To Be Sovereign of the Universe

To be Sovereign of the universe
is no great matter to you, God.
In yourself, at home in "the land of the Trinity,"
you are Sovereign of a far greater realm.

Help me to keep always before my eyes
that vision of Lady Julian’s
in which you carried in your hand
a little object like a nut,
and that nut was "all that is made."

God, you who needs nothing,
loves into existence
wholly superfluous creatures like me
in order that you may love and perfect them.

Praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
who was, and is, and is to come. Amen.

(based on lines from C. S. Lewis's The Four Loves, pages 175-176)

Possess

Thank you, good God,
for the things I don't possess:
fancy cars,
expensive clothes,
a boat,
a plane,
a jet ski,
a second mortgage,
a divorce settlement,
an alimony payment,
a bodyguard,
a fence around my property.

Thank you also, Lord,
for the things that don't possess ME:
drugs or alcohol,
guilt or shame,
a need to maintain a certain lifestyle
or a desire to keep up appearances.
Thank you that I am not afflicted
with wealth,
fame,
or beauty,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Quiet Me

Quiet me with your love, Lord; please, quiet me with your love. Let your love fill me and rush through me; let it consume me and constrain me. Let me walk in your love tomorrow, Lord; let me rest in your love tonight. Let your love overflow me; make me look on others and into their hearts and hurts with your eyes of love. Let your love and faithfulness be bound around me and to me like phylacteries, let them rule me and be ever my guiding influence, in Jesus' name, amen.

Blood

Lord, I thank you for your blood,
your precious blood;
thank you that it was willingly shed;
thank you that you stayed free of sin so as to be a perfect, unblemished sacrifice;
thank you for the power of such types as the Paschal lamb and Abraham's ram, that show your careful plan of salvation;
thank you that your blood takes away my sin, cleanses me thoroughly, obtains eternal redemption for me, consecrates for me a new and living way, gives me boldness to approach the throne and draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith;
help me to so live that I will glorify you in my body and in my spirit, in Jesus' name, amen.

Hamlet Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this day, and for the health, energy, sensibility, nourishment, and all other resources and blessing you have given me to use and spend in it.

Teach me, Lord, the grace and skill of living in the now and not in the "then," whether that "then" which is behind or that which is ahead. "I am too much i' the sun," Hamlet said; I am too much in the "then." Help me walk in the light of each day as you give it to me, and neither offend you nor tax myself by robbing today to pay either yesterday or tomorrow, in Jesus' strong and sufficient name, amen.

Die to the World

Blessed Lord,
help me to die to the world
and all its allures.
I confess I am too much of the world;
I stink of it.
Please remove the dust of this world
and the stench of its values from me.
Help me to reckon myself
crucified with Christ to this cosmos,
this present age,
this broken system.
Cleanse me of my materialism,
of my gluttony,
status-seeking,
and all that smacks of this world.
Tune my heart and mind instead
to the music of your kingdom,
in Jesus' name, I pray, amen.

Save Me From Effete Christianity

Deliver me, God, from a religion without majesty.
Save me from effete Christianity.
Rescue me from lukewarmness.
Redeem me from busyness,
from all work outside your will,
from empty "ministry,"
empty "prayer,"
empty "communion,"
empty "worship."

Fill my life, O Lord, my God,
in every part
with your presence,
your agency,
your active, guiding, infilling and outworking presence,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Daylily Prayer

Father in heaven,
make me anew today
in the image of your Son,
as the daylily is made new ever day.
Make me forgiving.
Give me sacrificial love.
Grant me a self-denying spirit,
a persevering will,
a heart of passion and compassion like his.
More love,
more joy,
more peace,
more faith, I pray.
Make me more worshipful,
thoughtful,
thankful,
grace-ful,
hopeful.
Make me a man of integrity,
insight,
purity,
wisdom.
Make me a better husband
and father
and father-in-law,
and grandfather,
and friend,
and preacher,
and pastor,
and writer,
and pray-er.
And then tomorrow,
do it again, please,
in Jesus' name, amen.

A Prayer for My Life

Lord God, deliver me please
from the evil of the unexamined life...
the unworshipful life...
the self-centered life...
the self-absorbed life...
the self-satisfied life...
the frantic life...
the marginal life...
the care-filled life...
the accidental life...
the self-reliant life...
the arrogant life...
the inconsequential life...
the shallow life...
the appetite-driven life...
the reactive life...
the fruitless life...
the material life...
the thoughtless life...
the prayerless life...
the small life...
in Jesus' name, amen.

We Cry Out

Approach

Lord God, as I worship you today,
please let me approach your throne
appropriately--
boldly, but with due reverence and awe.
Let my worship be worship indeed,
in spirit and truth,
acceptable in your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Amen.

