Precious Jesus,
Help me to matter.
Save me from a life of complacency,
Days filled with apathy,
Concern without empathy.
Let me not wander passionless,
Aimless, frivolous, unambitious;
But keep me driven
To the point where I appear obsessed.
Stir up my pathetic, comfortable state.
Shake away my carefree, unintentional lifestyle.
Invade my casual life and make me dread the norm.
Let me live in such a way as to make You proud,
Yet others uncomfortable.
Let me breathe not for selfish consumption,
But to obtain momentary strength to work for You.
Let me wonder not the moments left,
But dread the moments missed,
The chances lost,
The opportunities devoured by selfishness.
Let the beating of my heart
Remind me of the shortness of this life,
And please help me live.
Do not let me tarry over when I will be gone,
But wipe me away now.
Destroy any thought of self.
Murder any notion of personal gain.
Pummel my kingdom
To use it as a tiny, insignificant speck in the building of Yours.
[this is a repost of a prayer I wrote back in 2007.]
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
Great stuff! Is this one of your songs or just a poem?
Man, I haven't seen you or talked to you in a long time. Thanks for sharing this encouraging prayer.
Your message that night I heard you speak at formerly BSU 6:11 now fusion, you challenged us to step out of the comfort zone of hanging out with our friends at the lunch table and hanging out with athletes or other studens that may not know Christ. Today, I am a basketball manager for the University of Memphis Men's Basketball Team, and God has really enabled me to impact me these guys. So thanks for the poem. God is going to use your writing in a mighty way. So I encourage you, just like the lyrics of a song by the Colorado Mass Choir, step up, step back, and watch God Move.