Forgive me, Lord,
and try me one more time.
As for Me
As for me, I trust in you, Lord.
As for me, I will listen to your voice.
As for me, I will bow down to you.
As for me, I will believe you are looking out for me
and taking care of me.
As for me, I will rely on you and on your timing.
As for me, I trust in you (Psalm 55:23).
As for me, I will listen to your voice.
As for me, I will bow down to you.
As for me, I will believe you are looking out for me
and taking care of me.
As for me, I will rely on you and on your timing.
As for me, I trust in you (Psalm 55:23).
Spring Praise
We give you everlasting thanks, O God,For the marvels of your great creation.
As the flowers blossom and bloom around us
We lift our hearts in joy and celebration.
Amen.
(by Joyce Blakney Duerr, in Graces, by June Cotner, 1994, Harper San Francisco; photo taken by Bob Hostetler, May 2008, at the Abbey of Gethsemani)
Prone to Thorns and Brambles
Abba, like Thomas Merton,
I confess that I am a sheep prone
to thorns and brambles.
Please don't tire of looking for me
and lifting me out of the messes
I get myself into, in Jesus' name, amen.
I confess that I am a sheep prone
to thorns and brambles.
Please don't tire of looking for me
and lifting me out of the messes
I get myself into, in Jesus' name, amen.
Inhabit
Be pleased, Lord, today
to fulfill your promise
to inhabit the praises of your people.
Come,
bless,
move,
in Jesus' name, amen.
to fulfill your promise
to inhabit the praises of your people.
Come,
bless,
move,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Your Ways
Abba, I want to know your ways
like a sailor knows his knots,
like a true horseman his horse,
like a lover knows his loved one's face.
Teach me your ways, Lord, in Jesus' name, amen.
like a sailor knows his knots,
like a true horseman his horse,
like a lover knows his loved one's face.
Teach me your ways, Lord, in Jesus' name, amen.
All Things
Abba, without you, I can do nothing.
But if and as you are with me,
and enable me,
I can do all things
through Christ, my strength.
Amen.
But if and as you are with me,
and enable me,
I can do all things
through Christ, my strength.
Amen.
According to Your Will
Abba, you are answering my prayers with frequency, regularity. But why is it that the requests which I KNOW to be according to your will (like ___'s salvation, for which I've prayed long and hard) are the ones you seem willing to delay in answering? I know you are "always working," yes. And I know that requests like that, more than most, involve a person's will. But nothing is hard for you. You are not even delayed by the difficulty of a task, right? So I pray again, Lord: save. Hosanna. Save. Save now. Save him. Save her. And him. And him. And her. And him, in Jesus' name, amen.
A Prayer of Soren Kierkegaard
My Lord God,
give me once more
the courage to hope;
merciful God,
let me hope once again,
fructify my barren and infertile mind.
Amen.
give me once more
the courage to hope;
merciful God,
let me hope once again,
fructify my barren and infertile mind.
Amen.
God of All Grace
God of all grace,
give us your peace that passes understanding,
that the quietness that comes from friendliness with human beings,
and true divine friendship with you may possess our soul;
that we, withdrawn awhile from the turmoil of the world,
may gather the strength that we have lost,
and established and strengthened by your grace,
pass on through all the troubles of this earthly life,
safe into the haven of eternal rest,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
(by George Dawson, Communion of the Saints: Prayers of the Famous)
give us your peace that passes understanding,
that the quietness that comes from friendliness with human beings,
and true divine friendship with you may possess our soul;
that we, withdrawn awhile from the turmoil of the world,
may gather the strength that we have lost,
and established and strengthened by your grace,
pass on through all the troubles of this earthly life,
safe into the haven of eternal rest,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
(by George Dawson, Communion of the Saints: Prayers of the Famous)
A Prayer of Thomas a Kempis
O my God, when will silence,retirement,
and prayer
become the occupations of my soul
as they are now frequently the objects of my desires?
How am I wearied with saying so much
and yet doing so little for you!
Come, Jesus, come,
You the only object of my love,
the center and supreme happiness of my soul!
Come, and impress my mind
with such a lively conviction of Thy presence
that all within me may yield to its influence.
Amen.
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.
There is no shadow of turning with Thee.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.
I Could Run Away
I could run away...You would never leave
You will always stay...Right by my side
Right by my side...Right by my side
And I need you, oh I need you...Every step of the way.
