Make Me to Shine

Yesterday was Day 1 of the Global Leadership Summit for 2011. This event, as always, was very incredible and had many inspiring speakers who put forward a lot of wonderful material for us conference-goers to chew on, to marinate in, to ingest and digest. I heard a lot of things that made me want to "do something" for God, so this is my attempt to both recap what I heard and declare my intention to make this inspiration last with God's help.

Lord, make me to shine Your light
So that people would see my good deeds
And praise our Father in heaven.

You are good and gracious God
Who has redeemed us from the grave
Who promises to come to our aid
Who will give us the power to do new things
If we will seek Your will
And trust in Your power
And do something.

Lord, give me the strength
Provide me the willpower
To think of the problems
To name the problems
To address the problems
To resolve the problems
That will hinder growth in areas of my life
And in places where You have called me to lead.

Lord, provide me with the insight
To see where I need to give three inches more
Help me to see where I can take action
Give me the courage to do something
Even when I can't see the outcome
Particularly when I feel I've tried everything
Especially when it feels foolish and trivial
Because You have called us to live for You
And nothing You would have us do is trivial.

Help me to stop cutting myself short
And trying to do what's expected
Help me to know that failure is okay
That failure is a learning tool
That failure is a part of making an effort
That failure comes with success
That failure in serving You can never truly be failure.

O God, give me the courage to get down in the trenches
And dig some ditches
In order to make a path
And prepare the way
For Your power to sweep through this valley
In a way I won't see coming.
Help me to keep that shovel handy
And to continue digging away
So that when Your favor comes
It will pool up and stick around
So that it can be drunk and enjoyed
By those who have been dying to receive it.

Lord, make me to shine like a star.
Not in the earthly sense
And not in the Hollywood sense
But in the celestial sense
The light from some stars still reaches us
Even though they have long since died out.
I want it to be this way with me
So that when my time on earth is done
The light I shone will still be visible
Because it's Your light that I want to shine
It is Your light in me that I desire to make so brilliant
Lord, let it emanate from me
Cause it to illuminate those around me
Make it to permeate every fiber of my being
So that I can be a light for You
In a world that desperately needs it.

Lord, this challenge seems appropriate,
But as I get into it, I'm sure I will begin to feel dangerously over-challenged.
Lend me your discernment on how to proceed
Provide me with wisdom on the choices that need to be made
Help me to know exactly what it is You want me to do
Because, through You, it'll really be something.