Pleading for Mercy and Grace

Posted byJim SimoneauPosted inUncategorized

Day 113: Psalms 39: 12-13

            Psalm 39:12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, Before I go away and am no more.“

            You know, O Triune God, the reality of my life. Please hear and respond to my prayer. See the reality of my tears, my prayers, and my repentance. You, O God, know what is in the heart of men (cf. Luke 16:15; I Samuel 16:7).  You know that my life is short, and I see You briefly through a mirror dimly (cf. I Corinthians 13:12). I am only on this planet for a little time as are all men.

            If You hold me under careful scrutiny, I cannot stand. Psalm 130:3-4 remind me, “If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.” Psalm 143:1-2 calls out to God, “Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. 2Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous.”

            Lord, do not keep Your eye on me to judge me. I continually fail. Lord, Your gaze is powerful and could easily destroy me. Instead, look upon me with Your grace and Your help that I might do Your will. Help me so that my time in this life is a time of rejoicing in You and serving You and loving others. Do not let me spend my time in sadness but let the heart You have broken know Your healing and rejoicing. 

            O God, help us to rejoice in You. Help us to know You and love You and serve You and follow You with our eyes fixed on Jesus. 

Published by Jim Simoneau

Jesus Christ brought me to Himself at a very early age. I began seeking the Lord and writing prayer journals in my early teens and have continued to grow in my knowledge and experience of prayer. I am still learning and growing in my prayer life and long to help others grow in their prayer lives as well. I am not an expert, but a practitioner who needs God to continue to teach me to pray. Prayer is both simple, yet also profound. It is deep and draws us into the depth of God, but it is also so easy and wondrous that we can cry out to God with "Abba, Father" prayers because of the work of Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. Prayer comes from God's heart, works in our hearts, and teaches us to go back to seek God's heart!

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