A Poem and a Prayer

It is super late right now. By the world's standards (and honestly by my standards)...I should be sleeping, but I think God wants me to write this while these thoughts are fresh in my heart. Let me just say that I think sleep is really important to your health... and that we should have regular sleeping patterns and get about eight hours of sleep a night. But God is our sustainer, and if He is keeping you up, I am sure there is an important reason, and he deserves to be your first priority. 

So, I have begun to read the Bible. At first my goal was to just read it through in order to get the big picture. I wasn't going to focus on all the details; I just wanted to get through to have a greater understanding of this crazy, amazing history book. I wasn't really expecting that God would reveal a whole lot in the details... but things are never what I expect them to be. It's a beautiful thing, really. 

I'm making a commitment to reading the Bible this year, and to journal about what I learn/what God reveals to me. Since this blog is to help keep me accountable, I figured this is a good place to do it. 

Anyway, I'm reading in Genesis, and the story of the flood hit me like never before... If God has the ability to cleanse this entire earth from impurity, how much more will He cleanse our hearts if we ask Him? Just like this world, our hearts are full of wickedness and it brings such grief to our Creator. 

Genesis 6: 5-8
The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air- for I am grieved that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 

Our wickedness fills God with pain... But He looks on us with favor when we cry out to Him. He will flood our hearts with His unending love. Let us make our Creator proud, let us bring joy to His heart. Let us ask for renewal. Let us die to our self, and let us find the true purity of salvation. 

Here's the poem:

Open your floodgates; pour into my heart.

Fill all of me, God; make this temple clean.

And while my heart waits, Your will do impart.

Lord, take me out of this deep, dark ravine.

This young soul it longs, for a love so pure,

all that I need, Lord,  your love so serene.

I rise up with songs, for Your grace is sure.

And I soon start to grasp the things unseen.

Here's the prayer:

Holy Lord, 

I need you alone. Send your flood into my heart, to put to death every last tendency that I have toward wickedness. Father, I am sorry for the selfishness that invades my thoughts. Forgive me, make me new. I long to be pure and blameless in your sight. Teach me your ways, that I may be a true reflection of you. Thank you so much for your forgiveness. I don't deserve it at all. Thank you for the love and favor you have shown to me. Help me Father, to never go back. Remind me of the pain that my old life brought, and remind me of the hope and joy that you have so freely given. My heart is yours. In the beautiful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

It is super late right now. By the world's standards (and honestly by my standards)...I should be sleeping, but I think God wants me to write this while these thoughts are fresh in my heart. Let me just say that I think sleep is really important to your health... and that we should have regular sleeping patterns and get about eight hours of sleep a night. But God is our sustainer, and if He is keeping you up, I am sure there is an important reason, and he deserves to be your first priority. 

So, I have begun to read the Bible. At first my goal was to just read it through in order to get the big picture. I wasn't going to focus on all the details; I just wanted to get through to have a greater understanding of this crazy, amazing history book. I wasn't really expecting that God would reveal a whole lot in the details... but things are never what I expect them to be. It's a beautiful thing, really. 

I'm making a commitment to reading the Bible this year, and to journal about what I learn/what God reveals to me. Since this blog is to help keep me accountable, I figured this is a good place to do it. 

Anyway, I'm reading in Genesis, and the story of the flood hit me like never before... If God has the ability to cleanse this entire earth from impurity, how much more will He cleanse our hearts if we ask Him? Just like this world, our hearts are full of wickedness and it brings such grief to our Creator. 

Genesis 6: 5-8
The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air- for I am grieved that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. 

Our wickedness fills God with pain... But He looks on us with favor when we cry out to Him. He will flood our hearts with His unending love. Let us make our Creator proud, let us bring joy to His heart. Let us ask for renewal. Let us die to our self, and let us find the true purity of salvation. 

Here's the poem:

Open your floodgates; pour into my heart.

Fill all of me, God; make this temple clean.

And while my heart waits, Your will do impart.

Lord, take me out of this deep, dark ravine.

This young soul it longs, for a love so pure,

all that I need, Lord,  your love so serene.

I rise up with songs, for Your grace is sure.

And I soon start to grasp the things unseen.

Here's the prayer:

Holy Lord, 

I need you alone. Send your flood into my heart, to put to death every last tendency that I have toward wickedness. Father, I am sorry for the selfishness that invades my thoughts. Forgive me, make me new. I long to be pure and blameless in your sight. Teach me your ways, that I may be a true reflection of you. Thank you so much for your forgiveness. I don't deserve it at all. Thank you for the love and favor you have shown to me. Help me Father, to never go back. Remind me of the pain that my old life brought, and remind me of the hope and joy that you have so freely given. My heart is yours. In the beautiful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.