Prayer for Accountability

Heavenly Father,

I confess to You that today was not easy. The tension between Bob and me is rising. It is time for a 'corporate meeting'.... a meeting of the minds and clearing of the air.  It is time to be accountable and to deal with shortcomings in loving confrontation. Lord, we are married for 42 1/2 years and the healthy, often painful (!) practice of being accountable to one another never comes with comfort and ease. I admit to often being a slow learner!! I thank You, Holy Spirit, that over the years we've both learned that being truthful; dealing with hurts and being hurtful can move us forward in our relationship with You and with each other. Loving accountability is crucial to our continued relational health, happiness and continued growth. 

 

Today I pray that my children will learn the art and freedom in being accountable.  We were not created to be alone, but in relationship and in community.  Only hermits are not accountable and even they must abide by the Law of the Land - being accountable for actions and behaviors.  Your Word teaches us that a soft, indulgent love without reproof overcomes selfish, narcissistic love of self.  Both Your Old and New Covenants contain reproof so we can live in harmony with each other.  We are certainly accountable to You, Lord. Otherwise, Your Word, Jesus' life on earth and His act of love on the Cross of Calvary means nothing.  Accountability is a demonstration of strength and power.  It is an act of true love.

 

Holy Spirit, teach all of us to address key issues in life with truth and acceptance. I pray for all of us to have a willingness to understand and to be considerate,  even if it means change.   Help us all to think of the other person or persons involved in our decision making. Lord. Even when we are rushed and weary; overwhelmed with all there is to do,  may we have Your grace and wisdom to address rights-&-wrongs in our actions and behaviors. Give us the courage of take responsibility for ourselves, to listen first; not defend, argue, put-off  or ignore.  May we learn to look through one another's eyes with an empathy and love that can only come from You.  Convict us, Lord God, of when to speak and when to be silent. Teach us when to let our 'yes' be 'yes' and our 'no' be 'no' and when to reconsider what is defined as an unreasonable stance. O God, life is all about living like You! That's our primary goal: to move forward in this life striving to be more like You. May Bob and I and our children remember that we are accountable to one another.  In Jesus' Name I ask for forgiveness for being blind to or having overlooked any hurt I have initiated.  Lord God, convict us all in any areas where we have allowed laziness, fear or anxious  indifference to overpower our love for one another. In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen.  

 

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.
2 Timothy 3:16

(Jesus said) All you need to say is simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.  - Matthew 5:37 

Galatians 6:1-5   Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.        

James 5:16  Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.        

 

Luke 17:3    "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him"

 

 Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Accountable Discipleship: Living in God’s Household  by Steven W. Manskar

• Accountability helps keep those willing to engage in it moving forward with Christ.

·        Accountability is how we make sure our discipleship happens. The primary task of covenant discipleship is to give disciples the means to prevent and resist the temptation of self deception.

We never outgrow the need for personal accountability because past successes are no guarantee of future faithfulness.We constantly underestimate the power of our own sinful passions. We constantly overestimate our ability to handle temptation. We naively believe our struggles and temptations are unique when there is no such thing as a private sin

General Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of operations for Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the early 1990s, exercised this simple premise of authority: A leader never walks by a mistake. "Reproof" means pointing out a wrong, bringing someone to a place where he or she can admit what he or she has done. And there's nearly always an element of pain involved in doing that. - Dennis Rainey

"One thought driven home is better than three left on base."   - James Litter

Boy, that was a lot, wasn't it??!  You can tell the our corporate meeting won't be brief. Still, I have total faith we will navigate through truths and be better having shared, heart-to-heart.  Take it from your old Momma: Keep life less complicated by being true to God, to yourself  and to others (and in that order!)  

Love you always and forever ~