May Your mercy, O God, come because of Your love.
Yes, Your love that removes all the wrongs I’ve transgressed.
From Your hands that can heal is my cleansing enough.
Take away my gross sins that alone You can wrest.
All my wicked ways cleave to my flesh and my bones,
And this sin in me follows and clings and surrounds.
It’s against You, my Lord, that I’ve sinned – You alone.
I do evil in deeds that Your eyes have now found!
For You, God, are my Judge and upright when You speak,
And Your verdict is just and now humbly received.
I was born into sin, a mere mortal and weak.
Such is me since the day that my mother conceived.
You want goodness from me whether seen or unseen.
In my quietest moments Your wisdom is made known.
May Your righteousness scrape all my filth til I’m clean.
Come and wash me! I’ll shine as if whiter than snow.
Let me ear be attuned to a joy to embrace.
May my bones that are fractured now burst into song.
It is true I have sinned, but look not, turn Your face
And remove from Your mind all my guilt and my wrongs.
Come create within me a clean heart, O my God!
And renew this once constant man’s heart within me.
Do not throw me away though I’ve broken and flawed.
Remove not this day Your Holy Spirit from me!
Please restore Your good joy and assure that I’m saved
And empower my life with a spirit that thrives!
I’ll instruct the wrongdoer the way You have paved,
And so sinners shall turn unto You with new life!
Now save me from my shedding of innocent blood.
I’ll pronounce all Your goodness through songs on my tongue.
Adonai, free my mouth and my lips as a flood.
I’ll not choke and then leave all Your praises unsung.
I may bring You a gift which is not You desire.
It is true that my offerings aren’t worthy of You.
But a sorrowful spirit is what You require,
For my God seeks the bruised heart that is tattered and true.
May Your favor descend upon Zion with grace.
Build Jerusalem’s walls to stand tall and be broad.
You’ll delight in these gifts of a penitent race
And accept Your son’s blood on the altar of God.
Jared Travis 