A prayer for a clear out

Albert Bogle February 23, 2023 4 6

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Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 (NRSVA)

1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

I’m fascinated by the TV programme presented by Stacey Solomon entitled “Sort Your Life Out”. In it she helps people who have accumulated too much stuff in their homes to rid themselves of it and have a fresh start. In many ways it is a parable for our spiritual lives. We may be minimalists when it comes to holding on to material things but perhaps we hoard all our hurts and feelings inside ourselves to the extent that we are nothing more than a hurt hoarder. One of the first things that Stacey does is she gains the confidence of the person and gives them the confidence to remove everything from their home. She takes all their belongings to an empty warehouse where they spend time deciding what will go back into their home.

Many of us perhaps need the help of someone else to help us take out of our lives all the hurts and fears of the years and lay them out before God and in a prayerful way in order to decide what the next steps should be. It’s not just about letting things go — it’s about letting you grow.

PRAYER:

Lord,

Today I make a new start

I’m clearing out

The hurts

The fears

The phobias

The lies

The half truths

The grudges

The jealousy

The pride

The regrets

The boasts

All of them and more

I’m putting them to one side

I need your help in order that I can

Dispose of them

I want to remove them from my mind for ever

Come Holy Spirit

Fill my life to overflowing

With the gracious fruit of your Spirit

Now help me find

The kindness

The patience

The love

The faith

To start again

To rebuild my life