Drawn Nearer
Praying Toward the Heart of God
Whether passing through times of uncertainty and pain or enjoying seasons of joy and peace, our aim as believers should be to seek the heart of God. We do this through paying attention to our emotions, filling our minds with Scripture, serving others in need, and lifting up our hearts in prayer.
I offer this prayer in the hope that you will use/adapt its words to fit the particular challenges and celebrations you may be facing today as you seek the heart of God.
Lord, I ask to receive and acknowledge the appointed blessings You offer up to me this day.
I know You the source of every good gift, and I thank You for the generous way You pour out these blessings on me.
Help me not to grasp and grab for more, but to gratefully accept all that You freely provide.
Grant me the ability and the desire to behold the good around me and to praise You for it.
Help me to see the blessings that arrive even in the midst of life’s burdensome seasons. Allow me the awareness to appreciate grace even as it often comes disguised as hard work, disappointment, or loss. Help me to see that while some blessings are immediately appreciated, the value of others will only be fully revealed in time.
I ask for the ability to see and discern what is best and most aligned with Your will for my life.
Lord, help me see myself more truly.
Allow me the character to be honest and open with both my gifts and with my shortcomings. Help me to realize and repent when I willfully embrace paths that do not lead to closer communion with You. Strengthen me to turn from these dangerous distractions and self-focused aims.
Let me honestly appreciate my own weaknesses and thereby understand my constant need to walk faithfully with You.
I ask that my heart would continually be open to Your nearness, and from this awareness, may I seek to share hope with others.
I pray for the people I encounter each day- whether family in my home, friends in my community, or strangers on the street. For those who do not know You, I pray for them to be blessed with open eyes, open hearts, and more opportunities to be touched by the good news of Jesus.
Give me the ability to live by faith- not rooted in self-will, but in every way and more each day aligned to Your will for my life.
Help me to praise the good works going on around me regardless of who receives the credit. Allow me to be a person who looks to encourage rather than one who constantly seeks to find fault. Help me to stay caring and curious as I navigate my way through the ever-changing seasons of life.
Do not let me grow weary in doing good, but rather help me to develop the rhythms and practices I need to remain healthy and whole even as I seek to serve those who are struggling. Grant me an openness and awareness of people’s needs as I move through my day. Help me to observe and to inquire for ways to help and let me do this for people’s good and Your glory.
As I draw near to You, help me to see that a true focus on You will draw me nearer to others. As Jesus did, help me to offer up welcome and hope into the world. May You grant assurance and peace as I am more and more conformed to Your will.
May Your desires be my desires as I am drawn nearer to Your compassionate heart.
Through Christ I pray, amen.
This is my prayer every day. Not exactly how I word it, in fact, not even close, but greatly paraphrased. My cup does runneth over for sure and I ask God to take those extra blessings and pour them onto others in much greater need. Thank you for this prayer.