Prayer for a New Season of Advent

Father in heaven,
our hearts desire the warmth of your love
and our minds are searching
for the light of your Word.

Increase our longing for Christ our Savior
and give us the strength to grow in love,
that the dawn of his coming
may find us rejoicing in his presence
and welcoming the light of his truth.

Holiness

God, I praise you for your holiness.
I praise you for your holiness displayed in the Garden of Eden.
I praise you for your holiness displayed on Mt. Sinai,
for your holiness displayed to Isaiah,
for your holiness shown through your Son,
for your holiness revealed in your Word
and in the changed lives of your martyrs,
saints, and servants,
in Jesus' name, amen.

For a Penitential Spirit

Oh, Lord,
please cultivate in me
a penitential spirit.

Make me unsatisfied--mournful--
with the dingy gray of my finest robes
against the unapproachable shining whiteness
that is your holiness.

Amen.

A Thanksgiving Prayer by George Herbert

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more–-a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.

Thank You, Lord, For All Your Goodness

Thank you, Lord, for all your goodness:
Through the years of yesterday:
Thank you too, for present mercies
And your blessings on my way.
Thank you for each revelation,
And for what you choose to hide;
Thank you Lord, for grace sustaining
As I in your love abide.

Thank you Lord, for sunlit pathways,
Thank you too, for byways rough:
Thank you for the fruitful summers,
Also for the winters tough.
Thank you, Lord, for fragrant flowers
Growing right amid the weeds;
Thank you for the peace you give me
Even when my spirit bleeds.

Thank you, Lord, for wayside roses,
Even for the thorns beside;
Thank you for the prayers you granted
And for those that you denied;
Thank you, Lord, for precious comfort
In my hours of grief and pain:
Thank you for your precious promise
Life eternal I shall gain.

(by August Ludvig Storm (1862-1914), translated by Flora Larsson)

A Prayer for Calleigh's Birthday

A Prayer by G. K. Chesterton

Here dies another day
During which I have had eyes, ears, hands,
And the great world around me;
And with tomorrow begins another.
Why am I allowed two?

A Thanksgiving Prayer of Peter Marshall

Our Father in Heaven,

If ever we had a cause to offer unto Thee our fervent thanks, surely it is now, on the Eve of our Thanksgiving Day, when we, the people of this Nation, are comfortable, well fed, well clad, and blessed with good things beyond our deserving. May gratitude, the rarest of all virtues, be the spirit of our observance.

Let not feasting, football, and festivity end in forgetfulness of God. May the desperate need of the rest of the world, and our own glorious heritage, remind us of the God who led our Fathers every step of the way by which they advanced to the character of an independent nation.

May the faith and conviction of George Washington be renewed in us as we remember his words:

...there is no truth more thoroughly established than that there exits in the economy and course of nature an indissoluble union between virtue and happiness; between duty and advantage; between the genuine maxims of an honest and magnanimous policy and the solid rewards of public prosperity and felicity; since we ought to be no less persuaded that the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained...

For if we do not have the grace to thank Thee for all that we have and enjoy, how can we have the effrontery to seek Thy further blessings? God, give us grateful hearts.

For Jesus' sake.

Amen.

From the Senate of the United States - November 26, 1947
Rev. Dr. Peter Marshall, Chaplain

A Little Prayer

(A prayer by Robert William Service)

Let us be thankful, Lord, for little things -
The song of birds, the rapture of the rose;
Cloud-dappled skies, the laugh of limpid springs,
Drowned sunbeams and the perfume April blows;
Bronze wheat a-shimmer, purple shade of trees -
Let us be thankful, Lord of Life, for these!

Let us be praiseful, Sire, for simple sights; -
The blue smoke curling from a fire of peat;
Keen stars a-frolicking on frosty nights,
Prismatic pigeons strutting in a street;
Daisies dew-diamonded in smiling sward -
For simple sights let us be praiseful, Lord!

Let us be grateful, God, for health serene,
The hope to do a kindly deed each day;
The faith of fellowship, a conscience clean,
The will to worship and the gift to pray;
For all of worth in us, of You a part,
Let us be grateful, God, with humble heart.

The Bibliomaniac's Prayer

(A prayer by Eugene Field)

Keep me, I pray, in wisdom's way
That I may truths eternal seek;
I need protecting care to-day,--
My purse is light, my flesh is weak.
So banish from my erring heart
All baleful appetites and hints
Of Satan's fascinating art,
Of first editions, and of prints.
Direct me in some godly walk
Which leads away from bookish strife,
That I with pious deed and talk
May extra-illustrate my life.
But if, O Lord, it pleaseth Thee
To keep me in temptation's way,
I humbly ask that I may be
Most notably beset to-day;
Let my temptation be a book,
Which I shall purchase, hold, and keep,
Whereon when other men shall look,
They 'll wail to know I got it cheap.
Oh, let it such a volume be
As in rare copperplates abounds,
Large paper, clean, and fair to see,
Uncut, unique, unknown to Lowndes.

