Lord, Guard My Heart

Lord, Guard My Heart

Lord, guard my heart from all that I desire
That draws me from Your altar, dims Your holy fire.
If I should crave a thing You never meant for me,
Then break my heart for what will break my bond with Thee.

Search every hidden chamber, every motive, every room;
Expose the seeds of pride before they have the chance to bloom.
If I have dressed ambition in the garments of Your name,
Then strip away the disguise and purify my aim.

Guard me from the hunger to be noticed, praised, and known,
From building up a kingdom that was never mine to own.
If I should seek the pulpit more than I seek Your face,
Then take away the platform till my heart returns to grace.

Guard me from the need to prove that I was always right,
From winning every argument but losing holy sight.
Let truth be more than ammunition I can use to wound;
Let wisdom be the quiet seed from which Your love is bloomed.

Guard me from the darts the enemy may send my way,
From whispered lies that sound like truth and steal my peace away.
From accusations dressed as facts, from shame that will not cease,
From every seed of bitterness that wars against my peace.

When offense comes knocking, Lord, don’t let it settle in;
Don’t let a passing wound become a home for sin.
Teach me to forgive the words that cut me to the bone,
And leave the debts of other hearts with You, and You alone.

Guard me from the little things that seem too small to name,
The careless words, the private thoughts, the slow descent to shame.
The little lies I justify, the grudges I conceal,
The compromise that feels so slight, yet makes my spirit yield.

Guard me from the envy that disguises itself as grief,
From measuring my harvest by another’s gathered sheaf.
When others rise before me, keep resentment from my chest;
Remind me that another’s blessing doesn’t steal my rest.

Guard me from the fear of man, the need to be approved,
From changing what You’ve spoken just so I won’t be moved.
But keep me from the pride that thinks I cannot be wrong,
For even those who stand for truth must let You make them strong.

Guard me from the words I speak when anger takes the lead,
From making someone pay for pain that I have yet to grieve.
When my flesh demands its justice, teach my spirit how to wait;
Don’t let one moment’s weakness become a lasting weight.

Guard me from the weary days when prayer feels hard to pray,
When silence seems to fill the room and heaven feels away.
Don’t let my feelings be the judge of everything that’s true;
When I cannot sense Your presence, keep me faithful still to You.

Guard me from the things I love that take Your rightful place,
From making gifts into my gods or striving for Your grace.
My children, dreams, and earthly joys are blessings from above;
But never let the gifts You give eclipse the Giver’s love.

Guard me when I’m tired and my patience wears thin,
When the smallest interruption stirs a storm within.
In dishes left and messes made, in every mundane chore,
Remind me that the life I live is worship at its core.

Guard me in my marriage, Lord, in every word and deed;
Keep selfishness from ruling where there’s sacrifice and need.
Teach me how to speak with grace, how to listen, how to mend,
And never let my pride destroy the love I should defend.

Guard me when I’m lonely and I long to be embraced,
From reaching for affection in a soul-consuming place.
Don’t let the ache to be understood become a guiding flame;
Let me find my worth in You, not someone’s whispered name.

Guard me from the bitterness that suffering can grow,
From letting what has wounded me decide the way I go.
Don’t let the scars that mark my past become the hands that steer;
Let what You healed become a hymn that draws the wounded near.

And if I chase a door, Lord, that Your mercy has kept closed,
If I mistake my wanting for the path that You have chose,
Then let the door remain shut, though my flesh may beg and plead;
I’d rather walk through wilderness with You than have my way and bleed.

If You must prune the branches that have grown beyond Your will,
Then take away the fruitless growth, though the cutting brings me still.
If You must break my idols, let me bow beneath Your hand;
I’d rather lose what keeps me bound than gain what You have banned.

Lord, guard my heart from hardness when the answers come too slow,
From demanding all the reasons that You may not let me know.
Keep me tender in the waiting, keep me faithful in the strain;
Don’t let disappointment teach my heart to live in vain.

And when I fail, Lord, draw me back before I run and hide;
Don’t let shame convince me that I cannot stand beside
The mercy seat where broken souls may come and be made new;
Convict me without crushing me, and lead me back to You.

Create in me a clean heart, Lord; renew a steadfast spirit.
Let every word I speak reflect the truth of what You hear in it.
Let every thought bow at Your feet, each motive come to light;
Make even what the world can’t see be pleasing in Your sight.

For I don’t only want to flee the evil others do;
I want the hidden things in me surrendered unto You.
Not just the sins that shame me, nor the ones the world can see,
But every secret corner that has not been yielded completely.

So take my heart, its hopes, its fears, its plans, its every dream;
Wash out what isn’t born of You, make pure what does remain.
Let nothing reign above Your throne, no matter what the cost;
For what is gained apart from You is still a thing I’ve lost.

And should I walk through fire, Lord, keep pride from taking hold;
Let me emerge more humble, not more hardened, not more cold.
Let trials refine my character, not make my spirit cease
To love the ones who’ve wounded me and walk in holy peace.

I do not trust my heart alone; I need Your hand to guide it.
I do not trust my strength alone; I need Your grace beside it.
So guard what I cannot perceive, correct what I can’t see,
And make the heart that beats within me wholly Yours to keep.

Until my final breath is drawn, until my race is through,
Let every lesser love grow dim beside my love for You.
And if the world should gain my name, my gifts, my works, my art,
Let heaven find this one thing true:

I gave You all my heart.