For years I have made a practice of writing many of my earnest prayers to God in a little book–a book now well worn. I still turn often to the petitions I recorded in that book. I remind God often of what my prayers have been.
One prayer in the book–and God knows it well by this time, for I pray it often–goes like this:
Oh God, Let me die rather than to go on day by day living wrong. I do not want to become a careless, fleshly old man. I want to be right so that I can die right. Lord, I do not want my life to be extended if it would mean that I should cease to live right and fail in my mission to glorify You all of my days!…
As you will recall from Second Kings 20, the Lord gave Hezekiah a 15-year extension of life. Restored to health and vigor, Hezekiah disgraced himself and dishonored God before he died and was buried.
I would not want an extra 15 years in which to backslide and dishonor my Lord. I would rather go home right now than to live on–if living on was to be a waste of God’s time and my own! Jesus Is Victor!
“Please, Father, help me to finish well. Amen.” — A. W. Tozer
