A Wedding Day Prayer
Make your face shine upon them
and be gracious to them.
Warm them with your smile
and give them peace.
Give them a love that burns like fire
and many waters cannot quench
and rivers cannot wash away,
a love that is stronger than death
and lasts longer than life.
For Kind Treatment
I praise you, Lord!
You treat me with kindness
day after day.
Amen.
(based on Psalm 68:19, CEV)
You treat me with kindness
day after day.
Amen.
(based on Psalm 68:19, CEV)
Path
for the path I am on,
for the distance I have traveled,
for the heights I have climbed,
the depths I have plunged,
the turns I have taken,
and the Presence I have enjoyed
every step of the way,
in Jesus' name, amen.
A Short Prayer for Summer
a breeze in the shade,
a burlap sack race,
a sweet sip of lemonade.
For these I give you thanks, O God.
(based on Rick Hamlin's "Ten Prayers for Summer")
A Prayer for Summer
A sudden thundershower, fresh peaches,
a mouthful of watermelon seeds,
crushed mint,
a Frisbee on the beach:
For these I give you thanks, O God.
(one of "Ten Prayers for Summer" by Rick Hamlin, executive editor of Guideposts)
On Sunday Morning
Glory to you, King, God almighty, who through your divine and loving providence have consented that I, an unworthy sinner, should rise from sleep and obtain entrance into your holy house. Accept, Lord, the voice of my prayer as you accept those of your holy and spiritual powers. And that not through my defiled lips, but from a pure heart and humble spirit. Praise may be offered to you so that I also, with the bright lamp of my soul, may become a companion of the wise virgins and glorify you, God the Word, who is glorified in the Father and the Spirit. Amen.
A Prayer in Cello
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!
E'en though it be a cross
That raiseth me.
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to thee.
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!
Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone,
Yet in my dreams I'd be
Nearer, my God, to thee.
Steps unto heav'n;
All that thou sendest me,
In mercy giv'n;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to thee.
Bright with thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I'll raise;
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to thee.
Cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot,
Upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to thee.
Whatever You Want Of Me
(a prayer of Brennan Manning, from Ruthless Trust, p. 11; photo via photoxpress.com)
No Mistake, Everything Works for Good in Me
I love you, O Lord, my strength; through you every hostile power yields to me, worm that I am, and the guile of the ancient serpent is laughed to scorn by the angels you send to minister to us, so that his desire to hurt is turned to our advantage instead.I love you, Lord, my powerful defender, wise guide, gentle consoler, generous rewarder. Confident, I cast all my care on him whose strength cannot be overthrown, whose wisdom cannot be led astray, whose loving kindness cannot be exhausted in fulfilling my every need. How much better, how much safer it is to have him caring for me than to be looking after myself. How much better it is to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in man. How justly cursed is the man who, trusting in man, makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the Lord. Indeed I am poor and needy but if the Lord takes thought for me I am rich and blessed; no mistake, everything works for good in me.
Therefore let those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not forsake those who put their trust in you.
Amen.
(a prayer of Guerric of Igny)
For Friends with Cancer
today I am praying for three dear friends
who are battling cancer.
I'm sick of it.
I hate it.
In determined weakness I stand against it.
In Jesus' name, I oppose it.
Banish it, Lord.
Obliterate it,
in them and in others.
But especially in them.
Heal them by your mighty hand.
Visit them with hope and wholeness.
I pray for your immediate, instant healing,
even as I submit to your sovereign authority
to heal in other ways,
as you will,
as your wisdom and love see fit.
But act, Lord.
Bare your mighty arm.
Make known your healing balm.
Provide them with wise and attentive care
as well as laughter,
and energy and stamina along the way.
Grant them
courage when they are afraid,
comfort when they are in pain,
and blessing when their spirits start to flag,
that they may conquer fear
and depression
and faithlessness
as they also conquer cancer,
in your power,
for your glory,
Amen.
A Prayer for Christians Suffering Persecution
We who dwell in safety hear the cries of those who fall beneath the blade; surely, You hear them, too! And here we reside in the land of safety where you have stationed us for this day to bear witness to the suffering of our brothers and sisters and to intercede for those that remain.
