Bring it to the Father
O GOD,
Though I am allowed to approach thee
I am not unmindful of my sins,
I do not deny my guilt,
I confess my wickedness, and earnestly
plead forgiveness.
May I with Moses choose affliction rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin.
Help me to place myself always under thy guiding and guardian care,
to take firmer hold of the sure covenant that binds me to thee,
to feel more of the purifying, dignifying,
softening influence of the religion I profess,
to have more compassion, love, pity, courtesy,
to deem it an honor to be employed by thee as an instrument in thy hands, ready to seize every opportunity of usefulness,
and willing to offer all my talents to thy service.
Thou hast done for me all things well,
hast remembered, distinguished, indulged me.
All my desires have not been gratified,
but thy love denied them to me when fulfillment of my wishes would have proved my ruin or injury.
My trials have been fewer than my sins,
and when I have kissed the rod it has fallen from thy hands.
Thou hast often wiped away my tears,
restored peace to my mourning heart,
chastened me for my profit.
All thy work for me is perfect,
and I praise thee.
—Valley of Vision
Even in the fog of depression or the weight of anxiety, there is a quiet truth that holds: you are not expected to power through on your own. The life of faith isn’t about mustering up strength you don’t feel—it’s about leaning into a strength that is already within you, not from yourself, but from Christ. You may feel broken, but the presence of Jesus in you is still healing, still restoring, still sustaining. Like a living body that quietly works to heal even when we sleep, the Christ-life in you is always at work, even when you feel stuck or numb. God doesn’t wait for you to “get it together” to love you—He is loving you into wholeness, one breath, one step at a time. May this prayer be a blessing to you. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics