Consume Me From the Inside Out: A Prayer

{by Samantha Roose}

Prayers don’t have to be complicated they just need to be said.  

They don’t need to be long they just need to be real.  Prayers don’t have to be fancy or positive they just need to be heartfelt.  A prayer doesnt not need to be a well thought out, memorized recitation; it’s just you soul speaking to your Creator, explaining the hurts and disappointments, questions and joys, struggles and victories.  A prayer is a conversation between you and God— the One who made you, then bought you, then freed you. Talk to Him like you’re talking to a friend.  It’s okay not to sound smart; just start talking and sharing.  Sometimes the simplest prayers are the dearest to God’s heart.

This is a prayer of mine in response to “The Inside Out,” by Hillsong United.  I’ve been teaching the choreography to one of my dance classes over the past couple weeks.  As a result I’ve been thinking about the words quite a bit lately.  And now they’re becoming 'the cry of my heart.'  

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
Should I stumble again
Still I'm caught in Your grace

Lord this is who I am, and this is who YOU are.  I don’t know what I’d do if You didn’t catch me in Your grace again.  Thank You for always catching me one more time.

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself in bringing You praise

Oh, God more than anything else I want Your will in my life.  Please teach me to master losing myself completely to You because it’s so hard.  Thank You for being patient with me while I learn and fail and learn and try again.

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

You are from beginning to end.  Your light was here before the world began and will continue to be when the world is no more.  Never ending, Your glory knows no bounds—even nature proclaims Your praise.

My heart, and my soul
I give You control
Consume me from the inside out

How can I not give You my heart and my soul?  Take control of all that I am. 

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out

Your light shines even in my darkest moments.  Your glory never ceases in comforting my soul when I am without hope. 

This is the cry of MY heart: that I might bring You praise in everything that I do; in every word that I speak; in every breath that I take; in every step that I make; in every thought that I think.  Lord I don’t want to live a moment that You are not glorified in my life.  

Glorify Yourself in me from the inside out.