Prayer for dads

Lord Jesus,

You were counted with the guilty. You died between two criminals, and You took the place that was mine.

I have spent a lot of time building a good name. I start to believe my own story. That is a thin shield. Without You, I stand with the guilty too.

So today, help me drop the act. Let me stop pretending I am better than I am. Remind me that the place I really stand is at the cross, where You stood for me.

That memory will change how I see the people I am quick to judge. We are not in different groups. We are in the same one. And You, Lord, are the only hope either of us has.

Because of Your cross, I am not left to despair. You have claimed me. You have called me Yours. Let that truth make me humble at home, patient at work, and slow to look down on anyone.

Amen.