Clean my soul from bitter root.

 Amen. This is a deep and crucial prayer. A "root of bitterness" (Hebrews 12:15) is a dangerous and hidden thing, poisoning our thoughts, relationships, and spiritual life from the inside out. Uprooting it requires divine surgery.

Here is a prayerful poem for that cleansing.

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Clean My Soul From Bitter Root

I feel it there, beneath the surface, deep,

A twisted root,a vigil it does keep.

Planted by a wound,a wrong, a slight,

Nourished in the darkness of the night.

It sends its tendrils through my soul,

And seeks to poison and control.

It taints my thoughts,it stains my view,

And makes old hurts feel ever new.

Lord, clean my soul from this bitter root.

Reveal its source, its hidden place,

Shine Your searching light of grace.

Show me the hurt I've held so tight,

And give me courage to bring it to the light.

I lay it down, the "right" to be repaid,

The story of the hurtful blade.

I choose,by will, to let it go,

And let Your healing waters flow.

Now, by the power of Your cross,

Where every gain was once my loss,

Come with the spade of truth and pain,

And cut this bitter root in twain.

Pull out the remnants, deep and old,

Till Your redemption can take hold.

Fill the raw and empty space,

With Your forgiving,boundless grace.

Plant in its place a seed of peace,

Where Your mercies never cease.

Let gratitude and kindness grow,

So all my soul Your love will know.

Clean my soul from bitter root,

And let me bear forgiving fruit.

Washed in the stream from Calvary's side,

In Your pure love,I will abide.

"See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."

— Hebrews 12:15

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

— Psalm 51:10