What I Do and What God Does.
(Based on Psalm 51)

As a result of what I know about your inexhaustible love,
I ask you to be gracious to me and show me favor, Lord.
Because of what I know about your abundant mercy,
I ask you to wipe out all traces of my sin against You.
I need You to wash away my depravity repeatedly and thoroughly,
And cleanse me completely from my sinfulness.
I can’t escape the disturbing realization that I am in rebellion against You.
Yes, it’s You and You alone against whom I have sinned,
And my evil actions have been done right in front of Your face.
You’ve seen it all, so You have every right to speak up,
And any judgment you pronounce against me will be just.
I’ve been a sinner since the day I was born,
In fact, my sinful condition started at the point of conception.
Everyone needs to recognize that it’s truth and faithfulness You desire,
And it’s in the inner recesses of a man’s life that you look for them.
It’s in that place where no one else can see that You make Your wisdom known.

I need You to purify me from my sin so that I can be truly clean,
I need You to wash me so that the darkness of my sin becomes whiter than white.
Let me experience the joy and gladness that come with forgiveness,
Make me like a man whose bones were all broken, but is now able to dance!
Turn away from looking at my sins,
Wipe out the very memory of them.
Shape within me a new heart,
And give me a new spirit that is ready to serve You.
Don’t let my sin expel me from Your presence,
And don’t remove the presence of Your Spirit from my life.

Let me experience the joy again that comes with Your salvation,
And give me the capacity to willingly and gladly obey You.
Then my life will be an open lesson for other sinners to learn the life You recommend.
As a result, they will return to You as well.
Strip off the blood that stains me, O God of my salvation,
And I will sing the praises of Your righteousness.
Give me a reason to open my mouth and shout Your praises!

It’s not the sacrifices I make for You that bring You pleasure, Lord.
Those are not the things that please You, or else that’s what I would give You.
The kind of sacrifice You want begins with a broken spirit.
You won’t look down on a heart that’s truly broken and crushed.
Make Your people Your delight and do good to them,
Restore them.
Then the sacrifices they make will please You because they will be righteous,
Everything they do will bring you pleasure and joy.