The Prayer

My heart and flesh cry out to you, O God my strength and hope.
Search my innermost motives,
Delve into my deepest being,
Light the fire of refining,
Place my heart in your crucible,
I submit to your hand,
I open my heart to you,
Search me, try my reins,
Burn, burn the fire of refining,
My motives, my desires, my emotions,
Burn, burn the fire of refining,
The dross of my iniquity,
Burn away,
The dross of my sins,
Burn away,
Impure thoughts, impure motives,
Burn away,
Lies, deception, hurt, guilt,
Burn away,
The dross from the silver,
Burn away,
Till you come to the core of my being,
The true self, the part of me that yearns for you,

Peel back the layers of sin and guilt,
Cut away repression, depression, transgression,
Reach into my heart, burn,
Shine, shine your light,
Turn your face toward me,
Shine the light of your face,
Into my heart, through the opaque waste of its sinful exterior,
Right through, strike through,
Clean into the very core of me,
There plant a seed,
A seed of desire,
Desire for the courts of the Living God,
Desire for the smile of the Highest Mirth,
Desire for the crown from the Highest Crown,
Desire for you,

That my heart may be perfect before you,
Ever striving for you, beating for you,
Longing for your touch, your smile, your face,
Yearning for your name to be lifted up,
Into your hands I commit myself,
Laying my life into the palm of your hand,
I trust you,
Burn, burn away,
Till the silver emerges from the dross,
Till the crucible brings forth pure,
Unadulterated, clean,
Silver fit for use,
Ready to be shaped, formed, fashioned,
Under the hand of the Master Smith.