Disturb Us by John Avant

The restored ship of Sir Francis Drake

I  recently returned from leading twenty men to the great battlefields of Europe on a discipleship journey, called Men of Valor. We were able to see the restored ship which Sir Francis Drake sailed from almost 500 years ago. I read this poem which is attributed to Sir Franics Drake to our men while we were there.  We all agreed that we want this to be our heart prayer. Maybe yours too?

Disturb us, Lord, when

We are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come true

Because we have dreamed too little,

When we arrived safely

Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when

With the abundance of things we possess

We have lost our thirst

For the waters of life;

Having fallen in love with life,

We have ceased to dream of eternity

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

We have allowed our vision

Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

To venture on wider seas

Where storms will show your mastery;

Where losing sight of land,

We shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back

The horizons of our hopes;

And to push into the future

In strength, courage, hope, and love.

Attributed — Sir Francis Drake — 1577