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A Prayer for Still Greater Freedom

                       Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Psalm 142:7

     Jesus, great Lord and liberator, when King David prayed for freedom from his prison, he wasn’t behind iron bars, he was hiding in a cave. His felt the threat of enemies, trapped and alone. But he also enjoyed a rich relationship with God—one that enabled him to own his desperation and abandon himself to the resources of heaven. We begin our day doing the same.

     Jesus, you’ve already set us free from many slavish imprisonments. The fear of judgment, for you were condemned in our place upon the cross. The fear of dying, for you robbed the grave of its victory through your resurrection. The tyranny of false gospels, for it’s your obedience and righteousness which make us acceptable to God. The myth of autonomy, for you alone are the sovereign Lord and the King of kings.

     When we consider these gospel-generated liberties, why would we doubt your ability or willingness to set us free from other prisons and entanglements?

     Jesus, set us free from vain regrets—those haunting memories of what could have been and what should have been. We want to learn from the past, but not be enslaved to our past. Bring the power of the gospel to bear upon our memory-bank of shame. You are the redeemer of our stories, not the reminder of our failures. We praise you. We bless you. We abandon ourselves to your mercy and grace this very day.

     Set us free from the power of old wounds. Denial hasn’t worked very well. Medicating only provides us with temporary relief. Some damage to our hearts will only be fully healed by your second coming. We understand that. But until then, please give us the grace we need to get unstuck. Our name is beloved, not victim. Help us to love others with the tears of hope you pour into our own hearts.

     Jesus, there are, no doubt, many other imprisonments from which you intend to “spring” us. We wait upon you, expectant and grateful. Ultimately, the gospel will not be denied. Hallelujah! The more liberty you give us, the more we’ll seek to love our neighbors and live for your glory. So very Amen, we pray in your tender and tenacious name.

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