“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6 (NIV)
“LORD, you understand; remember me and care for me.” Jeremiah 15:15a (NIV)
Father,
My mind knows You are omnipresent, filling every space in my life. When I’m surrounded by good gifts–birds chirping in my yard, my little one cooing in my arms–You rock on my front porch swing with me. When I’m engulfed with fear–fidgeting in a sterile doctor's office, or shaking my head in defeat when my spouse and I resort to hateful words–You are there, not only present but available to pause heaven’s commands and offer a forgiving heart to my failed attempts to live like You. Whether the days are short, sweet, and filled with sun or long, dreary, and clouded with heartache, You are here, careful to carve out all things for my good.
My mind knows these things.
But my heart isn’t always so sure.
There are days my soul clings to the loneliness it feels rather than the God it knows, and so I ask, Jesus, that You grant me the grace to accept that You not only hear but respond to my feeble prayers, that when our connection feels spotty or static, my weary, wavering heart is forever tethered to Your love and bound to Your gentle, scarred hands that lead with long-suffering goodness.
Grant me the bravery to accept that You aren’t limited to what I feel but empowered by what I’m not, that my imperfections make room for Your perfect mercies, and that my doubts create space for Your faith in me to shine.
Help me whisper Psalm 23 with confidence, not only hoping but believing that Your mercies will truly follow me all the days of my life, and even while I’m here on earth, I dwell in Your house, in Your love, in Your presence, in Your favor, always and forever.
In Your Holy Name, Jesus,
Amen.
