A Prayer Against Leaning on Ourselves

Father, we come to you with divided hearts. Part of us trusts you and part of us keeps calculating, keeps planning for the possibility that you will not come through. You ask for all our heart. We give you what we can and ask you to take the rest.

We have leaned on our own understanding this week. We have made decisions before praying. We have treated our worries as if they were wisdom. We have honored you with our words and kept our wealth for ourselves. Forgive us, and do not let us grow comfortable with the pattern.

Where you are disciplining us, help us not to despise it. Remind us that you correct the children you delight in. Let us feel the delight and not only the correction.

Make our paths straight. We do not ask for easy paths, only true ones, paths that lead toward you and toward the people you have given us. Give us wisdom that is more precious than anything we could buy, and give us the sense to want it. In the name of Jesus. Amen.