Praise be to you, Lord, for your guidance and goodness, for your kind and consistent, detailed and direct involvement in our lives. I praise you, Lord, for how you are so consistent in pouring grace into our lives, giving us the opposite of what we deserve.

Thank you for your patience with us as we zigzag along, bouncing between arrogant rebellion and abject self-pity.

We so quickly forget the most basic spiritual truths, like the fact that you are our Shepherd so we will not lack; like need to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving instead of complaining; like what we actually deserve is condemnation and rejection but you give us the opposite; like the fact we can do nothing without you, and that we should keep the armor on so we can effectively fight the devil rather than people. We are so prone to spiritual amnesia!

But you do not give up on us, Lord. You are gracefully, lovingly consistent in correction, protection and, when necessary, rebuke.

I thank you so much, Lord, for the privilege of not just being in your family, but of being able to come at any minute directly to you in the throne room of Heaven,  and to crawl up in your lap for comfort, encouragement and redirection. You are a wonder, too good to be true, but are actually even better than that!

Help us to live in the light of your great goodness, your rich righteousness, your lavish love and your powerful presence. Help us to join you today in your plans, to shed our pride, our selfishness, our lust for significance and security and to find rest in humbly bowing before you in the fear of God, joyfully accepting all you will bring.

Help us to move by prayer, to work through obedience and to overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit so that you may be honored throughout this day.