Day 51..."More guilt offerings, prayer of confession, prayer of Gethsemane"

Guess what? We read more about guilt offerings today. Leviticus is pretty specific even to the point of affording two turtledoves. Psalm 51 is a centerpiece for a prayer of confession. David is still struggling over his guilt of adultery but has a "heart" for God. He prays..."create in me a clean heart." This is a good prayer today. Later he says..."renew a right spirit within me.Cast me not away from your presence,and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation,and uphold me with a willing spirit." A great prayer to begin again...and again...and again. The Matthew reading is short but dramatically contains Jesus' agony in Gethsamane. Jesus prayed for strength to do God's will in the face of his own suffering, persecution, denial, betrayal, and death. Jesus' prayer reminds that God's Will is not always easy. We must pray for strength.