Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me
Ps 51:10, ESV
Heavenly Father, we are grateful for this special day, Ash Wednesday, a day to remember that we are frail, weak, wounded and sinful. A day to remind ourselves that we are a people desperately needful of your great grace.
We pray convict us by your Holy Spirit of our deep selfishness, stubborn pride, and hard-hearted wills. Forgive us, Lord, for breaking your heart by our selfish attitudes and for hurting others by our wrongful actions. Forgive us, Lord, for violating your explicit commands and for ignoring the implicit leading of your Holy Spirit. Forgive us, Lord, for indulging our flesh, lusting with our eyes, and being full of the pridefulness of life. Forgive us, Lord, for insensitivity, anger, lying, jealousy, envy, and all the deeds of our fallenness. Forgive us, Lord, for not loving You with all our hearts and for not loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.
Jesus Christ, we pray, empower us, to receive your forgiveness bought for us by your shed blood on the Cross. Renew within us the desire to please You, the hunger to know You, and the passion to trust You, all day every day. We ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
~~ Cn. Glenn E. Davis