A Prayer About Sex
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6
LordJesus, a part of me is blushing and squirming, even as I write this prayer. The very word “sex” engenders the widest range of thoughts and emotions-some kissed with quintessential beauty, and some mangled with unspeakable darkness. There is no part of our being that carries a greater capacity to reveal the sacredness of intimacy or the destructiveness of evil.
My prayer is for myself, and the wide range of friends you have given me. First of all, I praise you Jesus for being both Creator and Redeemer. The magnificence of our sexuality finds its origins in the storehouse of your creativity. Everything good, true and beautiful owes its genesis to you, Jesus. And I praise you that you are Redeemer, for there are no ways we have either been agents or victims of sexual sin for which your grace will not prove sufficient.
Proactively, Jesus, give us freedom, wisdom and kindness to steward the incredible gift of sex. For those of us who are married, grant us grace to know how to cherish, honor and care for one another, in every season of our relationship. May the gospel of your servant love free us from all demanding-ness and free us for other-centeredness.
In the ebb and flow of sexual desire, give us joy and freedom to be for the other. Certainly, Jesus, we have discovered that marriage is no antidote for sexual lust, so always be giving us the grace we need in this journey. When one of us has the libido of a young teenager and the other has the libido of an old rock, reveal the wonder of the gospel. When both of us have the libido of two old rocks, remind us that sexual intercourse is not a synonym for deep intimacy. When the gift of sexual intimacy has been misused or disused in our marriages, write new stories of redemption, restoration and renewal, for your glory.
For those of us who are single, grant us grace shaped for each of our situations. Some of us are incredibly alive to sexual passion without a covenant marriage in which to celebrate this good and holy gift. Help us Jesus, really, help us. There is no situation in which you will ever place us providentially for which there will not be holy and honorable ways of responding. In our struggles, grant us a loving and holy commitment not to use anyone else’s heart or body to indulge ourselves sinfully.
For those of us who are already hooked into quite destructive patterns and habits-pornography (visual or literary), prostitution, infidelity, and other expressions of our broken sexuality, Jesus grant us grace, repentance, grace, a willingness to get help, grace, honesty, grace, and more grace. For those of us married into such a broken story, grant exponential grace, wisdom, safety, and more grace. May the pain of betrayal not preclude the desire and hope of redemption.
For those of us who are wounded and broken by stories of sexual abuse or sexual misuse, bring your healing heart and hand to bear, Jesus. Take us on the path to safety, beauty and restoration. For those of us married to a husband or wife, wounded and broken through sexual sin, grant us kindness, mercy, patience and hope.
Lord Jesus, in all of these situations and stories, really, really convince us that what we need and desire more than anything else is to connect with you intimately, in ways that the best sex between a husband and wife merely hints at. Even the best marriage and most fulfilling sex life is no substitute for the wonders of marriage to you. That is not hype, Jesus, it is our hope. So very amen, we pray.
