The La-Z-Boy Life

God, I confess that I value my own comfort too highly, and sometimes exalt my own comfort above your commands and plans for my life, especially when I _____________. I confess that I don’t believe in you as I should. But I want to.

Help me to believe that you are in control. Help me believe that you know what you’re doing. Help me believe that you know what is best for me. Help me believe that if I put you in the driver’s seat you will not hurt me. Help me believe that if I deny myself and sacrifice my own comfort, you will take care of me. Help me believe that your will is far better than my own comfort. Help me believe that what you want out of me is more important than what I want (or think I want) out of life.

Please teach me to be more and more like your Son, “who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame” (Hebrews 12:2), denying himself and sacrificing himself for my salvation and my eternal good. Teach me to endure hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3) and to consider it a great joy whenever I experience trials, knowing that the testing of my faith produces endurance. Let endurance do its complete work in me, so that I may be mature and complete, lacking nothing (James 1:2-4), in Jesus’ name, amen.

(the prayer that closes chapter thirteen, "The La-Z-Boy Life," in my book, American Idols)