“Take My Life, that I May Be,” ELW 685 and LBW 406
1 Take my life, that I may be
consecrated, Lord, to thee;
take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
2 Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of they love;
take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for thee.
3 Take my voice and let me sing
always, only, for my King;
take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from thee.
4 Take my silver and my gold,
not a mite would I withhold;
take my intellect, and use
ev’ry pow’r as thou shalt choose.
5 Take my will and make it thine;
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is thine own;
it shall be thy royal throne.
6 Take my love; my Lord, I pour
at thy feet its treasure store;
take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for thee.
Devotion
The grace of God pours down like rain through Jesus Christ. In the waters and word of baptism we are washed clean, given new life, claimed and renewed forever more. How can we respond to this amazing grace? No act, no prayer, no amount of worship or service can even come close to properly responding to the grace of God. So what do we do?
Prayer
Take my life, dear God, that I may be consecrated, Lord, to thee. Take the time that I have. Take my bones and muscles, as sore as they might be. Use them for the progression of your kingdom. Take the words that come out of my mouth and those that don’t. May those words give life and hope. Take my prayers, supplications, and intercessions. Take them, hear them, respond to them. Take my praise. Take my feelings toward others and myself. Take my sorrow. Take my anger. Take my love, which you have first given. Take it, Lord. All of it. Take my life. Amen.