There is a prayer of Metropolitan St. Philaret of Moscow that I love, but I haven’t yet succeeded in memorizing. In effort to capture in a memorable way the spirit of that prayer (a version of which can be found here), I worked out this more poetic paraphrase:
O Lord, words fail to serve my heart.
Only You know my needs.
You love me more than I can love.
Father, give what I can’t see.
No cross nor comfort do I ask;
Before Your face, I stand in fear.
My heart lies naked to Your eyes.
To You my unseen needs are clear.
Cast me down and lift me up!
I stand in fear before Your face,
Dumbstruck by Your secret will,
Your thoughts beyond my mind to trace.
My life I give—a holocaust.
My only will is “Yours be done.”
Teach me how to pray, O Lord.
Within me pray, “Thy kingdom come!”
Amen.
Everyday Asceticism 