One Prayer a Day: March 2021

On Holy Wednesday

Lord Jesus, gracious Savior, I come to you in this sacred week to ponder your great and wondrous love; love that led you to the cross that my sin might be blotted out and that I might be reconciled to my heavenly Father. O Christ, give me strength and grace to crucify my sinful desires and dedicate myself anew to you, who has loved me with an everlasting love and brought to me eternal salvation.

I confess to You my sins. They are many, and You know them all. For each and every one of them you suffered the agony of the cross and shed your precious blood that I may be cleansed and made acceptable in your sight. Thank you for the forgiveness and cleansing that is mine. Thank you that none of the sins of yesterday cling to me. Humbly I come, grateful for your mercy. Daily let me fulfill the tasks and duties to which You have called me with joy, confessing you as my Lord and Savior, and being of service to my neighbor.

Grant that your suffering and death, proclaimed for the salvation of mankind, may by the power of the Holy Spirit awaken in many a deeper love to You. O Lord, have mercy upon me and all sinful mankind, and create in me and all that seek you a clean heart, holy desires, and an undying love. Hear my prayer, gracious Redeemer. Amen.

(borrowed and revised from http://scotkinnaman.com)

On Holy Tuesday

Lord Jesus,
it was on a Tuesday that you
spoke out against
abuse of power, collaboration with oppressors,
misuse of authority.
So today we pray,
Comforter of the abused,
strengthen those burdened by corrupted rule
or injustice;
rescue the overwhelmed;
be present to those who call on your name,
to those we name on our lips,
and in the silence of our hearts,
those whose concerns are known only to you,
amen.

(illustration: Woe to you hypocrites by James Tissot).

On Holy Monday

God of love,
My prayer is simple:
Your son, Jesus, suffered and died for me.

I know only
that I cannot have real strength
unless I rely on you.

I cannot feel protected
from my many weaknesses
until I turn to you
for forgiveness and your unalterable love.

Help me to share this
strength, protection and love with others.

(from One Prayer a Day for Lent)

On This Day of Great Rejoicing

On this day of great rejoicing,
Lord Jesus Christ,
when we welcome You as our King and Savior,
we also walk in the shadow of Your cross.
Hosanna! we cry.
Blessed are You
who come in God’s name to save us.
Hosanna!
Strengthen our faith
on this Palm Sunday
so that when the time comes
to carry the cross
we might still call out to You
with heartfelt praise.
Give us the grace and the courage
to follow You this Holy Week
from death to resurrection,
from darkness to the fullness of light.
We need You, Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior.
Hosanna! Amen.

Lent is Sacrifice; Lent is Spring

Lent is sacrifice, but Lent is spring.

So we do thank thee, Father in heaven, for reining the sun up this way again; for making these warming days as long as the starry nights with the growing moon.

Would our Lord have need of our colt today?

Before the very stones cry out, we wave branches and shout, "Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

But must our righteous King be crucified?

Must our viable seed be buried in the dark earth?

Thy will be done.

Amen.

(excerpt from the book, The Farmer Gives Thanks; photo by Katzenfee50 via pixabay.com)

No Smooth Path

Lord,

like all people,

I am born to trouble

as surely as

the sparks fly upward (Job 5:7).

Help me not to expect

a smooth path through life,

as though I deserve comfort,

even luxury.

Help me to greet adversity as opportunity,

and to trust you and glorify

whether my way is easy or hard,

stormy or smooth,

in Jesus' name, amen.

(photo by Sternenvogelreisen via pixabay.com)

May Thy Strong Hand

May Thy strong hand,

O Lord,
be ever my defence;
Thy mercy in Christ
my salvation;
Thy all‑veritable word,
my instructor;
the grace of Thy life‑bringing Spirit,
my consolation,
all along, and at last.

The Soul of Christ hallow me,
and the Body strengthen me,
and the Blood ransom me,
and the Water wash me,
and the Bruises heal me,
and the Sweat refresh me,
and the Wound hide me.

The peace of God
which passeth all understanding,
keep my heart and thoughts
in the knowledge and the love
of God.

(a prayer of Lancelot Andrewes, from The Private Devotions of Lancelot Andrewes, “Prayer for Grace” for the Sixth Day; photo illustration by 4317940 via pixabay.com)

In the Caverns of My Soul

Sometimes, O God, my thirst for you is pushed aside, ignored, or simply quenched by something other—something reasonable, something more popular—than you. But you never go away, never stop, never leave the depths of me. Like an underground spring, you are fresh and free, breaking through. Help me prepare a place for you in the caverns of my soul. Amen.

Your Holy Mountain

Lord, bring me today to your holy mountain,
to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem,
to God himself, to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives.

(based on Isaiah 66:20, Hebrews 12:22-24; painting: Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, by David Roberts in 1842, Library of Congress)

Ready as the Robins

Make us as ready as the robins are.

For whenever the time may come, we want to turn over to you more than five barley loaves and two little fishes.

Make us strong but humble; just, but kind; and every day, rain or shine, smiling.

Amen.

(excerpt from the book, The Farmer Gives Thanks; photo by Fotoxcapture via pixabay.com)

If Ever

Spring!

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!

For blue of stream and blue of sky;
For pleasant shade of branches high;
For fragrant air and cooling breeze;
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!