Take Me Back

(a prayer of Andrae Crouch...and me)

A Prayer to Start the Day

Lord Jesus, I thank you for this day. I pray you will help me to live this day with my eyes fixed on you. Open my ears to hear your slightest whisper. Open my eyes to see each opportunity to serve you. Let my feet take me where you want me to go and my hands do what you would have me do. And keep watch over my mouth, Lord. Let nothing go into it or out from it that is inconsistent with your will. I pray that all my thoughts, words, and actions will be a consolation to you. I give you praise and thanks for the many gifts you will send me today, including the gift of my small sharing in your Cross. I especially thank you for your mercy, and pray that you will enable me to be an agent of your mercy to each person I meet today.

Amen

(from the Daily Prayer blog)

Prayer of a Pastor

Teach us to care, teach us to use all these occasions of need that are the agenda of our work as access to God, as access to neighbor. Teach us to care by teaching us to pray, to pray so that human need becomes the occasion for entering into and embracing the presence and action of God in this life. Teach us to care by teaching us to pray so that those with whom we work are not less human through our caring but become more human. Teach us to care so that we do not become collaborators in self-centeredness, but rather companions in God-exploration. Teach us to use each act of caring as an act of praying so that this person in the act of being cared for experiences dignity instead of condescension, realizes the glory of being in on the salvation, and blessing and healing of God, and not driven further into neurosis and the wasteland of self.

And, not to care. Teach us to be reverential in all these occasions of need that are the agenda of our work, aware that you were long beforehand with these people, creating and loving, saving and wooing them. Teach us the humility of not caring, so that we do not use anyone's need as a workshop to cobble together makeshift, messianic work that inflates our importance and indispensability. Teach us to be in wonder and adoration before the beauties of creation and the glories of salvation, especially as they come to us in these humans who have come to think of themselves as violated and degraded and rejected. Teach us the reticence and restraint of not caring, so that in our eagerness to do good, we not ignorantly interfere in your caring. Teach us not to care so that we have time and energy and space to realize that all our work is done on holy ground and in your holy name, that people and communities in need are not a wasteland where we feverishly and faithlessly set up shop, but a garden, a rose garden in which we work contemplatively.

Suffer us not to mock ourselves with falsehood.

Teach us to care and not to care.

Amen.

(from Subversive Spirituality, by Eugene Peterson, pp. 167-168).

A Prayer of St. Francis de Sales

Holy Father, remove from my soul, I pray, my own will and graft on it yours so that your will and not mine is always done.

Just as when one cuts a branch from a tree and grafts on a better one, its fruit is also much better, remove from this tree, Oh Father, the little branch of my will and graft on it your holy will; then I will be certain that it will bear beautiful fruit.

One Day's Thanks

Thank you, Lord.
Just today--in one single day!--
you have given me grace to pray,
food to eat,
clothes to wear.

You provided time with friends,
time with family,
the chance to minister to others.
You saved me from a parking ticket!
You helped me fix something.
You enabled me to laugh.
You sent me encouraging mail.

By your grace, I accomplished much.
By your grace, I suffered no pain.
By your grace, I held my tongue.
By your grace, I saved a little money.
By your grace, I think I made a little progress.
By your grace, I offended no man.

For this and more,
just one day's worth,
I give you hearty thanks!

Amen.

I Turn From Absenteeism

Most glorious God, God of compassion, God of forgiveness,
I need your presence.
Great Physician, I need healing.
I am spiritually lukewarm
and unbelief mars my confidence in trusting you--
brokenness and repeated failures occupy my attention.
It astounds me that I continually try to battle life's issues on my own.
Sin makes me forget you.
Too long I have neglected the closet of prayer...
Too long I have forsaken the refreshment of your Word...
The cobwebs of indifference and the dust of life's cares choke my soul.
Broken relationships and shattered trust have prevented the health and healing of your Word.

But now--this moment,
I turn from absenteeism to the mercy seat.
I praise you for permission to approach the throne of grace.
Here, I pour out my confession of sin:
neglect,
pride,
willfulness,
arrogance,
self-sufficiency,
foolishly questioning your providence.
Divinely sweep away my soul's clutter.
Pour down upon me streams of needful grace.
Engage my heart to live more faithfully for you.
Your presence alone can make me holy,
devout,
strong,
happy.
I praise you for forgiveness--
real,
comprehensive,
enabling.
Accomplish in me your eternal purposes, through Jesus Christ, my only hope, my only Savior.

