Heavenly Father, we love you, but not as we should. You are perfectly worthy of our love, yet we are tempted to place our love and hope in objects that are temporal and tangible. Objects that are attractive and alluring even though these objects are small, capricious, arbitrary and consistently unsatisfying.

Instead, I pray that you would help us to remember and rehearse truth about yourself as revealed in scripture. And as we rehearse this revealed truth, might our hearts swell, grow more joyful, and be drawn to you in more irresistible ways.

Father, we should love you because you are kind, because you are good, because you are rich in mercy, because of your great love with which you have loved us even when we were your enemies, when we were rightfully described as sons of disobedience. We love you because you are slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. We love you because you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. We love you because you have first loved us. Thank you for being a God who is eminently worthy of our deepest loyalty, our highest affection, our most fervent praise and our greatest love.

Yet we confess, despite these truths God, that we rarely love you as we ought. Too often we love ourselves far more passionately and consistently. Even this past week, all of us have chosen to do what pleases our flesh rather than what pleases you. Most of us know your truth, yet we disregard it. We have chosen to pursue our heart’s desires instead of what pleases you. We have ignored your loving instructions instead of obeying.

Father, we know each of us was born in a state of rebellion against you and each of us deepened that rebellion as soon as we had the ability to do so. So we confess not just our sin to you, but our sinfulness too. I ask that you forgive us, Lord, for being sinners, and also forgive us for each and every transgression of your law and each and every failure to perfectly conform to it.

Thank you, Lord, that you do indeed forgive. Thank you that you have forgiven. Thank you that you will continue to forgive. Thank you that your heart is forever inclined toward forgiveness, that your love is deep and strong and true. Thank you that your love does not waver, it does not whither and it never weakens nor lessens.

Thank you that you have enabled us to come to you, and thank you that you tell us to come just as we are, thank you that you receive us with arms open wide, thank you that you make us new creations after we repent of our sin and place our trust in you and you alone.

I ask father that we would be found faithful. Faithful to joyfully submit to your Lordship, faithful to be ambassadors of Christ in the world as neighbors, employees, employers, students, friends and family members. Help us to faithfully value what you tell us to value, and to faithfully obey even when we are tempted otherwise.

I pray that we would live out our love for you by loving one another well. That we would live with kindness and understanding and patience and generosity toward one another. That we would comfort one another in sorrow, that we would forgive one another when sinned against, that we would be refrain from speaking ill of one another and that we would be quick to point out any and every evidence of your grace that we see in each other.

I pray knowing all of this to be possible through your grace and for your glory.