(by Ralph Waldo Emerson; photo by ROverhate via pixabay.com)

Reason

On Aaron's Birthday

Oh, Lord, my God,
gone are the days
when my little boy
could climb into my lap
and melt my heart with a smile.
Gone are the nights
when I could read him a book
and smile with joy
at his plea for more.

But oh, what a son he still is today.
Oh, how you've blessed me,
not only with a boy,
but with such a son,
and such a husband,
and such a father,
and such a friend as he is.

And though I know it is selfish
to ask more when you have given so much already,
I ask.
Lord, I ask.

Please make his every dream
come true.
Please.

Continue making him like Enoch, who walked with you,

like Noah, who found grace in your sight,

like Abraham, who walked by faith,
like Joseph, a dreamer and doer,
like Moses, who walked on holy ground,
like his namesake Aaron, who led your people into your presence,
like Caleb and Joshua, who saw with eyes of faith,
like Elijah, who received food from your hand,
like Elisha, who was given a double portion,
like David, who danced before you, a man after your own heart,
like Jehoshaphat, who trusted in you,
like Hosea, who forgave largely,
like John, a beloved disciple,
like Barnabas, a mentor and encourager.
Make him more than anything, like Jesus, lover of souls.

Bless him, Lord, on his birthday,
and every day to come,
as you have so blessed me with him,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Breastplate

Today I put on
a terrible strength
invoking the Trinity
confessing the Three
with faith in the One
as I face my Maker.

Today I put on the power
of Christ's birth and baptism,
of his hanging and burial,
His resurrection, ascension,
and descent at the Judgement.

Today I put on the power
of the order of the Cherubim,
angels' obedience,
archangels' attendance,
in hope of ascending
to my reward;
patriarchs' prayers,
prophets' predictions,
apostles precepts,
confessors' testimony,
holy virgins' innocence
and the deeds of true men.

Today I put on
the power of Heaven,
the light of the Sun,
the radiance of the Moon,
the splendour of fire,
the fierceness of lightning,
the swiftness of wind,
the depth of the sea,
the firmness of earth
and the hardness of rock.

Today I put on
God's strenghth to steer me,
God's power to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye for my vision,
God's ear for my hearing,
God's word for my speech,
God's hand to protect me,
God's pathway before me,
God's shield for my shelter,
God's angels to guard me
from ambush of devils,
from vice's allurements,
from traps of the flesh,
from all who wish ill,
whether distant or close,
alone or in hosts.

I summon these powers today
to take my part against every implacable power
that attacks my body and soul,
the chants of false prophets,
dark laws of the pagans,
false heretics' laws,
entrapments of idols,
enchantments of women
or smiths or druids,
and all knowledge that poisons
man's body or soul.

Christ guard me today
from poison, from burning,
from drowning, from hurt,
that I have my reward.

Christ beside me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ within me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me.
Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie,
Christ where I sit,
Christ where I rise.
Christ in the hearts of all who think of me,
Christ in the mouths of all who speak to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

Today I put on
a terrible strength,
invoking the Trinity,
confessing the Three,
with faith in the One
as I face my Maker.

(a prayer attributed to St. Patrick; photo by rgohery via pixabay.com)

I Ask

I ask, Lord, for daily bread,
but not for wealth, lest I forget the poor.
I ask for strength,
but not for power, lest I despise the meek.
I ask for wisdom,
but not for learning, lest I condemn the simple.
I ask for a clean name,
but not for fame, lest I condemn the lowly.
I ask for peace of mind,
but not for idle hours, lest I fail to hearken to the call of duty.

(a prayer of Inazo Nitobe; photo by CongerDesign via pixabay.com)

To Be a Blessing

O Man of Galilee

I Walk in Gift Today

These rude feet,

and this God's day,

this most resplendent hour!

Father of mercies,

give me eyes,

make me aware:

I walk in gift today.

(a prayer of Gerhard E. Frost, from his book, Blessed is the Ordinary, p. 65)

True Humanness

God forgive us
that we have imagined true humanness,
after the Enlightenment model,
to mean being successful,
having it all together,
knowing all the answers,
never making mistakes,
striding through the world as though we owned it

(a prayer of N. T. Wright, from The Challenge of Jesus, p. 193; photo by Amazos7 via pixabay.com).

Each Morning Broken

Lord! Make my heart your temple in which you live.
Grant that every impure thought,

every earthly desire might be like the idol Dagon--

each morning broken at the feet of the Ark of the Covenant.

Teach me to master flesh and blood

and let this mastery of myself be my bloody sacrifice

in order that I might be able to say with the Apostle:

"I die every day."
Amen.

(a prayer of Soren Kierkegaard, slightly revised; photo by pompi via pixabay.com)

A Writer's Education

Teach me your ways, Lord.

Teach me your Word.

Teach me your wit.

Teach me your winsomeness.

Teach me your wiles.

Teach me your will.

Teach me your wealth of creativity,

resources,

variety,

and beauty.

Teach me your wonders,

in Jesus' name, amen.

My Need

Come, My Light

Come, my Light,
and illumine my darkness.
Come, my Life,
and revive me from death.
Come, my Physician,
and heal my wounds.
Come, Flame of divine love,
and burn up the thorns of my sins,
kindling my heart
with the flame of thy love.

(a prayer of Dimitrii of Rostov; photo by kloxklox_com via pixabay.com)