("Prayer Number Thirty-Seven" from A Pastor Prays for His People (A Collection of Wise and Loving Prayers to Help You through Life's Journey) by pastor Dr. Wendell C. Hawley)

Resting in the Will of God

(A prayer by Pastor Scotty Smith)

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Sovereign Father, this promise brings me immeasurable peace, humility, and joy. You’re vitally engaged in determining and directing every one of our steps. You’re working all things together after the counsel of your will. You’re working in all things for your glory and for our good. You open doors no man can shut and you shut doors no man can open. Indeed, you’re no mere life coach, you’re the Lord of all things… including me.

Many years I labored under the arrogance and anxiety of assuming that if I prayed hard enough and long enough… that if I was really filled with and “tuned” into the Holy Spirit, I could know the specifics of your will for my life… well in advance of any decision that needed to be made. Of course, my assumption was that if I was in your will, life would be enjoyable, pleasant and hassle-free.

If I bought the right car, it would never break down…If I bought the right house, the roof would never leak… If I married the right person, we would never disagree… If I went to the right college I’d get the right job and life would be all-right... If I sent my kids to the right school, they would never act out and would end up on the mission field. If all of this was true, I wouldn’t really need you.

Father, you’re certainly honored when we work hard to make good plans, in keeping with our understanding of the Scriptures. It’s important for us to seek and heed, wise prayerful counsel of good and godly friends. But help us to live with more confidence that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, not a consulting partner… a very present Lord, not an absentee landlord… the reigning King, not an impotent bystander. Because of Jesus, I’m confident your will is being done… on earth as it is in heaven.

Free us to accept that many times your will leads to great suffering and pain. It’s called the cross. But the cross and resurrection go together. Hallelujah! What a most glorious and gracious Father you are. So very Amen, we pray, in Jesus’ exalted and very present name.

(by way of challies.com)

For Grace

Lord, I thank you for the grace to pray,
and for the grace to fast.

Thank you for the grace to subdue my appetites
and choose prayer over hunger,
your desires over mine,
and godly values over bodily needs.

Such grace comes from you,
and glory returns to you.
Amen.

We Rejoice That You Have Given Us Sunday

Father, we rejoice that you have given us Sunday,
the day when we remember that you created the world
and all that is within it,
the day when Jesus was raised from the dead
and death and hell laid waste,
the day in which all things were made and remade.

Father, may we approach Sunday
with longing and expectation;
as the hungry seek for bread,
so may we yearn for word and sacrament;
save our worship from all that is trivial;
rooted in the reality of the world in which we live,
may it yet glimspe the glory of your presence,
and stand in awe at the light of your holiness;
may we sense the presence of all who have gone before us,
hearing in our own songs the echo of unseen heaven's praise,
in Jesus' name, amen.

(From More Everyday Prayers)

Desires

Lord, please grant me the desires
of YOUR heart.
Amen.

A Prayer for Veteran's Day

God of peace,
we pray for those
who have served our nation
and who laid down their lives
to protect and defend our freedom.

We pray for those who have fought,
whose spirits and bodies
are scarred by war,
whose nights are haunted by memories
too painful for the light of day.

We pray for those who serve us now,
especially for those in harm's way:
shield them from danger
and bring them home.

Turn the hearts and minds
of our leaders and our enemies
to the work of justice and a harvest of peace.

Spare the poor, Lord, spare the poor!

May the peace you left us,
the peace you gave us,
be the peace that sustains,
the peace that saves us.

Christ Jesus, hear us!
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer!

Amen.

(from A Concord Pastor Comments blog)

A Prayer of Reinhold Niebuhr

O God, give us grace to walk humbly
and save us from pretension
and every arrogant folly.

You have made us, and not we ourselves.

Help us to remember the limits
of our power and our wisdom,
but help us, also,
to do our duty within the limits
of our power and our wisdom. Amen.

A Prayer to God My Fountain

Lord God,
you are
an eternal, unfailing fountain;
the more
you pour forth and overflow,
the more
you continue to give.
You desire
nothing more seriously
from us
than that we ask you for much
and great things.

So I ask, God my Fountain.
Pour!
Overflow!
Monsoon us with your love and power,
in Jesus' name, amen.

(based on words of Martin Luther, by way of Ray Ortlund's blog)

Post-travel Prayer

Father,
Thank you
for the blessing of travel,
and for the pleasure
of returning home.
Amen.

With You There Is Forgiveness

By Sons of Korah, who will appear in concert--free!--at The Loft tomorrow evening at 7 pm!

My Psalm 150

Hallelujah, Lord!

I praise you
for the capacity to praise you!
I praise you
that I can praise you in song,
and for the privilege
of praising you in your house,
among your saints!

I praise you
under your great blue blanket of sky;
I praise you for your mighty acts
and your magnificent greatness;
I praise you with joyful laughter,
and I praise you with quiet weeping;
I praise you with dance,
and I praise you by kneeling.

