Do it for You, Lord.

For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life!

In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!

Psalm 143:11

The focus of this prayer for deliverance and safety is not personal pain. The prayer isn’t, “O Lord, end this now so I won’t hurt anymore. I’m so tired of feeling bad. Make me feel good.” No, the prayer is focused on worship. The request is for God to act for HIS name’s sake. The urgent plea is for God to bring deliverance so His name will be great. The motivation is for God’s glory to be shown. It is not selfish. It is a prayer from a heart that desires God to be known and magnified above all.

Selfish prayers are so easy to pray. It is much harder to ask for God’s power and glory to be the focus of what I want. I dare say, I often don’t want it. I want my problems to go away. I want my pain to end. I want my way and I confess that God’s glory for me is a very distant second or third on my list. It is rare that I truly mean to ask God to “do it for You.”

Lord,

Thank You for this humbling reminder to pray that You bring things about in my life... for YOUR name’s sake. I pray that YOUR kingdom come... Your will be done... on earth as it is in heaven. Purge from me my selfish praying. Forgive my sinful motivations that come up even in my prayers. Do what You will, in my life, for Your great glory, Lord Jesus! If removing my trouble brings You glory, then I pray for that. If strengthening me in difficulty is best for Your worship, than I will accept this and pray that YOUR name will be great.

Amen