09.22.06
The Desires of My Heart

1) My desire is to serve, in love with the giving of my life unto death, my Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart, mind, body, and soul, being completely abandoned to Him and united to Him as one. I desire to follow Him, to give myself to Him completely, to live for Him and to die for Him, to obey Him, and to live with Him eternally in Heaven. My desire is for my God. 

2) My desire is to love my wife as Christ loved the Church; providing for her, sacrificing for her, caring for her, supporting her, encouraging her, affirming her, and holding her high. I wish to be united as one, to be her partner and lover, to be known in her as well as with her. My desire is for my wife. 

3) My desire is to be a loving father to my children. I wish for them to recognize that I am an earthly father who is nothing compared to our Eternal Father. I desire to give myself to my children in order that they may be fully equipped in this world to live for Christ. My desire is that they know Christ and one day celebrate with the whole Church in Heaven of the mighty works of God. 

4) I love the Church. My desire is to serve the Church and see her become all that she can be in Christ. She is the bride of Christ, and I wish to help her draw closer to her husband. I know that the bride desires her husband, but she is weak and is easily drawn to the desires of the world. She needs Him, and in Him she is full and complete. She is most happy when He is near. She is most beautiful when He is near. She is nothing without Him. Because of this, I wish to serve her as my own wife. I want to give to her, provide for her, sacrifice for her, care for her, support her, encourage her, affirm her, and hold her high. I want Christ to use me, as His instrument and tool on earth to be the shepherd and lover of His Church. I want Him to speak freely through me, in both speech and word. I want Him to use my mind and body, to be His mind and body, here on earth to love His Church. I want to see the Church to be pleasing in the sight of the Lord, fulfilling all that He is. May the Church worship in Spirit and truth. May God be glorified in her. 

5) My desire is to see people saved. I wish to see those who do not know Christ or His love to come unto knowledge of Him. I wish to be there as they give their life to the Lord. I wish to carry them like a child and help them grow full and complete in Christ. I wish to see Christ work in His people and His glory to shine throughout the earth. May His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.