I Don't Have To Elope!

A ship without a captain
A heart without a home
A harbor that offers no shelter
Love, lonely, lost, alone.

A reward for doing nothing
Remorse for what holds no shame
Crying for what gains not
Innocence carrying another's blame.

Living a life without boundaries
Acquiring gain without work
Taking another's need for your want
Blocking exits Lighting fire and then sounding Be Alert!

Right now wrong gives the Wicked might
Good now bad makes Evil glad
Light now dark give the Satanic insight
Look to hear. Hear to see.
Lord, have Mercy?
Woe, Woe, Woe is me!

Spirit is to Comfort.
Jesus is to Save.
Father God offers Grace and Mercy
To whom to Satan is here enslaved.

Prayer is Power.
Confession Is Relief.
The Blood bought Salvation.
The Resurrection decimated Death and Grief.

The Ascension deeded Hope.
The Return dispatches Redemption and,
 Bless God, as a Faithful and True Believer,
With Death I won't have to elope!

Prayer: Grant Me The Mercy of Heaven!

Father, my heart is open to Your leading - grant me the mercy of Heaven!

Help me not to trust to, nor trust in, luck!

Help me Father to daily seek Your face 

as I travel along life’s pathways in this New Year.

Help me, Father, not to look with eyes of covetousness 

upon the dainties of those around me, for I do not know 

how the acquired their possessions, nor do I want to know, and

help me to stay contented with Your provision, whatever that may be.

Father, I ask for spiritual blinkers to be placed upon my eyes 

so that I can only see the straight path ahead, 

and help me to not yield to the temptations of the baubles and bounties 

of this dark world as they walk beside me to entice me from Your Light.

Even though I can’t store up earthly sustenance already utilized, 

help me to store Your spiritual food deep in my heart 

against the dark days that shall soon befall all men. 

Father, I am weak! 

Help me to be strong by, and in, Your Light for You say in Your word that 

Your strength is made perfect in weakness!

Father, I ask You to forgive me my sins,  

those I have remembered and confessed, 

and those long-forgotten and unconfessed sins, 

and I beseech You to help me to forgive myself,

 and to walk ever forward in faith. 

Today, Lord, I lay me down on the altar of sacrifice 

and I ask Your acceptance of my offering 

for Jesus' blood has made me clean.

I thank You for the many blessings 

You have already bestowed upon me, Lord, 

those seen and unseen, 

those known and unknown, 

those unexpected, and those unappreciated, 

and I earnestly pray for the soon coming of our Lord, Christ.

Father, I beseech You, by Your Grace, and in mercy, 

to bless me time and again so that I may bless another. 

Help me not to be tight-fisted with Your bounty 

but to open my hand, and my heart, to truly bless others in word, and in deeds,

so that Your Name may be glorified.

Help me, Father, to contend valiantly for the Faith, 

and keep me on the straight and narrow way to Glory.

Through it all, Father, keep me from becoming like Lot's wife.

Help me, Lord, not to look back, 

neither literally, nor figuratively as in my heart for what was.
Help me to look to what is possible to a life lived in You.

Help me to trust You, and in You, especially when I can't see You.

Help me, Lord, to love even as Jesus loves, and please engender

within me an unquenchable longing for ... Home,

for I am a pilgrim, and a stranger, in this vale of tears.

Thank You, Father, for hearing and answering my prayer. 

I love You, Lord.

 AMEN