Now, as never before, we see our limitations, we know too well that we are not God. We feel helpless in the face of their destruction. We feel angry at the relentless cruelty of those that cut them down. And we see, more than ever, our need for you to strengthen us for this time, to grant us wisdom in our response, to forgive us our own trespasses, and to act on behalf of those who live in the path of the sword. Lord, hear our prayer:
From Psalm 3
“O Lord, how many are our foes! Many are rising against us; many are saying of our souls, there is no salvation for them in God. (Selah) But you, O Lord, are a shield about us, our glory, and the lifter of our heads. We cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered us from his holy hill. (Selah)
We lay down and slept; we woke again, for the Lord sustained us. We will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against us all around. Arise, O Lord! Save us, O our God!
From Psalm 5
“Give ear to our words, O Lord; consider our groaning. Give attention to the sound of our cries, our King and our God, for to you do we pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear our voices;
For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as with a shield.”
From Psalm 10
Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance, the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
In the pride of his face, the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them. He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places, he murders the innocent. His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket; he lurks that he may seize the poor; he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. The helpless are crushed, sink down, and fall by his might. He says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted. The Lord is king forever and ever; the nations perish from his land. O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.”
From Psalm 12
“Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord“; I will place him in the safety for which he longs.” The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
And Lord, have mercy on us all. It is not in our name we come boldly before Your throne but in the name of Jesus Christ. May even the enemy be turned from their ways and know the salvation of the Lord through Jesus Christ. May those who love and follow you receive your comfort, your presence in their time of trouble, and escape from their distress.
As for us, who dwell in safety, we thank you, O Lord, for our lives and the lives of our children. Show us how to serve You and to serve those who suffer for your name. Help us not to take our safety for granted. It is a gift from You that we offer You now to serve those who live in bondage for Your names’ sake. Teach us how to live in these times. Teach us how to pray. Teach us to love, to forgive, to intercede, and to stand strong in the name of Jesus when the sword is at our own door.
Have mercy on us all, in the name of Jesus. Arise, O Lord, and awaken your people both in the land of safety and in the path of the sword. Awaken us all in the name and power of Jesus Christ in whose name we pray, Amen.
(a prayer by Lori Stanley Roeleveld; photo by gmarcelo via stock.xchng)
Shepherd of the Stars
Shepherd of the Stars,
Whole galaxies form your royal train.
The countless host of heaven,
blazing suns,
mighty planets,
dappled moons,
comets, asteroids, vapors, black holes,
all follow after you like so many ducks behind their mother.
And yet, Lord, my immmense, mind-boggling, Star-Shepherd,
you condescend to me,
to sit with me,
whisper to me,
commune with me.
Such thoughts are too marvelous for me,
I cannot attain unto them!
But I praise you and thank you,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Hobby Prayer
thank you for all the money I've never spent on
golf,
skydiving,
scuba diving,
parasailing,
surfing,
boating,
fishing,
polo,
antiquing,
or gambling.
Amen.
How I Love Your Word
I love how it teaches me,
comforts me,
calms me,
challenges me,
reminds me,
corrects me,
convicts me,
molds me,
and leads me deeper into relationship with you.
Thank you, in Jesus' name, amen.
Oh, I Want to Know You More
Just the time I feel, that I've been caught in the mire of self
Just the time I feel, my mind's been bought by worldly wealth
That's when the breeze begins to blow, I know the Spirit's call
And all my worldly wanderings, just melt into His love.
Oh, I want to know You more, deep within my soul I want to know you
Oh, I want to know You, to feel your heart and know Your mind
Looking in Your eyes, stirs up within me
Cries that say, "I want to know You, oh, I want to know You, more
And when my daily deeds ordinarily lose life and song
My heart begins to bleed, sensitivity to Him is gone
I've run the race but set my own pace and face a shattered soul
Now, the gentle arms of Jesus, warm my hunger to behold
Oh, I want to know You more, deep within my soul I want to know You
Oh, I want to know You, to feel Your heart and know Your mind
Looking in Your eyes, stirs up within me
Cries that say, "I want to know You, oh, I want to know You
And I would give my final breath
To know You in Your death and resurrection
Oh, I want to know You more
Oh, I want to know You, to know You more
Oh, I want to know You more.
Smarter
Lord, I thank you that I am smarter than I have been,
and that I may well be smarter someday
than I am.
Amen.
Always and Ever Prayer
Ever ready to praise your Name.
