Lord God, my Rock, my Helper,
by your grace I will be faithul,
regardless of my moods,
I will be faithful,
whatever others may do,
I will be faithful,
when friends forsake me,
I will be faithful,
if I must labor alone,
I will be faithful,
when I'm disappointed,
I will be faithful,
even when I feel disappointed in you,
I will be faithful,
when discouragement comes,
I will be faithful,
when weariness overtakes me,
I will be faithful,
when serving you feels rewarding and when it doesn't,
I will be faithful,
when I feel deserted,
I will be faithful,
when I am misunderstood,
I will be faithful,
when my efforts turn to dust in my hands,
I will be faithful,
when ministry and leadership feel like pushing a rock up a hill,
I will be faithful,
whatever the future holds,
I will be faithful,
not because I am righteous in any way,
but because:
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And I desire no one on earth besides you.
How can I do other than to serve you?
How can I stop doing what you've called me to do?
I don't know how.
So Lord God, my Rock, my Helper,
by your grace I will be faithul. Amen.
I Fly to You
Jesus, lover of my soul,
I fly to you,
I lay my head on your chest,
my Friend,
my Brother,
my Lord and my God,
my Savior,
my Stronghold.
Amen.
I fly to you,
I lay my head on your chest,
my Friend,
my Brother,
my Lord and my God,
my Savior,
my Stronghold.
Amen.
My Psalm 63
O God, you are my God,
I seek you hungrily;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body craves you,
in a dry and weary land
parched and cracked for lack of water.
I have beheld you in worship;
I have tasted your power and your glory.
I know how satisfying your love is--
better than life, in fact,
and for that I will speak up and praise you.
I will praise you for the rest of my life,
and I will worship you unreservedly.
You surfeit my soul;
how can I not praise you with the songs of my heart?
How can I not call out to you from my bed?
How can I not turn to you as I close my eyes in sleep?
You are my help,
therefore I sing like a baby bird
in the shadow of your wings.
My soul clings to you;
I feel your strong right hand holding onto me.
I know that those who seek to harm me will be frustrated;
they will fail utterly.
Destroy every evil effort against me.
By your grace, I will rejoice in you;
let all who follow you truly praise your great name,
and let the mouths of liars be silenced.
Amen.
A Prayer For Growing Old Gracefully
Lord, Thou knowest better than I myself
that I am growing older and will someday be old.
Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something
on every subject and on every occasion.
Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs.
Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy.
With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all;
but Thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details;
give me wings to get to the point.
Seal my lips on my aches and pains;
they are increasing,
and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.
I dare not ask for improved memory,
but for a growing humility and a lessening cock-sureness
when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.
Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.
Keep me reasonably sweet,
for a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil.
Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places
and talents in unexpected people;
and give, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.
Amen.
Author Unknown
that I am growing older and will someday be old.
Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something
on every subject and on every occasion.
Release me from craving to straighten out everybody's affairs.
Make me thoughtful but not moody; helpful but not bossy.
With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all;
but Thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details;
give me wings to get to the point.
Seal my lips on my aches and pains;
they are increasing,
and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.
I dare not ask for improved memory,
but for a growing humility and a lessening cock-sureness
when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.
Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.
Keep me reasonably sweet,
for a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil.
Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places
and talents in unexpected people;
and give, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.
Amen.
Author Unknown
Holy Spirit, I am Fasting
Holy Spirit, I am fasting
to submit myself to you,
to invite your holy presence,
to infuse all I think and do.
Holy Spirit, I am fasting
to refresh my life with you,
to restore my inner passion,
and be once again renewed.
Holy Spirit, I am fasting
to be made completely Thine,
till there's no delay or distance
between your will and mine.
Holy Spirit, I am fasting
to prevail on you in prayer,
to wait until you answer
and your answer becomes clear,
Amen.
to submit myself to you,
to invite your holy presence,
to infuse all I think and do.
Holy Spirit, I am fasting
to refresh my life with you,
to restore my inner passion,
and be once again renewed.
Holy Spirit, I am fasting
to be made completely Thine,
till there's no delay or distance
between your will and mine.
Holy Spirit, I am fasting
to prevail on you in prayer,
to wait until you answer
and your answer becomes clear,
Amen.
What a Difference a (Sabbath) Day Makes
What a difference a Sabbath day makes,
Twenty-four little hours.
Thank you, Lord, for your command
to keep the Sabbath day holy.
Forgive me the many times I have neglected it.
Remind me in the future that I neglect it to my loss,
and observe it to my gain,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Twenty-four little hours.
