An "At the Opportune Time" Prayer

(The words of this prayer do not pertain to my birth family, who indeed brought my siblings and me up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  No, this prayer happened on my watch with my nuclear and extended family, not in that of  Mother Velma and  Daddy Jimmie Taylor).

"Merciful, Gracious, and Mighty Father God, for too many years my family and I have been ensnared and entangled in the cares of this world.  We did not know You, although we knew of You.  We neither knew Scripture nor how to pray Your Word.  Unwittingly, we carried a picture of You as the greatest magician ever.  We did not know You in the pardon of our sins, nor that when asked, You threw our sins into the sea of forgetfulness.  we lived in fear and thought we could bargain with You as if You were a vendor at the flea market.

When we asked and did not receive the answer we wanted in the way we assumed we'd get it, we became disappointed, then disjointed, and finally angry at You.  We did not blame the real, true enemy because we didn't know him either, or at least we may have thought we did but we didn't.  In our disappointment and disillusionment, we turned our backs on You.

Forgive us, first and foremost, for the sin of ignorance---our lack of knowledge, of knowing You. Nor did we believe, really believe,  in You.  How, then, could we trust You? Thank You, Father, that You love us so much that You forgive us over and over again, even when our asking seems only reflexive or obligatory.  Thank You for teaching recalcitrant hearts to believe and trust You, not as a great magician, but as our All-Powerful, All-Knowing,  Everywhere-At-The-Same-Place. loving Father.  Thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your only begotten Son, Jesus, to die at the Cross for our sins before we were born.

Thank You that You declared, "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you." And You followed it with this infallible promise,  "For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matthew 7: 7-8)"

So it is at the opportune time that my family and I come before You, Lord, individually and collectively, asking You to forgive, remove, erase, and eradicate the spirit of fear and failure, of poverty and lack---to wipe the slate squeaky clean! "Knee-bowed and body-bent," as the old Deacons intoned at the start of a worship service, we implore:

"Search me, Lord, Search me, Lord.  Turn the Light from heaven on my soul.  And if You find anything that shouldn't be, take it out and strengthen me, cause we want to be right, we want to be saved, and we've got to be whole."

Open our eyes, ears, mouths, and hearts to receive and follow Your guidance.  Thank You,  Father, as we petition You, knowing that You answer our prayers, as that right speedily.  We receive release by Your grace and mercy, in the Mighty, Matchless, and Majestic Name of Jesus Christ.  Amen."