A Prayer for Peace by Grace and Not Performance

“Father, thank You that I exist by grace, I live by grace, I am ‘measured’ by grace—and the ‘measure’ of grace is as wide as the outstretched arms of Christ on the cross, and as infinite as the love that sent the Son away from the Father—from heaven to earth. 

Father, thank You that there is nothing that I can do to earn Your love and acceptance…and that there is nothing that I can do to lose Your love and acceptance. Your grace love is not only unconditional, it is infinite and initiatory—it starts with You and not me, it flows from You endlessly and joyfully to me.

Father, thank You that You love me just as much when I am ‘behaving and good’ as when I am a prodigal moving away from Your grace—my movement away never creates any true distance because You are ever and always the Pursuing One. And when I finally ‘come home’ You race to me, throw your arms around me, embrace me as You’ve always been embracing me, and kiss me impetuously and ceaselessly.

Father, thank You that You delight in me ‘just because’—just because You are love, You are joy, You are delight. You fearfully and wonderfully, creatively and uniquely, hand-crafted and created me as Your one-of-a-kind display of Your ceaseless joyfulness. You made me and said, ‘Look, look! Look at who I have made!’

Father, thank You that Your love knows no time limits. You loved me from before the foundations of the earth and You will love me forever after this world fades away. Thus, You love me yesterday, today, and tomorrow—by grace I was loved before I was born; I was loved on my ‘worst day’ from a ‘human perspective;’ I was loved the same on my ‘best day from a human perspective;’ I am loved today as I awake, as I act, as I rest, as I sleep; and I will be loved again tomorrow without fail, without interruption, without having to earn Your lovingkindness.

Father, thank You that while You rejoice in my unique use of my unique gifts—my unique me-ness—what I do with what I am is not the epitome of me. I am free from performance because I am free in Your grace love. I am free from evaluation because I am free in Your grace love. I am free to try because Your grace always holds me, always catches me, always surrounds me, always upholds me.

Father, thank You that Your love is a redeeming love—when everything in this world feels ‘shattering,’ You not only pick up the pieces, You tenderly yet strongly re-shape the pieces into yet another beautiful poem of priceless worth. When everything in this world feels ‘works-oriented,’ Your grace shouts, ‘I love you for you! Rest, My child.’

Father, thank You that who I am, my worth, my value, my being loved, are not based upon what I do or accomplish, or on my ‘successes’ or ‘failures,’ but rather upon Your self-giving, sacrificial, infinite love.

Father, thank You that even when I don’t love and adore You, that You love and adore me. In fact, You love and adore me equally on my ‘best days’ of loving You as on my ‘worst days’ of unloving You.

Father, thank You that Christ is the measure of Your love and not my actions or attitudes, accomplishments or accolades. You enjoy me. You delight in me. You love me. You want me. You like me. You accept me. You rejoice over me and in me and with me and for me. You celebrate me.

Father, thank You for grace. I embrace Your grace. I embrace Your face. I embrace You. I celebrate Your grace.

Your beloved child.”

RPM Ministries: Equipping You to Change Lives with Christ’s Changeless Truth