This good Friday afternoon, during the COVID-19 pandemic, finds me in a reflective mood. What is so good about Good Friday?
During these difficult times, many hearts are being crushed by the external pressures of this world, squeezed by the absence of income, or devastated by the loss of a loved one who will not be seen again in this lifetime.
Maybe you’re like me, and find yourself at home, safe and cocooned, untouched by the virus except for the inconveniences this new way of life presents. To this date thankfully I have lost no one, my job has transitioned to home, and I have enough of everything, yet my heart mourns. It mourns because my heart is not broken over my sin and I often forget the need I have for Jesus.
This morning I was reading Valley of Vision and found a prayer entitled The Broken Heart. As I read it, I was reminded of what makes Good Friday, eternally good. “For the joy set before him” Hebrews 12:2 Jesus suffered the cross on Good Friday, knowing that this path leads to his resurrection, our salvation, and the beginning of an eternal relationship with God through Jesus.
Below, you will find two versions of this old prayer. Both are the rewritten version and the final one includes the scriptures where the prayer portions came from.
Let this prayer as you read the scriptures fill your heart with joy and thanksgiving as you are reminded why Good Friday is so good.
The Broken Heart
O Lord not a day of my life has passed that has not proven me guilty in Your sight.
Prayer has been whispered from a prayerless heart;
Praise has been sung with a praiseless voice;
My best efforts are filthy rags.
Blessed Jesus, let me find a hiding place in your wounds.
Though my sins rise to heaven,
Your goodness soars above them;
Though my unrighteousness weighs me down to hell,
Your righteousness elevates me to Your throne.
All things within me demand my rejection,
All things within you beg my admission.
I call on you from the throne of perfect justice to your throne of boundless grace.
Allow me to hear Your voice promising me:
that by your stripes I am healed,
that you were bruised for my wrong-doing,
that you have been made sin for me,
that I might be righteous in you,
that my atrocious sins, my many sins, are all forgiven, buried in the ocean of your
concealing blood.
I am guilty, but pardoned,
lost, but saved,
wandering, but found,
sinning, but cleansed.
Give me a never-ending broken heart,
Keep me always clinging to your cross,
Flood me every moment with your grace that rains down.
Open up the springs of divine knowledge,
sparkling like crystal,
flowing clear and unsoiled
through the wilderness of life.
The Broken Heart (With Scripture Verses)
O Lord, not a day of my life has passed that has not proven me guilty in Your sight.
Prayer has been whispered from a prayerless heart; (Isaiah 64:7)
Praise has been sung with a praiseless voice; (Matthew 15:8)
My best efforts are filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10)
Blessed Jesus, let me find a hiding place in your wounds. (Psalm 32:7, Psalm 119:114)
Though my sins rise to heaven,
Your goodness soars above them; (Romans 2:4, Romans 5:8, John 3:16)
Though my unrighteousness weighs me down to hell,
Your righteousness elevates me to Your throne. (Romans 3:23-24)
All things within me demand my rejection,
All things within you beg my admission. (1 Timothy2:5-6, Acts 4:12)
I call on you from the throne of perfect justice to your throne of boundless grace. (Psalm 85:10)
Allow me to hear your voice promising me: (Isaiah 53:5)
that by your stripes I am healed,
that you were bruised for my wrong-doing,
that you have been made sin for me,
that I might be righteous in you,
that my atrocious sins, my many sins, are all forgiven, buried in the ocean of your
concealing blood. (Psalm 32:1, Psalm 85:2, Romans 4:7)
I am guilty, but pardoned,
lost, but saved, (Luke 15:24)
wandering, but found, (Luke 15:3-7)
sinning, but cleansed. (Isaiah 1:18, Psalm 51:7)
Give me a never-ending broken heart, (Psalm 51:16-17)
Keep me always clinging to your cross, (Hebrews 6:18-20)
Flood me every moment with your grace that rains down. (Isaiah 44:3)
Open up the springs of divine knowledge,
sparkling like crystal,
flowing clear and unsoiled
through the wilderness of life. (Psalm 107:35-36)