I praise you loud
and I praise you soft.
I will praise on my face
and I will praise you with a fist pump!

I will praise you with all I have,
and all I am;
let every living thing join in!

Amen.

A Prayer of Clement XI

Lord, I believe in you:
increase my faith.
I trust in you:
strengthen my trust.

I love you:
let me love Thee more and more.
I am sorry for my sins:
deepen my sorrow.

I worship you
as my first beginning,
I long for you as my last end,
I praise you as my constant helper,
and call on you as my loving protector.

Guide me by your wisdom,
correct me with your justice,
comfort me with your mercy,
protect me with your power.

I offer you, Lord,
my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
my words: to have you for their theme;
my actions: to reflect my love for you;
my sufferings: to be endured for your greater glory.

(from the Daily Prayer blog)

My Psalm 149

I praise you, LORD.
I will sing to you,
a new song,
an old song,
a slow song,
a fast song,
my own song,
anyone's song.

I will rejoice in you, my Maker;
I will be giddy in your presence, my King.

I will praise your name with dancing
(try not to laugh);
I will turn anything into an instrument of praise to you.

For you delight in your people;
you crown your lowly subjects with salvation!

I rejoice in honor from you,
I sing for joy that you listen to my prayers!

Your praise will be in my mouth,
your Word a double-edged sword on my lips,
to wield spiritual warfare
and send petty demons fleeing,
to bind them with fetters, with shackles of iron,
for it is my glory to be your lowliest soldier
in the struggle of the ages.
Amen.

A Prayer for All Saints Day

Living God, in whom there is no shadow or change, we thank you for the gift of life eternal, and for all those who having served you well, now rest from their labours.

We thank you for all the saints remembered and forgotten, for those dear souls most precious to us. Today we give thanks for those who during the last twelve months have died and entered into glory.

We bless you for their life and love, and rejoice for them “all is well, and all manner of things will be well.”

God of Jesus and our God, mindful of all those choice souls who have gone on ahead of us, teach us, and each twenty-first century disciple of every race and place,

to follow their example to the best of our ability:
to feed the poor in body or spirit,
to support and comfort the mourners and the repentant,
to encourage the meek and stand with them in crises,
to affirm those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
to cherish and learn from the merciful,
to be humbled by, and stand with, the peacemakers.

Let us clearly recognize what it means to be called the children of God, and to know we are to be your saints neither by our own inclination nor in our own strength but simply by the call and the healing holiness of Christ Jesus our Saviour.

Amen!

(a prayer by By Bruce Prewer)

A Prayer for All Hallow's Eve

Christ Our Lord,
You suffered and were tempted.
You are powerful to come to the aid
of those who are assailed by the devil,
for you are the support of Christian people.

O Lord, protect with Your Right Hand
those who trust in Your Name.
Deliver them from the Evil One,
and grant them everlasting joy. Amen.

(St. Gregory of Khandzta, 759-861)

Disproportionate Prayer

God, let me make a difference for you that is utterly disproportionate to who I am. Amen.

(A prayer attributed to David Brainerd, discovered on Pete Wilson's blog)

My Psalm 148

I praise you, LORD.
I praise you under the night sky,
I praise you while driving into the sun.

I praise you for the faculty to praise you.
I praise you that my brain works,
that my tongue moves,
that my heart resounds with your praise.

I praise you for the sun you created,
and for the moon and stars you hung in place.

I praise you for the unfathomable expanse of the universe,
and for the mysteries of deep space.

I praise you for signing your work,
and making it reasonable for men to praise it.

I praise you for this clockwork solar system
and the ancient and future splendor of the skies.

I praise you for this earth,
its resiliency,
beauty,
majesty,
mystery,
efficiency,
and energy.

I praise you for the sheer numbers in your Creation:
20,000 species of fish,
6,000 species of reptiles,
9,000 birds,
1,000 amphibians,
15,000 species of mammals
and over a million insect species...that we know of!

I praise you for lightning and hail,
snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do your bidding,
for Kilimanjaro and the Piedmont,
for almond trees and pomegranate,
for wild horses and curious marmots,
tiny hummingbirds and great egrets,
for fall plumage and winter blankets,
for the strength of young men,
the beauty of young maids,
the wisdom of the old
and the patience of the aged.

I praise you, LORD,
for the joy of praising your name,
for the grace of beholding your splendor
in earth and sky.

I praise you, Champion of your people,
the praise of all your saints,
the joy of people close to your heart.

I praise you.

Psalm 148 by Sons of Korah

Another Biblical psalm by Sons of Korah, who will be giving a free concert at The Loft on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 7 pm:

God of My Days

Traveling Prayer

I know, O God,
that wherever I travel,
you will be with me,
and with my lovely bride,
who travels with me.

