“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”
Psalm 51:17
O Lord, You know me inside and out—
My sins and fears and all;
Yet, You told me that You’d hear my prayer
If in faith on Your Name I’d sincerely call.
But, too often my prayers are hindered by doubts
Or by secret sins within;
And, it’s only when I confess and repent of them
That into Your secret Place I enter in.
A broken spirit is what you desire
When I come on bended knee—
For it’s only when my heart is contrite
That You’ll hear my earnest plea.
Until that point, all my prayers are in vain,
For they’re filled with foolish pride;
You’re the all-seeing God of all that is
And from You no sins can I hide.
You know my thoughts before I think them;
And, my words are so clear to You.
Why do I think my prayers will touch your heart
If I’m not clean in what I think and do?
Forgive me, Lord, for my foolish ways—
For presuming on Your Grace;
Help me, today, to humble myself
As I pray and seek Your Face.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit with me.
Only then can my prayers find favor in Your sight
As you transform me into what I ought to be.
Help me this day to be broken and spilled out
So You can use me as You so desire;
That way I can live with Your abiding, inward Peace
As You transform me by Your life-changing Power.
–Tom Smith
