My eyes are dry
My faith is old
My heart is hard
My prayers are cold
And I know how I ought to be
Alive to you and dead to me

But what can be done
For an old heart like mine
Soften it up
With oil and wine
The oil is you, your spirit of love
Please wash me anew
With the wine of your blood

I have shared for decades that there were three reasons that I stayed close to Jesus during my adolescence:  1).  The keeping power of the Holy Spirit  2).  Praying parents   3). The music of Keith Green

The lyrics above have been a compass for me spiritually.  They continually point me back to the only source of life:  The love of God displayed in the sacrificial death of His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

In this new year, I am praying for those around me who have dry eyes, old faith, a hard heart and cold prayers.  I am praying for a deep, vibrant spiritual life for those that I love; that they would once again put to death self-interest and find life in living for the glory of Another.

Right now, receive this prayer:

Jesus, let the Holy Spirit, this powerful force of God’s love, sweep over us. Let it cover us like a Holy oil and bring out the fragrance of Jesus.  God, would you cause the power of Christ’s death to take away all of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  Like a fine wine, would you allow your Spirit to fill us with a joy that comes from the very throne of Christ.  Give us full life this year and give us a soft heart.  Amen.