Stand up and Defend the Lord

                “Oh my Lord, my God, my loving Creator, I lay my life at Your feet and I place my heart in Your loving hands. I give You all of me to do whatever You wish. Take my loving soul and caress it into Your image. Make me a vessel of Your love and send me out among Your people to share that love, that precious gift for all, and may I always be able to stand up and defend my love for You.

                “As I age in this world, I see the power of the world and its enticing, yet damning ways. I see Your people, many blind, innocent and ignorant, sucked into the mud of the world, tricked by the lure of hedonism – if it feels good do it; minimalism – what is the least I can do to get what I want; and individualism – what’s in it for me? These are just three of the many traps laid out to entice and draw Your beloved people away from You and Your love. Oh my dear, dear Lord, it makes me cry to see people fooling themselves that they are successful or happy on their own by their own merits. It is a terrible thing to see the blessings You bestowed on people go unrecognized or ignored.

                “I see that our country, which was based on freedom, has become a country of people enslaved by their desire to be free to do whatever they want no matter how it affects others. They are fooled by the lies of the world that this freedom they seek will bring them joy and satisfaction. Instead, this ‘freedom’ has brought them mental disorders riddled with despair, loneliness, anxiety, fear, bigotry and reversed intolerance of Your good teachings. I cringe when I hear yet another voice cry out, ‘I’m offended’ by something that honors You like ‘one nation under God’ in the pledge of allegiance or ‘in God we trust’ on money. Originally, these were subtle ways to acknowledge You and Your gifts. These small statements meant to praise You now offend people? What about me? Why can’t I stand up and say ‘I’m offended?!’ If a family member is mistreated or disrespected, it is normal and even expected that we will stand up to defend them. So why is it frowned upon to stand up for my Almighty Father, Creator, King and Lord and defend Him? People are dying for standing up for the Christian faith in other parts of the world. What about here in America? Are the American people strong enough to stand up for You, our Lord, no matter the cost? The religious freedom that our country was based upon is being seriously attacked to where it is becoming a crime to live in a way that worships and honors You because someone might be ‘offended.’ Oh my dear Lord, how far will You let Your wandering children roam?

                “Help me find the courage to stand up and defend You. Grant me the graces to love all Your people as You do and the perseverance to share Your message of love and hope for an eternity of living in pure love and joy with You to all people, even those who reject You. Grant me the wisdom to walk through this world on Your paths and not to be bogged down by the mud of the world’s false promises. Grant me the humility to always seek counsel and help from You in everything I do and remind me that I am nothing without You. Help me always to trust in Your ways and to remain a vessel of love in Your hands. Fill me with gratitude that the words thank you ever remain on my lips. Shine Your great mirror upon me that I may see myself through Your eyes and that the image I see be a reflection of You. May I freely choose to belong to You and to defend You at all costs, and in that choice, may I recognize my true freedom. Oh my Lord, I lay my life in Your loving hands.”