Lord of Hosts,
You gave order to Your people.
You did not scatter them at random,
but placed each tribe under its banner,
each family in its place,
all facing toward Your dwelling.
At the center of their lives was not comfort,
not ambition,
not themselves
but You.
O God, be the center of my life.
Rearrange my wandering heart
until everything circles around You.
My work, my rest,
my joys, my burdens
draw them into orbit around Your presence.
Forgive me when I place myself in the middle
and expect the world to bow to my desires.
Only You are worthy of that place.
Only You deserve the throne.
Every tribe had a direction.
East and west,
north and south,
they stood ready,
guarding every side of the camp.
Lord, take Your position
around the compass of my soul.
Guard my thoughts from the east,
where the day begins in haste.
Guard my heart from the west,
where shadows of regret grow long.
Guard my spirit from the north,
where doubt chills my faith.
Guard my strength from the south,
where comfort tempts me to sleep.
Be my defense in every direction.
You set banners over each tribe,
emblems that told their story.
Raise Your banner over me, Lord
not one of pride,
but of Your steadfast love.
When I feel weak,
let Your banner remind me I belong.
When I feel lost,
let Your banner point me home.
When the battle rages,
let me rally to the flag of Christ,
my Captain, my King, my Deliverer.
And when the cloud moved,
the people moved.
No one broke rank,
no one ran ahead.
They marched only at Your command.
Lord, train me to watch for Your leading.
Save me from rushing out on my own,
or lagging behind in fear.
Let my eyes be fixed
not on the horizon,
not on the crowd,
but on the cloud of Your presence.
If You go, I will go.
If You stay, I will stay.
My timetable is Yours.
Father, arrange my life
as You arranged the camp.
Put me in my place,
surrounded by Your people,
facing always toward You.
Give me joy in my assignment,
humility in my service,
and courage in my calling.
Let every step I take,
every song I sing,
every task I bear,
be marked by this one truth
that You are here,
in the very center.
In the name of Jesus,
the Word who became flesh
and dwelt among us,
full of grace and truth,
Amen.