Today's musing is from A Pastor Prays for His People by Wendell C. Hawley.

Lord of power, Lord of grace,
All hearts are in your hands, all events are of your sovereign will.
You alone do all things well.
Sometimes we don’t think all is well.
We pray for the change of hearts in others,
but maybe it is our own hearts that need your transforming power!
Perhaps the failures we condemn in others are really our own failures.
Perhaps situations are distorted because of the log in our own eye
even as we complain about the speck in another’s eye.

If this be the case, help us to focus on what you want to teach us . . .
the changes needed in our hearts.
Convicted by your Holy Spirit,
enlightened by your holy Word,
enabled by your powerful presence,
assured by your matchless grace,
I confess my sins, my failures, my foolish independence, my lovelessness,
believing that
If we confess our sins, you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Thank you, God, for complete forgiveness.

Now I pray honestly and earnestly, God of great power: Control my tongue.
Keep me from saying things that make trouble,
from involving myself in arguments,
that only make bad situations worse,
only cause further alienation,
and make me think everyone else is at fault except me.

Control my thoughts.
Shut the door of my mind against all envious and jealous thoughts.
Shut the door of my mind against all bitter and resentful thoughts.
Shut the door of my mind against all ugly and unclean thoughts.
Help me to live in purity and in love.
Henceforth, may my focus be on the completion of your work—your good work—in my soul.
Then, Good Shepherd, I shall not be ashamed in the day of Jesus Christ.

Amen.