Heavenly Father, as I approach Your throne, I ask that Jesus, my advocate and mediator, makes my words holy in Your sight. May they be honourable and honouring.

Father, I long to be one with Jesus and with You. One in the unity of close and loving family, one in the unity of heart-knit friendship, one in the unity of a flourishing enterprise for the advancement of Your kingdom, one in the unity of betrothal, even—though I hesitate at this—one in the unity of Your suffering. All of the different onenesses, Lord, are what I seek in knowing, intimately covenantally knowing, You.

Thank You for Your favour. Thank You for the times the transitions have been easy, thank You for when they have been difficult. Thank You for the ‘resistance training’. Thank You for the times You have exposed the wiles of the enemy. Thank You for helping me avoid traps. Thank You for helping me get out of traps when I didn’t listen for Your voice before stepping into them. Thank You for continuing to guide me through mires and messes, some of my own making, some not. Thank You for minimising the harm in my life on thresholds when I was ignorant or failed to be diligent or even defied You.

I’m sorry for the times I thought You hadn’t been there for me. I withdraw my judgment of You and ask Your forgiveness for believing You had abandoned me, rejected me, found me unworthy, failed to answer my cries for help.

Father, help me to be loyal to You and Your Word with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. Help me to love You and Your Word with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. I ask Jesus of Nazareth, Your one and only, only-begotten Son, to energise my will through the saving power of His cross so the fruit of faithfulness and love will mature in my life. And give glory and honour to You as they bud and flower and bring forth the Fruit of the Spirit to the praise of Your Name.

Lord, I surrender my allegiance to You as Mary of Bethany did. I proclaim You king as she did—in my life, in all the dreams and visions I have for the future, for my family, for my friends, for my calling, for my career, for my church. I ask that You speak over my life as You did over Mary’s, settling in me a new identity, slaying the old habits and ways of thinking that keep me chained to the past and resurrecting Your best ‘me’ in Your appointed time.

Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:24–25 KJV)

Thank you to Lorna Skinner of www.riversofmusic.co.uk for the background music.