There is nowhere we can go,
no situation we can face,
which is outside your love and strength;
and so I commit us both
into your care and keeping on this journey,
knowing that at all times we are safe in your hands.

Amen.

My Psalm 147

I praise you, Lord!

How I love to sing praises to you, my God,
how pleasant and fitting it is to praise you!

Build up Jerusalem, Lord;
gather the exiles of Israel.

Heal the brokenhearted
and bind up their wounds.

You know the number of the stars,
you call each one by name.

You are so great, Lord, and mighty in power;
your understanding is infinite.

You sustain the humble,
but cast the wicked to the ground.

I sing to you, LORD, with thanksgiving;
I love to worship you in song,
especially among your gathered saints!

You cover the sky with clouds;
supply the earth with rain
and make grass grow on the hills.

You provide food for cattle
and for the young ravens when they call.

Your greatest pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor in any man's ingenuity...
you delight in those who fear you,
who put their hope in your unfailing love.

Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion,
lift him up, Oxford,
make his name glorious, Cobblestone,
for he strengthens the bars of your gates
and blesses your heart.

He gives peace
and nourishment.

He sends his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.

He spreads the snow like cake icing
and scatters the frost like glitter.

He hurls down his hail like pebbles.
Who can withstand his icy blast?

But then He sends his word and melts them all;
he stirs up his breezes, and the spring waters flow.

When he can do all that,
do you doubt that he can speak his word to your heart?
Can you seriously worry
that he will not be faithful to you--
you whom he has chosen,
you whom he has favored?

Praise the LORD.

Immensity

Lord,
your immensity
reminds me
that your resources
are not vast,
they are limitless,
because
you are limitless.

You may call
on any number--
an infinite number--
of resources
to accomplish your will,
because
you lack nothing,
and all you possess
you possess
in infinite number!

So,
are you telling me about something you want to accomplish in me?
Through me?
I know that nothing is too hard for you.
I open my heart and will....
pour into them whatever you choose, in Jesus' name, amen.

Kenyan Prayer

From the cowardice that dare not face new truth,
from the laziness that is contented with half truth,
from the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth,
Good Lord, deliver us.
Amen.

(borrowed from the Daily Prayer blog)

Psalm 117 by Sons of Korah

Beautiful setting of a Biblical psalm by Sons of Korah, who are coming to The Loft on November 6.

Just Checking

Thanks for Fall Days

Oh, Lord, thanks
for the beauty
of Fall days,
crisp,
colorful,
cool,
lovely.
Amen.

Though I Slip, Thou Dost Not Fall

Give me, O God, this day
a strong and vivid sense
that Thou art by my side.
In multitude and solitude,
in business and leisure,
in my downsitting and my uprising,
may I ever be aware
of Thine accompanying presence.

By Thy grace, O God,
I will go nowhere this day
where Thou canst not come,
nor court any companionship
that would rob me of Thine.

By Thy grace
I will let no thought enter my heart
that might hinder my communion with Thee,
nor let any word come from my mouth
that is not meant for Thine ear.
So shall my courage be firm
and my heart be at peace.

I steadier step
When I recall
That though I slip
Thou dost not fall.

(a prayer of John Baillie in A Diary of Private Prayer, Day Sixteen, Morning)

A Prayer of John Milton

Holy Spirit of God,
who prefers before all temples
the upright heart and pure,
instruct us in all truth;
what is dark, illumine;
what is low, raise and support;
what is shallow, deepen;
that every chapter in our lives
may witness to your power
and justify the ways of God to men.
In the name of Jesus, giver of all grace. Amen.

A Prayer of Claude de la Colombière

In you, O loving God, have I hoped:
let me never be confounded.
I know too well
that I am weak and changeable.
I know the power of temptation
against the strongest virtue.

I have seen stars fall
and foundations of my world crack;
these things do not alarm me.
While I hope in you,
I am sheltered from all misfortune,
and I am sure
that my trust shall endure,
for I rely upon you
to sustain this unfailing hope.

Finally, I know that my confidence cannot exceed your generosity,
and that I shall never receive less than I have hoped for from you.
Therefore I hope that you will sustain me against my evil inclinations,
that you will protect me against the deceitful attacks of the evil one,
and that you will cause my weakness to triumph over every hostile force.

I hope that you will never cease to love me and that I shall love you unceasingly. Amen.

My Psalm 146

Oh, how I praise you, LORD.
I praise you with my whole heart!

I praise you with my life;
your praise will live in me as long as life lives in me!

I have learned the folly of putting my trust in people,
of expecting constancy and faithfulness from mortal men.

We are all so faithless and so fleeting,
and even the best among us fall so far short.

That's why it makes sense ONLY to look to you for help, God of Jacob.
That's why my hope is in you alone,
maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
Yahweh, Adonai, El Shaddai, the Faithful One forever.

