Post Christmas prayer

Oh Lord,
On this night You were born to save,
this broken world from its own decay.
You gave up everything to become a man,
for that was Your father's master plan.
So while angels and shepherds worshipped You that day,
we just seem to get lost along the way.
We come before you with our hearts all hidden,
by the wrapping and ribbons and the gifts we've been given.
The meaning of your birth gets lost in the crowds,
shopping at the malls with their heads in the clouds.
It used to be simple, this day was for you,
oh, how I wish this year that this could have been true.

So Father help me to find my way back,
to the true meaning of Christmas that we all seem to lack.
May Christmas become a day about you,
instead of the presents and all the things that we do.

Christmas Night

As a child I learned to sing, “Joy to the World”
Yet on this joyous day,
Joy seems so far away.
Is this really what I was singing for?

What does it all mean,
When the words hit the wall,
And the Sunday school answers
Leaves you reaching for more.

We go about our merry way,
Since it is a gift giving day,
Yet all we do is shop till we drop.
Is this really what You were born for?

What does it all mean,
When the symbols mean no more.
And Santa Clause was just a dream,
That’s not worth living for.

We wish for “Peace on earth and love for all “
Yet ignore the homeless on the street,
Orphans cry, children die, and nation’s bleed,
While we sit all cozy in front of our trees.

What does it all mean,
When the reality hits our world,
And the emptiness of it all,
Leaves you searching for more

We celebrate your birth this day,
Yet your presence seems so far away,
For we worship you the night before,
Just to forget about you as we walk out the door.
Cause this day has become just another day,
To spend money on each other and ignore the world’s pain.

What is left when it all is stripped away,
When the greatest gift becomes a simple game?
Can we ever get back to the childlike faith,
That made Jesus’ birth mean so much more than this?

Lose sight

Oh God,
How easy it is to lose sight
of your goodness,
when the world brings us down.
To focus on the burdens and trials,
instead of on the continual blessings
of your love.
We let the frustrations of each day,
drown out the countless bless that you give.
Only by focusing on your grace and love
can our hearts be set free,
of the burdens that drown us.
Help us Lord,
to come before you with
an attitude of thanksgiving.
To focus on all that you are are,
instead of what brings us down.
May your Spirit set us free from
the daily chains we bind ourselves with.

Shrouded

Here we are Lord,
Shrouded in the mist of
uncertainty and frustration,
we cry out to you.
So many unknowns,
taken over by worry,
we are weary and in need of you.
We desire to be wrapped in your arms,
to trust in your goodness and love.
To focus on your presence,
instead of the unknowns that shake us.
Lord,
Help us to overcome
our fears and frustrations.
To lay these burdens down
at the foot of your cross.
To take joy in the blessings that you give,
instead of focus on the questions in our minds.

Oh Lord

Oh Lord,
I come before you,
with a heart full of praise.
For the wonders and blessings,
which invade my everyday.

Oh Lord,
I come before you,
with a heart full of thanks.
For reigniting the passion,
which was barely a flicker in my soul.

Oh Lord,
I come before you,
with a heart wanting to trust.
To be able to surrender,
everything you have given me,
so I can walk one step closer to you.

捧げます (I will offer)

主よ、
今まで自分勝手なことを、
繰り返して生きて来た。
あなたの祝福を忘れ、
自分だけを信じ、
先に進んだ。
何回も自分のおろかさに気付いても
何回もつまずいても、
自分で進もうとした。

でも、もうそうゆう生き方はごめんだ。
だって、心の底が空っぽで、
生きてる感覚が全くない。
今までの過ちに気付いたから、
あなたの御座の下に、
身を寄せて、
許しを求め祈り続け、
私の全てを
そこで私の主に捧げます。

Oh Lord,
Until now, I have lived life,
repeating selfish things.
I have forgotten your blessings,
and walked forward believing only in myself.
No matter how many times,
I realized my own foolishness,
or how many times I've stumbled,
I've tried to move forward on my own.

But, I've had enough of living this way,
because the depths of my heart is empty,
and devoid of the sense of life.
Because I have realized the mistakes I have made,
I draw near to the foot of your throne,
and seek forgiveness through continual prayer,
and from where I am,
I offer the entirety of my who I am,
to My Lord.

Soul's Resolve

From the depth of my soul,
I come before,
the One who created me.
To bow before,
the savior of my soul,
to surrender all these things.
The life that you have given me,
Your blessings and my gifts.
My dreams of what is to come,
my passions and my joy.
The people in my life,
my heart and my love.
The struggles that I face everyday,
my scars and my pain.
The memories of my past,
the ups and the downs.
I lay all of these down,
at the foot of the cross
of the One who bore my sin.
To let Him know,
my soul's resolve
to surrender all to Him.

Restlessness

Restlessness invades,
and I feel like I'm drifting,
through an endless maze.
My heart searches,
for meaning in this world,
yet is unable to find,
what its looking for.
My soul yearns to be free,
on the dead feeling inside.

How I long to feel,
the burning of life and passion,
and the joy of purpose and meaning.
Yet I search for these,
in all the wrong places,
instead of surrendering them all
to the One who created me.