Lord, take all my illusions of control away. Take all my elaborate schemes and well-crafted plans and grind them into dust. Let me see that all my efforts at righteousness are filthy at best.

I confess that I can be a real jerk sometimes. I can be deceptive and manipulative. That’s me. But I know that You are in me and Your light shines brighter and brighter in me day by day. Christ in me, the hope of glory. That is me, too.

Lord, if you never gave me one thing I’ve asked You for, You would still be worthy of an eternity’s worth of my praise. If you never give me the girl of my dreams to be my wife ( and I still hope You do!) then I am still way too blessed.

I believe You are asking me to trust you now. You are asking me to test You with belief to find that You are all You say you are (see Isaiah 7:10, Malachi 3:10). What You have in store for me is so much more than I can begin to fathom.

Thank You for my family who loves me and friends who accept me as I am and spur me on to be more like Christ every day. I still believe in heroes because You have filled my life with heroes and champions who amaze me with their faithfulness and courage and perserverance.

I also confess that I will keep trying to make my own plans work instead of trusting Yours, that I will have to come back again and again to confess and repent of my failed schemes, and I will keep finding out how precious Your forgiveness and grace really are.

So, thank you for it all. The good, the bad, and the ugly. All of it leads me to You and is transforming me into the image of Your Son. Thank you!

Amen.