Make me holy, complete in You,
Write my name among the saints.
Amen.
(excerpted from Psalm 26 in the Nan C. Merrill book, Psalms for Praying)
Prodigal Prayer
Lord, we're just a bunch of prodigals at the end of the week,
dragging our sorry feet back the road called grace,
toward the warming light of Christ
left on for us there on the porch,
us a bunch of prodigals throwing off our filthy rags
of performance & perfectionism & personas
to fall into the wide open arms of the neck-craning
Prodigal Father
who holds us gently
and clothes us completely
in an extravagant acceptance, a lavish love,
and the most costly embrace that is guaranteed to carry us through anything --
until we get back Home.
In the name of the only One who loves us to death --
and to the fullest, realest life...
Amen.
(a prayer of Ann Voskamp)
dragging our sorry feet back the road called grace,
toward the warming light of Christ
left on for us there on the porch,
us a bunch of prodigals throwing off our filthy rags
of performance & perfectionism & personas
to fall into the wide open arms of the neck-craning
Prodigal Father
who holds us gently
and clothes us completely
in an extravagant acceptance, a lavish love,
and the most costly embrace that is guaranteed to carry us through anything --
until we get back Home.
In the name of the only One who loves us to death --
and to the fullest, realest life...
Amen.
(a prayer of Ann Voskamp)
Jesus, The Very Thought of Thee
"Jesus, The Very Thought of Thee," arr. Paul Satre, sung by the Trinity International University Choir from Deerfield, IL.
Unmedicated Prayer
thank you
that I am not
on any medications,
even at my advanced age!
(photo by earl53 via everystockphoto.com)
Missing Family
It's been only a couple months since they moved,
and only a couple weeks since I got to visit them.
But man.
It's hard.
I could mouth some nice sentiments
about how you surely missed your Son
during his sojourn on earth,
but I don't feel like it.
I just feel their absence
and my loss.
I'm grateful that they're happy and thriving
but not so much that they're doing it so far away.
So come to my assistance, and to Robin, Aubrey, Kevin, Calleigh, and Ryder, too.
Make haste to help us.
Help them, too, when they miss us (I want them to, but I don't want them to).
In your wonder-working wisdom and love, please shrink the distance between us and somehow use the pain of separation to make us all better and (miraculously?) even more to each other than we have ever been, in Jesus' name, amen.
One of Those Days
you promised to be with me
when you said, "I will be with you always,
even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).
Do, Lord.
Be with me.
Let me feel you near,
and rely on your presence. Amen.
About Gospel Astonishment
You didn't just invite me to become a Christian; you called me and adopted me as your own child. Now I call you Abba, Father, as the Holy Spirit continues to free my heart from acting like a homeless, fatherless orphan. Thank you, Father, that because of the work of Jesus, you will never love me more than you do today and you will never love me less! What wondrous love is this indeed!
Lord Jesus, help me to grasp your grasp of me. I am both kept by you and kept for you. Nothing can pull me from your hand or tear me from your heart. Many times this seems too good to be true, but it is all the assurance I need to face the rest of my life, even the next hour.
Indeed, Holy Spirit, bring from the throne of grace into my heart and story an abundance of mercy, for I am a foolish man; peace, for I am a broken man; and love, for I am a selfish man. Be praised on this Lord's Day and every day, O glorious and grace-full God! I pray in Jesus' exalted name. Amen.
(a prayer from Everyday Prayers by Scotty Smith)
Healing Waters
When shall I come unto the healing waters?
Lifting my heart, I cry to Thee my prayer.
Spirit of peace, my Comforter and Healer,
In whom my springs are found, let my soul meet Thee there.
From a hill I know,
Healing waters flow;
O rise, Emmanuel's tide,
And my soul overflow.Wash from my hands the dust of earthly striving,
Take from my mind the stress of secret fear;
Cleanse Thou the wounds from all but Thee far hidden,
And when the waters flow let my healing appear.
Light, life and love are in that healing fountain;
All I require to cleanse me and restore;
Flow through my soul, redeem its desert places,
And make a garden there for the Lord I adore.
(a hymn of General Albert Orsborn)
Haiku to You
Raindrops striking leaves,
Making them tremble and wave.
Such beauty. Thank you!
(photo courtesy of photoxpress.com)