NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 2/25



Lent’s a time for me to review my life
    with its all its failings and blessings,
a time to take a personal inventory
    of how I’ve loved or failed to love God
        and all those whose paths have crossed mine…


When I look to my past, I remember
those I’ve hurt, disappointed and even betrayed:
    more often than not,
        doing harm was not my intention 
    but harm I caused nonetheless  
    by my selfishness, my carelessness, 
        my haste and neglect…


Too often, I forget that the people around me

    are as fragile or even more fragile than I am,
that I need to be careful, compassionate and gentle
    with everyone whose path crosses mine…
Lord, if  there are ways for me to make amends, 
show me how and give me the courage
    to say what I need to say
    and to do what I need to do,
    – and all of this sooner than later…
 
And if the time and circumstances for making amends  
    have long since passed me by,
then hear my prayer for those I’ve hurt
    and heal what’s passed beyond my reach…
Open my eyes, my mind and heart
to those around me now, Lord:
    wake me to their presence,
        their plight and their needs
    and keep me gentle in all the ways
        that my life touches theirs… 
And when others harm me 
    with their words and deeds,
teach me to forgive, Lord,
    as you, in your mercy, always pardon me…
Help me forgive those who’ve hurt me:
help me forgive family and friends
    who’ve done me harm; 
help me forgive strangers
    whose victim I have been;
help me forgive those who’ve hurt me
    by mistake or even by intention;
help me forgive my enemy, Lord,
    those who wish me ill…
O God, this is so hard – too hard!
To forgive the one who’s done me wrong 
seems illogical, impractical,
    unfair, unjust, impossible!

But help me remember, Lord, 
    how much, how often, how fully and how freely 
        you’ve forgiven me
    you whose law and love so often I’ve transgressed…
And this, Lord:
    help me to see and to trust that when I forgive 
        the one who’s harmed me
    the first one I set free –  is myself…
Help me forgive those who’ve hurt me, Lord
    so that I’m not longer held captive,
    no longer consumed,
    no longer shackled
    by the anger, animosity and resentment
        that eats away at my soul… 
I’ll pray it again, Lord:
    help me to see and to trust that when I forgive

        the first one I set free –  is myself…

       

Teach me to forgive as you forgive me:
show me your mercy, Lord,
and teach me to forgive…
Protect me, Lord, while I’m awake
and watch over me when I sleep
that awake, I might keep watch with you
and asleep, rest in your peace…

 

Especially tonight, our evening song is essential
to the message of this post…
It’s the hardest thing to give away 
And the last thing on your mind today 
It always goes to those who don’t deserve 
It’s the opposite of how you feel 
When the pain they caused is just too real 
It takes everything you have to say the word… 
Forgiveness
Forgiveness 
It flies in the face of all your pride 
It moves away the mad inside 
It’s always anger’s own worst enemy 
Even when the jury and the judge 
Say you gotta right to hold a grudge 
It’s the whisper in your ear saying ‘set it free’ 
Forgiveness, Forgiveness 
Forgiveness, Forgiveness 
Show me how to love the unlovable 
Show me how to reach the unreachable 
Help me now to do the impossible 
Forgiveness, Forgiveness 
Help me now to do the impossible 
Forgiveness 
It’ll clear the bitterness away 
It can even set a prisoner free 
There is no end to what its power can do 
So let it go and be amazed 
By what you see through eyes of grace 
The prisoner that it really frees is you 
Forgiveness, Forgiveness 
Forgiveness, Forgiveness 
Show me how to love the unlovable 
Show me how to reach the unreachable 
Help me now to do the impossible 
Forgiveness I want to finally set it free 
So show me how to see what your mercy sees 
Help me now to give what you gave to me
Forgiveness, Forgiveness 
Forgiveness, Forgiveness 
Forgiveness


  

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