I ran across this prayer in my internet wanderings and thought I would post it. It is supposedly a prayer Martin Luther prayed in the church sacristy before each church service. I think if more pastors prayed this, the church would be in much better shape than it is.
Lord God,
You have made me a pastor and teacher in Your Church,
but you see how unfit I am to meet so great and difficult a task;
and if I had been without Your help,
I would have ruined it all long ago.
Therefore, I call upon You:
I gladly wish to yield and devote my mouth and my heart to you;
I will teach Your people,
and I myself will learn and ponder diligently upon Your Word.
Use me as Your instrument in Your service.
Only do not forsake me,
for if ever I should be on my own,
I would certainly wreck it all.
- Martin Luther
What do we non-pastors use, Will?
Good question, James. I think I will post some more classic prayers in the coming days.
Since we are living in a cut-n-paste world, sort of, maybe any reader could just take the lines that are of most use.
I’m not a big fan of praying to God myself, but a few lines resonate for me:
I gladly wish to yield and devote my mouth and my heart to you;
Only do not forsake me,
for if ever I should be on my own,
I would certainly wreck it all.
I’m a big fan of the dependence, or interdependence, idea, and so saying something like this in my head as I meet someone or listen to someone could have some decent effects on the brain chemistry…