Lord, forgive me for when my hands were idle,

For when I turned my ears away,

And when I closed my eyes and chose not to see.

For when my lips repeated praises not meant for you,

But when I indulged and worshipped the treasures of the world.

Forgive me when I replaced my love of grace with a love of gold and fame,

When I replaced my heart of righteousness and peace for a spirit of unease and malcontent.

Forgive me when I leant on my own understanding,

And treated the news like gospel.

When gossip was my daily bread,

And alcohol was in my blood.

Forgive my idle hands,

For not doing the task you laid before me,

For seeking the praise of my peers,

And doing the work of lesser men.

Forgive my lips for not repeating your praise in all that I say or do.

For not giving thanks before eating,

Or not asking for your healing.

I know I am late, Father,

But please forgive my broken heart.

I know that your guests have started without me,

And that of all your children, I now feel like the least.

But do not let me hear the lies of the serpent beneath my feet,

Instead, replace my heart of anger and wash me clean of greed.

Surely you Forgive me,

As sure as the morning comes as the world spins round again.

Take me into your house, Lord, and heed again my prayer:

Set my heart on gentle things,

And my mind on humble deeds,

Set my idle hands to work,

And my feet on the path of righteousness.

Clothe me in your love each morning,

And inspire my voice in song,

Set a fire of love deep within my heart,

And let my life be obedient in the worship of you.

In you, I find the strength to walk the path you lay before me,

Amen.

Good morning all,

I hope you found comfort in the prayer above, I was inspired by the spirit to write down my own prayer and send it to all of you so it may rest on your hearts as you go about your day today.

I was inspired by 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

Our hands were not designed to be idle, and our time on earth was not to be used to bring glory to other things. Our lives, and we live them obedient to the will of the Holy Spirit, will inspire those who do not yet love the Lord. By our humble servanthood, we will are planting the seeds in those around us, our lantern will bring non-believers to the Lord like moths being drawn to a flame. Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

This is also a prayer about forgiveness for being idle and how at times in my life, I have felt like the least of His children as I backslid and fell out of obedience. While we must seek repentance and ask for forgiveness humbly every day for the times we have fallen short, we also rest in the surety that our Father loves us and that He will always forgive us and heed our humble prayers. And that even though the feast may have started, and the ruler of lies whispers doubts in our ears and tells us that the door is locked as we peer in through the window, we are always welcome in the house of the Lord, and He has prepared a seat at his table for us.

So the prayer ends with a seeking heart to leave the House of the Lord and live obediently for the sake of His worship. I ask that after am forgiven, I may be given strength to do the work and become the person He wrote on my heart before I was born. I ask that He clothe me and set me on the right path.

I am so thankful for the few of your who do follow me currently, and my heart is that in some small way, this email helps you as you walk the path of righteousness.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you,

W.E. de Roubaix.