You uphold the cause of the oppressed
and defend the defenseless.
You give food to the hungry
and set prisoners free.
You give sight to the blind,
lift up those who are bowed down.

You give yourself to those who give themselves to you,
you watch over the alien
and sustain the fatherless and the widow,
while frustrating the ways of the wicked.

Why do I forget all this, Lord?
Why do I so easily forget your faithfulness?
Why do I stress,
get worked up,
as if you weren't on the job?

Yet I have seen you--I see NOW--
vindicate the righteous
and humble the proud.
I have seen you
prove yourself faithful to those whose hope is in you.
I have seen little, vindictive, unforgiving people
wither and waste
like untended vines.

You reign forever,
God of Zion,
God of me,
for all generations.

Oh, how I praise you!

Those Who Trust in the Lord

By Sons of Korah, who are coming to The Loft on November 6 at 7 pm!

Prayer for My Daughter on Her Birthday

To borrow a phrase from Yeats, Lord,
you have made her a flourishing hidden tree
,
and granted her beauty and courtesy,
and kindness and charm and wisdom.

I give you praise and thanks
for my only daughter,
my firstborn, my Blossom;
for the child you gave me,
for the woman she grew into,
for the love we share,
for the pride and joy I feel in her,
for the blessings you've given her,
and the blessings you've given me
through her.

Please bless her today
and in the days to come, Lord.
Keep her safe and well.
Keep her marriage strong and beautiful.
Prosper her and her husband,
answer their prayers,
supply their needs.

Let their daughter's healing appear,
and reward their love and faithfulness
with beauty and grace,
prosperity and plenty.

Show her every kindness,
grant her your favor,
in Jesus' name, amen.

I Am Only Asking What You Delight to Give

Come, O Lord my God;
my soul invites thee earnestly,
and waits for thee eagerly.

Come to me, O Jesus, my well beloved,
and plant fresh flowers in my garden,
such as I see blooming
in such perfection
in thy matchless character!

Come, O my Father,
who art the Husbandman,
and deal with me in thy tenderness and prudence!

Come, O Holy Spirit,
and bedew my whole nature,
as the herbs are now moistened with the evening dews.

Oh, that you would speak to me!
Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.
Oh, that you would walk with me;
I am ready to give up my whole heart and mind to you.

I am only asking what you delight to give.

(a prayer of Charles H. Spurgeon, slightly revised)

Psalm 80 Prayer

Restore us, O LORD God Almighty;
make your face shine upon us,
like that fruitful vine
you brought out of Egypt,
so bring us out
and plant us deep and strong,
that we may be saved.
Amen.

Blessed

My Psalm 145

Abba, I exalt you, my God the King; I will never stop praising your holy name

By day I will praise you and by night I will extol your name.

Countless are your mighty works, LORD, and your
deeds beyond comprehension.

Everyone who knows me will know of your works;
for ever I will tell of your mighty acts.

Gladly will I speak of the awesome splendor of your majesty,
happily I will meditate on all the amazing things you have done.

I will tell of the power of your awesome works while I live,
joyfully spreading the news of your great deeds.

King of my heart, I celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

LORD, you are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

Mighty Savior,
No one compares to you, for you are kind and compassionate toward all you have made.

O, let all you have made praise you, O LORD; may your saints sing of you!

Praise belongs to you, rightly and completely, Mighty King,
Quiet or loud, let your people worship in the beauty of your holiness.

Reign! Rule! Righteous God, your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, enduring through all generations.

Saving God, you are faithful to every promise you have made and loving toward all your creation.

Those who fall, you uphold; those who are bowed down, you uplift.

Uphold and uplift me now; I look to you, for your supply and sustenance.

Vast are your resources, Lord; open your hand and share them with all those in need.

Widen the influence of your church, and prosper your people wherever they are.

Expand the company of those who call on you, everywhere, but in my community, especially.

You fulfill my desires and hear my every cry; hear me now, and watch over me and mine.

Zealously I will follow you and speak your praise, LORD. Let every creature praise your holy name forever.

Amen.

(artwork by Mark Lawrence, whose Scripture-inspired art can be found and purchased here)

My Psalm 144

Praise be to you, LORD my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
and places my sword in hand.

You are my loving God
and my sure defense,
my castle keep,
and my reinforcement,
my armor and my shield,
in whom I am kept safe.
You lay my enemies low.

I don't know why you care for me,
why you give me a thought.
Like all men, my life is here today,
gone tomorrow.
My whole life span is not even a blink
of eternity's eye.

But you do care for me, Lord,
you do take thought of me.
So come, O LORD, come down.
Rip open the skies and come down;
stand on the mountains, so that they smoke.
Throw your lightning bolts
and scatter all who attack and oppress your people.

