Church Repentance

Eternal God, give us a vision of Thy glory as we bow our heads and close our eyes in prayer. Sometimes we sing:
"I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies,
No sudden rending of the veil of clay;
No angel visitant, no opening skies;
But take the dimness of my soul away."
So we ask not a vision of Thyself and Thy glory like Jacob's or like anybody else's. But, O Lord, give us our own vision of Thee--take the dimness of my soul away!

Deliver us from the sin of centering upon something external to ourselves that makes things wrong--and thus trying to take Thy searching eyes away from where the real wrong lies--within ourselves. O Lord, deep in our hearts we know it isn't the church alone that is wrong--it isn't something or other we don't like or that we disagree with--it isn't these things alone that are wrong. No Lord, it isn't the preacher--tho this preacher and every preacher is often a poor witness to the Gospel. But it isn't the preacher or the deacon--but it's me , O Lord, standing in the need of prayer. Come to me, and God be merciful to me, a sinner.

When we see ourselves like this--and see our world like this--then our hearts melt and God can save us, and we can see who our brother is and can love him whatever his circumstances and whatever the color of his skin.

O Lord, we surely must have many things on our minds as we come here in prayer. Listen to them now as we name our special needs to Thee.....We pray for every person. We pray for healing, whatever the wound, whatever the sickness. We pray for peace in our time. O Lord, revive Thy church and let the revival begin in me!

This is our prayer in Jesus' name. Amen