Handle this Prayer with Care

Wesley Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

Do you realize, Lent is coming?

Two weeks from today is the beginning of the season of Lent. Traditionally, Lent is a time of preparation, preparation for Easter. It is a great time to take on a new spiritual practice. Many use it to do something that will refocus their lives closer to God. The tradition of giving up something for Lent, is really about shaking up the normal routine to refocus our lives on God.

Lent is a great time to try out fasting, tithing, intentional Bible study, service to others, prayer, daily devotion or many other spiritual disciplines. I’d like to offer one here, the Wesley Covenant prayer. This prayer, from John Wesley, offers a radical refocusing of life. It challenges us to dependence upon God. To place ourselves completely in God’s hands.

I offer it to you as a daily Lenten practice. Pray this prayer each day during Lent and see what happens. It is the kind of prayer we grow into. We might first pray with the intention that we will someday really mean it. That is okay. That is honest. The prayer challenges us to grow, to let go, to become more fully what God wants us to be.

Please be warned, this prayer when practiced regularly, will change your life. Pray it with care.

Blessings,

Mike