Lord, have mercy upon me.

 Lord, Have Mercy Upon Me

A Cry from Psalm 51:1, Luke 18:13, and Psalm 86:5

Lord, have mercy upon me—not because I am worthy of Your grace,

But because Your mercy is boundless, and I need to see Your face.

I come not with a list of merits, not with a single boast.

I come as one who knows that I have wandered from the coast.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1)

Like the tax collector who would not lift his eyes,

I beat my chest and whisper, "Lord, be merciful to me."

I cannot stand upon my own; my righteousness is frail.

But Your mercy, Lord, has never, ever failed.

Have mercy—not for pardon only, but for strength to rise,

To leave the miry pit behind, to see the morning skies.

Your mercy is my daily bread, my shelter in the storm,

The gentle hand that holds me close, the heart that keeps me warm.

For You, Lord, are good and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. (Psalm 86:5)

Lord, have mercy upon me—in my weakness and my need,

In my wandering and my wandering, in my failure and my greed.

You are the God who does not turn away from the broken and the bruised,

You are the God who welcomes sinners who are used.

The tax collector went home justified—not because he was good,

But because he threw himself on the mercy of the God who understood.

His prayer was simple, his heart was bare,

And he found grace beyond compare.

"God, have mercy on me, a sinner." (Luke 18:13)

So I call upon Your name—Jesus, mercy's throne.

You looked upon the sinner and did not leave me alone.

You died to make atonement, You rose to bring me life.

Have mercy upon me, Lord; turn my sorrow into life.

Have mercy—not in judgment, but in love,

Not in wrath, but in the peace that comes from above.

Lord, have mercy upon me—I cry out in my need,

And I trust in Your mercy to plant the eternal seed.

Amen.