On the Eve of Power - a Saturday Prayer

Father, i’m supposed to preach tomorrow about

Your power, the power that comes when we tarry

seeking Your face, acknowledging our helplessness

sinfulness & utter inadequacy

Your work declares, even shouts

this power, this spirit indwells me

but there’s something more… “it shall come upon you”

something from without, invading within

changing forever the source & direction of what drives me

and tomorrow i stand before Your precious people

confidently confessing for all to see

the reality, immanence and relevance

of Your power…for us today – right now

come hell or high water, addiction, depression or personal failure

an overcoming power

when my loved ones get sick and even die

when my children stray and fall

when the chaos of the moment

drains out any vision for the future

when my own flesh leads an open rebellion

against the new creation I’ve become in Christ

when i’m misunderstood, misrepresented, even betrayed

that’s right Lord, i’m gonna stand up there

under the mantle of man’s ordination

vast years of my pastoral profession

and what sometimes seems like – very little overcoming faith

but a load of religious experience

and testify to the POWER

Your power, the power of God, Divine power, creative power

resurrecting power, healing power, saving power

delivering power, transforming power, overcomin’

devil-stompin, faith enhancin’ - limitless power

i’ll wave my hands expressively and shout

“It’s in me! It’s in you! It’s in this church!

It’s real and here right now, for any & every situation!”

just one hitch, Jesus – i don’t feel very powerful tonight

i have recollections of yesterdays and long ago

when Your power in me imparted transformation & faith

but somewhere in the journey…too often self-absorbed

i stretched out my hand, touching a glory meant only for You

careless, foolish, naïve, immature, undisciplined

all of the above

my ambition & need for validation exposed me

to the pressures & pulls of this world

and Delilah cut my hair & Philistines plucked my eyes

but when I cried, “Great is Thy Faithfulness”

healing grace & limitless mercy restored my sight

the joy of my salvation and with that my strength

so tomorrow I will without shame proclaim

“not by might, not by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord”

and if you don’t do something, Father

in my life, in our church, in our land

we don’t have the power…to get it done

Lord, light the fire again - start tonight, ignite in me afresh

then through Your presence & Your power

release in Your people the passion of Pentecost

make it so, dear God – for Jesus sake. amen!

02/14/98 mark d. cooke, edited, 11/26/11