(Few songs--if any--move me as much as these lyrics
by Don and Lori Chaffer
Copyright © 1999 Hey Ruth Music (BMI)).
You will always stay...Right by my side
Right by my side...Right by my side
And I need you, oh I need you...Every step of the way.
(Few songs--if any--move me as much as these lyrics
by Don and Lori Chaffer
Copyright © 1999 Hey Ruth Music (BMI)).
My Psalm 70
O God, hasten to deliver me;
O LORD, race to my side.
Let those who seek my harm
be thwarted entirely.
Let every adversary of my soul
be utterly frustrated.
Let those who would gloat over my defeat
be defeated themselves.
But let all who seek you and long for you
and rejoice to see your will accomplished
dance and jump and sing for joy.
Let all who love your salvation
continually say, "Praise God!"
I am lowly in heart. I need you badly.
Run to my side, O God!
You are the help I need, the one who saves me;
O LORD, hurry please.
O LORD, race to my side.
Let those who seek my harm
be thwarted entirely.
Let every adversary of my soul
be utterly frustrated.
Let those who would gloat over my defeat
be defeated themselves.
But let all who seek you and long for you
and rejoice to see your will accomplished
dance and jump and sing for joy.
Let all who love your salvation
continually say, "Praise God!"
I am lowly in heart. I need you badly.
Run to my side, O God!
You are the help I need, the one who saves me;
O LORD, hurry please.
Be
Lord God, I sense that maybe I'm learning from you...
to "be" in you,
to "walk" in you,
to inhabit the present, inhabited by you,
without stretching and straining
to some nonexistent future
where all my work is done.
I hope so.
Amen.
to "be" in you,
to "walk" in you,
to inhabit the present, inhabited by you,
without stretching and straining
to some nonexistent future
where all my work is done.
I hope so.
Amen.
Desire of My Heart
Lord, please transform the desires of my heart (Psalm 37:4).
I want to want what you want.
I desire to desire only what you desire.
Help me to desire you most of all;
help me to delight myself in you first and foremost
and always,
in Jesus' name, amen.
I want to want what you want.
I desire to desire only what you desire.
Help me to desire you most of all;
help me to delight myself in you first and foremost
and always,
in Jesus' name, amen.
A Prayer of Martin Luther
Lord, the only wise God, whose thoughts and ways are as high above ours
as the heavens are high above the earth,
hidden are your ways,
and your guidance often beyond our searching out.
Work in us such hearts that do not murmur against your judgments,
but are always ready to say;
you are the Lord, my God, and you do all things well.
Amen.
A Prayer of Elizabeth Rundle
Eternal God, the source of all life and love, we praise you for the gift of this day. We would just pause to confess our sin of pride. Forgive us for the things we don’t want to do and the things that we leave for other people to do. Thank you for those who serve without complaining. Help us to know that whatever we do is a way of serving Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
I Choose
Abba, I choose today
to have time for people,
to truly listen,
to speak words of blessing,
to speak truth in love,
to not fear what men think of me,
to trust in you,
in Jesus' name, amen.
to have time for people,
to truly listen,
to speak words of blessing,
to speak truth in love,
to not fear what men think of me,
to trust in you,
in Jesus' name, amen.
A Prayer from 1 Timothy 1:12
With Paul the Apostle,
I thank Christ Jesus my Lord,
for giving me strength to do your work
and counting me trustworthy
and appointing me to serve you,
amen.
(Based on 1 Timothy 1:12)
I thank Christ Jesus my Lord,
for giving me strength to do your work
and counting me trustworthy
and appointing me to serve you,
amen.
(Based on 1 Timothy 1:12)
I Choose Today
I choose today, Lord,
to believe in you
and in your good plans for me.
I choose to walk in faith,
not to hurry or panic,
not to fear, not to stress,
but to stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord.
Amen.
to believe in you
and in your good plans for me.
I choose to walk in faith,
not to hurry or panic,
not to fear, not to stress,
but to stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord.
Amen.
How Can You Be So Patient?
Abba, I don't know how you can be so patient with me.
I know that my sin
saps my spiritual strength and vitality.
How much stronger will I be
when you have more of me?
Infinitely stronger,
because you are infinite,
even in possessing the finite.
Let it be so, in me, in Jesus' name, amen.