A Prayer From This Christian Hedonist

Lord,

I grieve my hardness of heart,

the coldness of my love,

the brevity of my joy.

You have planted so much in my heart, and yet harvested so little.

And yet I know from Your Word that You are a God

who is gracious to the point of extravagance,

faithful to the point of death and beyond,

loving with an omnipotent, conquering love that has drawn and bound me to Yourself.

And so I come with reckless boldness to the throne of grace,

with empty hands pleading the blood of the Lamb.

And Lord,

I ask for more.

From You who gives grace upon grace, I ask for more mercy.

From You who are Love itself, I ask for a more tender heart.

From You who are a consuming fire, I ask for more holiness.

I want to know the love that surpasses knowledge.  I want all the fullness of God.  

I want a greater faith 

and greater wisdom 

and greater assurance

and greater joy 

and greater passion 

and greater love.

I ask for these things with a holy greed that I believe honors You.

For I want to serve You more,

bless You more,

glorify You more,

magnify You more,

give more people more reasons for more thankfulness and more praise.

If You leave me in my hardened, empty condition,

I will have nothing for Your people

and nothing for Your glory.

I want, I need Your fullness.  

I have nothing with which to overflow;

Send Your Spirit to cause rivers of living waters to flow in me.

Quench my thirst,

satisfy my heart with Your steadfast love,

and send me out in the strength of the Fountain

for a life of joyful service.

I pray this in the name of the Mediator,

clothed in the righteousness of the Mediator,

in the strength of the Mediator,

for the glory of the Mediator,

Jesus Christ.

Amen.