Unless the Lord build the house

 Amen. That truth is the cornerstone of all our labors. Here is a prayer-poem drawn from that profound scripture.

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Unless the Lord Builds the House

"Unless the Lord builds the house,

the builders labor in vain."(Psalm 127:1)

Lord, I have built.

I have drawn my plans on the parchment of ambition.

I have gathered my stones of effort,my mortar of will.

I have risen early,stayed late,

my brow damp with the sweat of my own determination.

And I have stood back,proud of my rising walls—

only to watch the wind test them,

and find them leaning.

So I lay down my tools.

I empty my hands.

I surrender my blueprint at Your feet.

For I have seen the vanity of a house built on my own name.

The coldness of rooms warmed only by my own success.

The fragility of walls that have no cornerstone but me.

Come, be the Architect.

Design a dwelling not for my glory,but for Your presence.

Let every room be shaped for prayer,

every hallway echo with worship,

every window frame a view of Your grace.

"In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord."(Ephesians 2:21)

Be the Foundation.

Let my life be built upon the Rock that cannot be shaken.(Matthew 7:24-25)

Upon Your promises,not my performance.

Upon Your finished work,not my fragile worthiness.

Let the storms come—they will find a house that stands.

Be the Master Builder.

Assign me my task.Hand me the stone You have chosen.

Let my labor be a response to Your direction,not the source of my identity.

"For we are co-workers in God’s service..."(1 Corinthians 3:9)

Let me workwith You, not merely for You.

Guard the gates.

Let no pride,no jealousy, no hidden compromise

be smuggled into the walls.

Let the only treasure stored within be Christ Himself.

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."(1 Corinthians 3:11)

Build my home, that it may be a sanctuary of peace.

Build my relationships,that they may be strongholds of love.

Build my work,that it may be a workshop of purpose.

Build my life,into a dwelling place fit for Your Spirit.

I cease my striving.

I exchange my vanity for Your vision.

I trade my weariness for Your yoke,which is easy. (Matthew 11:30)

For the house You build may rise slowly by my measure.

Its design may confuse my shortsighted eyes.

But it will stand.

It will be a house of prayer.

It will be a home.

Unless the Lord builds the house…

But You are willing,You are able.

So build,Lord.

Build here.

Build with me.

Build in me.

Amen.