Devoted to Prayer

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."

Colossians 4:2

To prayer, O Lord,

Let me devote myself;

I cannot do even that without Your grace.

Make my prayers continuous,

                              Persevering,

                              Vigilant,

                              And grateful:

Continuous as the soundtrack of my day,

     Conversing with You throughout the miraculous mundane,

     Bringing the never-ending cavern of my needs

     To the superabundant sufficiency of Your grace;

Persevering,

     For waiting is wearisome,

     Delays are long,

     And distractions and discouragements are many

     (One thousand years may be as a day to You,

     But a thousand years is still a thousand years to me);

Vigilant,

     For the enemy seeks to devour and destroy devotion,

     And temptation waits ready,

         Incendiary arrows fitted to the stretched bow

         For the moment my shield drops;

And thankful,

     For I deserve only hell,

     And You gave me Jesus,

     And with Him all I need and more;

     For His blood opened this ragamuffin's access to Your throne;

     For His Spirit alchemically transforms my dusty prayers

         into the golden glory of Your will;

     For Your power and love answer in the best way,

     No matter how it appears to my finite, fallen sight.

Mark this day with Your fingerprints.

Keep drawing the eyes of my heart to Yourself.

Make my life a eucharistic* sacrifice,

For Your glory, my good, and the growth of Your kingdom.

Amen.

*"eucharistic" meaning, here, "having to do with gratitude or thanksgiving," from the Greek words for giving thanks, gratitude, etc.