My Two Most Uttered Prayers

   As I woke up this morning, I gave out one small prayer, "God Help me".

   Then as I proceeded on, getting up and dressed, then sitting in the quiet room, opening the Bible readings for this day, I began to think about that prayer. Was it some specific thing that triggered my mind into action this morning? Was it something that I had dreamed or kept in my subconscious throughout the night? Was it just a general plea for help in my life?

   I confess that I really do not know what caused that prayer to surface at that particular time. There are some specific concerns and some general ones. I know that I need God's help to live this upcoming day in the way that I should, and I also know that there are things in my life and family that need His Hand.

   I realize that I do not know what the later hours of this day will hold. I do have a general idea of some things that are on my schedule for today, but how they will unfold is anyone's guess. I know some of the people that I will have some contact with, but don't know how those interactions will proceed either. In short, I know, but I don't know.

   The one thing that I know for certain, as the day plays out in its entirety, is that, in order to have the right attitudes in all these relationships, I need help, and I need supernatural help. In my flesh, I am supremely selfish. I want what I want, and the feelings, hopes, dreams, joys or sorrows and concerns of  others take second place. I cannot be what I need to be on my own. I cannot be what God wants me to be without His abiding help. Not just a shot of help now and then, but a continual one.

   Then I think of what gives me the right to even ask for His help. It is not my goodness that prompts this outpouring of his love and grace. As I read the Psalm for this morning, the ending words give me a clue. From Psalm 18:

   "the Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me." 

   But I know that I do not meet these requirements on my own. I have no righteousness or cleanliness in my life without the covering of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It is His forgiveness that gives me that status where I can approach an Eternal God, and ask for help.

   Oh yes, that leads me to my second most uttered prayer:

   "Thank You God"