

Sunday
Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine;
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.

Lord, I'm struggling with trusting Your will. I invest all my energy in my will. I believed I was living out Your will. I centered my love around You. I pursued my relationship to glorify You. I confidently believed that my dream was apart of Your will. For the first time, I felt as if my will was in line with Yours. And now, they are astronomically different. Lord, I'm struggling with this. I pray for the trust in the goodness of Your will. We mess up Your plan all the time - yet You work for the goodness of Your creation. Supply faith to Your heart-broken, that You will create good from my devastation. Provide faith that You will is better than mine. My heart and dreams are Yours. Give me the faith and hope in living under Your will. Lord, I ask for the ability to let go of what I thought I wanted, of what I thought You wanted. May I let go of my will and faithfully live in Yours with joy and gratefulness. Let it be so.

Monday
Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store;
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all, for Thee.

Lord, give me a heart that pursues You above all. In the past few weeks, I have experienced the pain and exhaustion of pouring my love into earthly desires and dreams. Forgive me for seeking fulfillment from others, rather than You. May I fearlessly and courageously follow You and invest my energy and love into building Your kingdom. I know that I am incapable of "deciding" to completely surrender my love to You. Only You can grant me the gift of a bold faith to do so. Lord, I pray that You supply me with such faith. Shape me into a fearless and joyous child of the King. I pray with boldness and confidence.

Tuesday

Take my life and let it be

Lord, take my life and let it be a living sacrifice for Your glory. Push me to trust You and lead me to areas of discomfort and the "unknown" as a testament to Your plan of goodness. This past week, I have repeatedly prayed the simple, yet powerful, prayer of "Trust in His goodness." Keep seeking my heart and my trust. I pray for the day that this prayer is answered, and faith shall be sight. I pray for the day that I see Your goodness working in my life again - may this day come quickly.

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Galatians 2:20