Thank you, Lord, for your command
to keep the Sabbath day holy.
Forgive me the many times I have neglected it.
Remind me in the future that I neglect it to my loss,
and observe it to my gain,
in Jesus' name, amen.
A Prayer of Dionysius
O God the Father, Origin of divinity,good beyond all that is good,
fair beyond all that is fair,
in whom is calmness, peace, and concord;
make up the dissensions
which divide us from each other,
and bring us back into a unity of love,
which may bear some likeness to your divine nature.
And as you are above all things,
make us one by the unanimity of a good mind,
that through the embrace of charity
and the bonds of affection,
we may be spiritually one,
as well in ourselves as in each other;
through that peace of yours
that makes all things peaceful,
and through the grace, mercy, and tenderness
of your Son, Jesus Christ, amen.
(A prayer of Dionysius the Great, A.D. 190-265)
God of Infinite Range
Almighty God, my Father,I praise you for your infinite range:
snow-capped Rockies,
Chimney Rock,
winding Rio Grande,
steep canyon walls,
thundering waterfalls,
flowering cactus,
sandy beach,
verdant pasture,
foaming ocean,
drizzling rainstorm,
flakes of snow,
hot springs,
frozen lakes,
soaring raptor,
creeping insect,
slithering serpent,
and lumbering ox,
and so on
and so forth
and so on
and so forth
and on
and on
and on...
Almighty God, my Father,
I praise you for your infinite range.
A Prayer of Irenaeus
Give perfection to beginners, O Father; give intelligence to the little ones;
give aid to those who are running their course.
Give sorrow to the negligent;
give fervor of spirit to the lukewarm.
Give to the perfect a good consummation;
for the sake of Christ Jesus our Lord."
(A prayer of Irenaeus, 2nd century)
God of Ice, God of Snow
God of ice, God of snow,
I view your wonders here below,
And marvel that my finite sight
That finds such beauty in a scene of white
Can merely taste what glories you
Will show to me when life is through--
What colors, shapes, dimensions then
Will you reveal by your right hand?
Not Just What
Not for some promised crown,
Nor for your kindness shown;
Not for the things you've done,
Nor even the victories won;
I love you, Lord,I just love you,
And not just what you do.
Nor for your kindness shown;
Not for the things you've done,
Nor even the victories won;
I love you, Lord,I just love you,
And not just what you do.
My Psalm 62
I'm hushed before you, waiting quietly, Lord,
for my salvation comes from you.
You alone are my bedrock,
my foundation,
the fortress where I can hide,
feeling safe.
I know enemies array against me,
countless.
They see the chinks in my armor,
the most vulnerable parts of my soul.
They're out to get me,
and I know it.
But I remain hushed before you,
placing my confidence in you.
You alone are my safe place,
my mountain retreat,
the palisade surrounding me.
My salvation, my honor come
from you alone.
You are my eyrie,
my crag of safety.
Increase my trust in you, Lord.
Turn my heart constantly to you,
my shelter, my refuge.
I am the lowest and smallest
of your servants,
unworthy of your notice,
yet you lift me up,
you place me in a privileged position,
and you prosper me like I've never dreamed.
As everyone should know,
power belongs to you, Lord,
and you are unfailingly loving.
You have been more than fair,
so much more than fair
to me
and to all you have made. Amen.
for my salvation comes from you.
You alone are my bedrock,
my foundation,
the fortress where I can hide,
feeling safe.
I know enemies array against me,
countless.
They see the chinks in my armor,
the most vulnerable parts of my soul.
They're out to get me,
and I know it.
But I remain hushed before you,
placing my confidence in you.
You alone are my safe place,
my mountain retreat,
the palisade surrounding me.
My salvation, my honor come
from you alone.
You are my eyrie,
my crag of safety.
Increase my trust in you, Lord.
Turn my heart constantly to you,
my shelter, my refuge.
I am the lowest and smallest
of your servants,
unworthy of your notice,
yet you lift me up,
you place me in a privileged position,
and you prosper me like I've never dreamed.
As everyone should know,
power belongs to you, Lord,
and you are unfailingly loving.
You have been more than fair,
so much more than fair
to me
and to all you have made. Amen.
Answered Me
You answered me today, Lord;
thank you.
You empowered my speaking
and showed me your mercy and grace.
You are so good to me.
I hope you were pleased, too.
thank you.
You empowered my speaking
and showed me your mercy and grace.
You are so good to me.
I hope you were pleased, too.