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Writer's pictureDeahna Tipton

A Litany for the Perfectionist

After months of going to God in prayer asking Him to show me how to accept failure in things that really matter to me, I wrote this litany as much for myself as for anyone else. It is an honest prayer begging Jesus to change my heart toward the ideas of failure and perfection.


I hope that maybe even a part of this prayer is helpful to someone else who is striving to really know and believe the truth - that a life lived with Christ means surrendering our hold on our own ideas of perfection as we cling instead to His perfect will and love for us.



A Litany for the Perfectionist


Oh Jesus, whose strength is made perfect in my weakness, Hear me.


From the desire of being perfect, Deliver me Jesus.


From the desire to achieve perfection in anything other than that which glorifies You, Deliver me Jesus.


From the notion that it is through my own strength that I will achieve good, Deliver me Jesus


From the desire for others to perceive certain aspects of my life as perfect, Deliver me Jesus.


From the expectation that I must achieve good things in a particular way, Deliver me Jesus.


From the particular areas of my life in which I have a need for perfection, Deliver me Jesus.


From the expectation of perfection that I may place on those around me, Deliver me Jesus.


From the expectation of perfection that others may place upon me, Deliver me Jesus.


From the fear of hurting others in my failures, Deliver me Jesus.


From the fear of failing those I love in any way, Deliver me Jesus.


From the fear of failure that cannot be repaired, Deliver me Jesus.



So that I serve You as well as I can, accepting that I will sometimes fail, Jesus be my strength.


So that I strive to do Your Will alone and let both my own and the world’s ideas of success fall away, Jesus be my strength.


So that I may not, in fear of failure, shy away from that which You are calling me to do, Jesus be my strength.


So that I trust in Your abundant grace, charity, and forgiveness when I do fail, Jesus be my strength.


So that I may not succumb to shame and despair in the face of my imperfection, Jesus be my strength.


So that I look upon the failures of others not with scorn but with prayer, compassion, understanding, and – when necessary – forgiveness, Jesus be my strength.


So that I entrust the gifts that You gave me to be used by You as instruments for Your will - not mine, Jesus be my strength.


So that I rejoice in my weakness as it drives me to rely more heavily on You, Jesus be my strength.


So that I surrender my hold on perfection and give both my victories and failures ever-joyfully to You, Jesus be my strength.


So that my happiness is not reliant upon the number of my successes and failures, but that it rather rests in Your overwhelming and transcendent love for me, Jesus be my strength.

Amen.

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2 Comments


Marianne Becker
Marianne Becker
Aug 19, 2021

This prayer came just when I needed it. Thank you, sister⭐️

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Deahna Tipton
Deahna Tipton
Aug 21, 2021
Replying to

Praying for you, Marianne! ❤️

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