Father, we place ourselves before You, recognizing that many times, when we fail, we allow shame to speak louder than Your grace. Instead of running into Your arms, we hide, believing that our mistakes have made us unworthy of Your presence. Today, however, we choose to hear Your voice calling us by name, just as You called Adam in the garden, reminding us that Your love has never stopped seeking us.
Forgive us for still believing, even subtly, that we are accepted because of what we do and not because of what Christ has already done. Free us from a mindset of merit, from the attempt to negotiate dreams with You through works, and teach us to rest in the truth of the Gospel—that we were loved before any action of our own. May the cross once again be the center of our hearts and our faith.
Lord, help us to live according to the true order of love. May we not seek You in order to be accepted, but run toward You because we have already been received by Your love. May our prayer, obedience, and surrender flow from gratitude, not fear. Teach us to live as children who respond to the love they have already received.
May Your grace convict our hearts and fill us with reverent fear. We do not want to be ashamed of You. May it not paralyze us, but transform us. When we fall, we do not want to remain on the ground—strengthen us to rise again, trusting in Your mercy. May Your love produce true repentance, not fear of punishment, but a sincere desire to live close to Your heart.
We surrender our pride, our desires, and our ways to You. Teach us to decrease so that Christ may increase in us. We want to be surrendered children, not perfect ones; dependent, not self-sufficient. May our lives be shaped by Your grace that teaches, transforms, and leads us into holiness—far from our own strength and ability. In Jesus’ name, amen.
