A Prayer about Being Known By God
You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. Psalm 139:1
Gracious God,
As we prayed yesterday,
we are so thankful
that you have invited us to know you,
but we are even more thankful
that you know us.
We confess,
we often fear being known,
because we are afraid if someone really knows
the whole truth about us,
they won’t like us or love us.
But you “discern our thoughts”
and you know
what words are forming on our tongues
even before we do (Psalm 139:2-4).
Given some of the thoughts and words
that form in our minds
and on our tongues,
we are astonished that you still love us, Lord.
But indeed you do,
for you demonstrated your love for us
by sending Christ to die for us
while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).
As theologian J. I. Packer writes,
“There is tremendous relief
in knowing that your love for us
is utterly realistic…
so that no discovery now
can disillusion you about us…” (42).
Not only do you know us and love us and forgive us;
you know every detail of every lives:
the number of hairs on our head,
the number of e-mails piling up in our inbox,
the number of diapers we will change today,
the number of days in our lives.
Because you are a God of the details,
we can trust that your care for us is complete—
you never miss a moment.
Knowing how you know us
comforts us and energizes us
to know you
and love you
and serve you
and obey you.
Knowing how you know us
encourages us to seek to know ourselves,
something we will pray about tomorrow.
In Jesus’ knowing and loving name. Amen.
Read Psalm 139:1-6; Galatians 4:9; Exodus 33:17; Jeremiah 1:5.