Mount Hermon Prayer 2010

30 Comments 01 April 2010

I had the privilege again this year to pray at the Palm Sunday service at Mount Hermon. Not usually prone to write out my prayers for a situation like this, I felt God nudge me to be sure I prayed particular things. So I wrote it down. Here it is. I pray it blesses you. I pray it becomes your prayer, my prayer, our prayer.

“Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You” (Jeremiah 32:17).

Lord, we are a fearful people. Forgive us for elevating security and safety above You. Fearful, we do not risk. We prefer the status quo over living the adventure of following in Your steps. Forgive us for finding satisfaction in complacency, in the way things have always been, in the way we think life should be.

Lord, we live in the land of If Only. If only we could point to a published piece, a reader’s positive feedback, a stellar bottom line. Lord, ground us in the great right now, away from the tyranny of if only. Please be our sufficiency.

Forgive us for filling the recesses of our hearts with lesser things. Forgive us for elevating our acclaim over your rightful fame. Forgive us for seeing today’s struggles as if they were bigger than You.

Thank You that it’s not our harried performance You’re after–that You don’t call us to be big and strong. Forgive us for thinking our strength accomplishes Your purposes. May we shake hands with our weakness today, knowing that our weakness is the dance floor You dance Your strength.

Enlarge our view of You. Grow our hearts to receive more of Your heart. Expand our minds enough to embrace Your mystery, Your intricacy, Your perplexing beauty.

We want to be a people who see You lofty, who have an affectionate view of our readers and a sensible, healthy view of ourselves.

Do what You will, Lord. Take it all–our insecurities, jealousies, trials, hopes, successes, journeys, and temptations. We choose in this holy moment to let go of worry, stress, and striving. Oh Jesus, it’s all for You.

Amen.

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Bonnie Leon

And Amen.
Bonnie Leon

And Amen.
O Mom

Ohhh Amen. Just what I needed to hear (pray) this morning.
O Mom

Ohhh Amen. Just what I needed to hear (pray) this morning.
Marti Pieper

AMEN.Praying alongside you–with love and gratitude.
Marti Pieper

AMEN.Praying alongside you–with love and gratitude.
Angel

Mary,I've decided today is the day! Today I will leave a comment because I have once again been moved by something you have written on your blog. A blog I have been reading for well over a year now. The Lord used these words from your prayer to challenge and convict me:"Forgive us for elevating security and safety above You." And, "Lord, ground us in the great right now, away from the tyranny of if only. Please be our sufficiency."As a budding writer myself, I have often let fear rule me, drowning in an ocean of "if only". But the Lord has been kind to me, encouraging me to take risks. I even started a blog to help overcome some of that fear, a big step for me! He is helping me to see that risking failure is part of living an adventurous and more fulfilled, Christ-like life. Sorry for rambling. I just want to thank you for sharing your journey. You are truly an inspiration.
Angel

Mary,I've decided today is the day! Today I will leave a comment because I have once again been moved by something you have written on your blog. A blog I have been reading for well over a year now. The Lord used these words from your prayer to challenge and convict me:"Forgive us for elevating security and safety above You." And, "Lord, ground us in the great right now, away from the tyranny of if only. Please be our sufficiency."As a budding writer myself, I have often let fear rule me, drowning in an ocean of "if only". But the Lord has been kind to me, encouraging me to take risks. I even started a blog to help overcome some of that fear, a big step for me! He is helping me to see that risking failure is part of living an adventurous and more fulfilled, Christ-like life. Sorry for rambling. I just want to thank you for sharing your journey. You are truly an inspiration.
Mary DeMuth

Angel, I'm so thankful the prayer blessed you. Thanks for responding to the blog, too!
Mary DeMuth

Angel, I'm so thankful the prayer blessed you. Thanks for responding to the blog, too!
Sheila Deeth

Thanks Mary, for the prayer and the challenge to drop a few of those if onlys.
Sheila Deeth

Thanks Mary, for the prayer and the challenge to drop a few of those if onlys.
Sheila Deeth

Thanks Mary, for the prayer and the challenge to drop a few of those if onlys.
Sherrie Ashcraft

A beautiful expression of what's in my heart. Thanks for sharing it with all of us, Mary.
Sherrie Ashcraft

A beautiful expression of what's in my heart. Thanks for sharing it with all of us, Mary.
Miriam Cheney

I love it! Particularly the part about elevating security and safety over living the adventure of following Him. I believe he would have us throw off our inhibitions and jump in, unhindered, to our callings. Life is so much better when we realize God is not bound our expectations. In fact, he far exceeds them.
Miriam Cheney

I love it! Particularly the part about elevating security and safety over living the adventure of following Him. I believe he would have us throw off our inhibitions and jump in, unhindered, to our callings. Life is so much better when we realize God is not bound our expectations. In fact, he far exceeds them.
Lynnda – Passionate

Your prayer speaks for all of us, Mary.Miriam, I agree with you, God is not bound by our expectations of Him. More than that, He is not bound by our self-made limitations. That adventure He calls us to live will stretch us until we fail to recognize ourselves. That's because we will look so much like Jesus. How great is that!?!
Lynnda – Passionate

Your prayer speaks for all of us, Mary.Miriam, I agree with you, God is not bound by our expectations of Him. More than that, He is not bound by our self-made limitations. That adventure He calls us to live will stretch us until we fail to recognize ourselves. That's because we will look so much like Jesus. How great is that!?!
Dena Dyer

I love the image of our weakness as a dance floor where he dances His strength. My dance floor is HUGE! LOL Thanks for the honesty and humility with which you prayed and shared this.
Dena Dyer

I love the image of our weakness as a dance floor where he dances His strength. My dance floor is HUGE! LOL Thanks for the honesty and humility with which you prayed and shared this.
Heidi Bylsma

Thanks so much for posting the text of your prayer. I so desperately wanted to be able to hear it again! And now here it is! YAY! Thank you, Mary.
Heidi Bylsma

Thanks so much for posting the text of your prayer. I so desperately wanted to be able to hear it again! And now here it is! YAY! Thank you, Mary.
Heidi Bylsma

Thanks so much for posting the text of your prayer. I so desperately wanted to be able to hear it again! And now here it is! YAY! Thank you, Mary.
Carol

Oh, Mary that was so beautiful. I need to pray this prayer daily. I want to be used by God. If that means getting a book published, yahoo. If that means living out my daily life in obedience and changing the world one person at a time through each and every small interaction, that is okay, too. Thanks for this!Carol @ sheep to the right
Carol

Oh, Mary that was so beautiful. I need to pray this prayer daily. I want to be used by God. If that means getting a book published, yahoo. If that means living out my daily life in obedience and changing the world one person at a time through each and every small interaction, that is okay, too. Thanks for this!Carol @ sheep to the right
Shannon

Thank you for the prayer and words; as I just begin this journey.In Him,Shannon
Shannon

Thank you for the prayer and words; as I just begin this journey.In Him,Shannon
Linda

Amen! I needed to hear this today. Thank you for sharing.
Linda

Amen! I needed to hear this today. Thank you for sharing.