Then Now Then

Forgive, 0 Lord, what we have been,
Direct what we are,
And order what we shall be,
For your mercy's sake,
Amen.

Faults

Lord, show me my faults.
Amen.

All You Did Was Save My Life

(I was so blessed by this song, sung in this morning's worship celebration at Cobblestone. As Con Brio was singing it, it became a prayer for me)

You, looked at me as you walked in the room;
Like the red sea, you split me open.
Somehow I knew these wings were stolen,
All you did was save my life.

Tried to run but I couldn't move,
Well, I paid for these concrete shoes
Like a singer that sings the blues,
You saw hope in the hopeless.

I'm not dying;
All you did was save my life.
Pulled me out of that flatline,
Put the heartbeat back inside.
I'm not dying;
All you did was get me through,
I owe every breathe to you.
Heart and soul unparalyzed,
All you did was save my life.

I'm not for sale but I've been sold,
The more I hear the less I know,
The lies are swallowed whole,
In their insignificance.
The story's been told a million times
but it's different when it's your life.
I won the lottery tonight,
The lottery tonight.

I'm not dying;
All you did was save my life.
Pulled me out of that flat line,
Put the heartbeat back inside.

I'm not dying;
All you did was get me through,
I owe every breathe to you.
Heart and soul unparalyzed,
All you did was save my life.

I started to come around,
The dogs are backing down,
I'm not afraid to see.

The devil's gone underground,
This tightrope's been cut down,
And I can finally breathe.

You, looked at me as I walked in the room
Like the red sea you split me open
Somehow I knew these wings were stolen

I'm not dying;
All you did was save my life.
Pulled me out of that flat line,
Put the heartbeat back inside.

I'm not dying;
All you did was get me through,
I owe every breathe to you.
Heart and soul unparalyzed,
All you did was save my life.

All you did was save my life.
(Put the heart beat back inside)
All you did was save my life.
(Put the heart beat back inside)
All you did was save my life.

A Prayer for the Victims

Heavenly Father,

I come to you asking that you would comfort the family and friends of the victims of the Fort Hood shootings. Meet each of these people at the point of their need and speak the words they need to hear in order to be comforted at this moment. Let the families and friends bind together and be strengthened as they mourn the untimely passing of their loved ones. And for those who are injured, be in the hospital room with them right now. Be at their bedside and hold their hands. Impart healing energy into their room and do what you do best as Jehovah Rophe, the God who heals stitch by stitch. Be with their loved ones who are in hospital waiting rooms awaiting news. Be with the doctors who will treat them, giving those doctors knowledge, wisdom and discernment. Let everyone who will and can pray for the recovery of those who are wounded, the comfort of those who are mourning and even the remorse for the shooters. I pray all of these things in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus, Amen.

(from beliefnet.com)

Learn

Abba, help me to learn
what you want me to learn.
Amen.

Richer Than Solomon

Thank you, Lord,
that I am richer than David,
in the children and grandchildren
who love me
and bless me with their company.
Thank you
that I am richer than Solomon
in the commodious confines of my heated,
air-conditioned,
running-watered,
indoor-plumbinged,
wired-for-electricity,
coffee-brewing,
food-refrigerating home.
Thank you
that I am richer than Herod,
in my ability to see your wonderful world,
the Andes one week,
the Smokies the next,
and my home and hearth the next!
I not only walk with the King,
I live like a king!
Thank you, in Jesus' name, amen.

I Need Thee

I need Thee,
O I need Thee.
Every hour, I need Thee.
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

God, Submerge Me

God, submerge me
in the darkness of your love,
that the consciousness of my false, everyday self
falls away from [me]
like a soiled garment. . . .
May my 'deep self' fall into your presence . . . .
knowing you alone . . .
carried away into eternity
like a dead leaf in the November wind.

(Thomas Merton, The Ascent to Truth, p. 238)