Reach down your hand from on high;
lift me out of the flooding waters
and save me from all who lie
and do evil.

Give me yet another new song to sing to you, God;
add one more praise song to my repertoire,
one more victory chant to praise you with.

Continue to build up my son
and make him a mighty oak;
continue to make my daughters
like a marble pillar in righteousness.

Empty me and mine,
to make room for your provision.
Teach me to give freely
out of all you have given to me.
Make my church a tithing church, Lord.
Make me and mine a people of faith
and generosity
and sacrifice
and joy.

Let there be no disunity
or deception
or disobedience
in our midst.

Give us the gift of Instant Obedience, Lord.
Grant that we may do what you say
the moment you say it.

Blessed are the people of whom this is true;
blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.

Bedtime Brachot

Praised are You,
Adonai, our God,
Ruler of the universe,
who closes my eyes in sleep,
my eyelids in slumber.

May it be Your will,
Adonai,
My God and the God of my ancestors,
to lie me down in peace
and then to raise me up in peace.

Let no disturbing thoughts upset me,
no evil dreams nor troubling fantasies.

May my bed be complete and whole
in Your sight.

Grant me light
so that I do not sleep the sleep of death,
for it is You who illumines and enlightens.

Praised are You,
Adonai,
whose majesty gives light to the universe.

Source: Eisenberg, Ronald L. The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions. PA: Jewish Publication Society, 2004; “Prayer Kriat Sh’ma”.

Let My Bones Be Soaked With Your Love

O my God,
let me, with thanksgiving,
remember, and confess unto you
your mercies on me.

Let my bones be soaked with your love,
and let them say unto you,
Who is like you, O Lord?

You have broken my chains in pieces.
I will offer unto you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
And how you have broken them, I will declare;
and all who worship you, when they hear this, will say:
Blessed is the Lord in heaven and in earth!
Great and wonderful is his name!

(A prayer of St. Augustine)

Call

(based on words written by George Whitefield)

Great Head of the Church,
once more raise up to yourself
young men and women
whom you may use
in your glorious employ.

Make them men and women
mighty in the Scriptures,
their lives dominated by a sense
of your greatness, majesty and holiness,
and their minds and hearts aglow
with the great truths of the doctrines of grace.

Call into your service men and women
who have learned what it is
to die to self, to human aims and personal ambitions;
who are willing to be ‘fools for Christ’s sake,’
who will bear reproach and falsehood,
who will labor and suffer,
and whose supreme desire will be, not to gain earth’s accolades,
but to win the Master’s approbation when they appear before His awesome judgment seat.

Let them be men and women who will preach
with broken hearts and tear-filled eyes,
and upon whose ministries you will grant an extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit,
and who will witness ‘signs and wonders following’
in the transformation of multitudes of human lives,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Robert Frost Prayer

Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee,
And I'll forgive Thy great big one on me.

(Robert Frost, "Cluster of Faith," 1962)

My Psalm 143

O LORD, hear me out.
Please be patient
while I think out loud
in your presence.
Please don't take my thoughts
too seriously,
but help me
as I process some things.

I just don't understand some people, Lord.
I don't.
They mystify me.
I don't understand those
who can stand so stubbornly convinced
of their own righteousness
while their actions and attitudes
are blatantly contrary to your Word,
to your clear commands.
I don't get those
who go their own way
and stray from your paths
and wonder why they don't enjoy your blessing.
I can't fathom
how people who call themselves by your name
can be so demanding
and resentful
and critical
and ugly toward others.

It dismays me.
I get tired of it.
I long for those days when my fervor was fresh,
my heart unjaded.

I spread out my hands to you;
my soul thirsts for refreshment from you.

Hear my cry, Lord,
and renew my spirit.
Come, Holy Spirit.
Rain on me.
Flow through my soul,
redeem its desert places.
Wash away all weariness
and dullness
and cynicism.

Wake me with a morning kiss,
and let tomorrow dawn
with fresh hope
and energy.
Walk with me.
Rescue me from my enemies,
and myself,
for I hide myself in you.

Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
lead me on level ground,
sweet Holy Spirit.

Preserve my life;
lift me up,
plant my feet on higher ground.

Silence all doubt,
destroy all my foes,
for I am your servant.

Amen.

(The art above, from Psalm 143:10, was found in a corner of a main room in Elm Tree House in the village of Blisworth, Northamptonshire, England. The style has been dated c. 1650)

Almost to the Springs

A prayer of Albert Orsborn,
revised to fit the cry of my heart

Lord, I would plunge
into your 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, Immanuel'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 let the waters flow, and my healing appear.

All that I need is 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,
in Jesus' name, amen.

I Need to Repent of My Repentance

O God of Grace,

You have imputed my sin to my substitute, and have imputed his righteousness to my soul, clothing me with a bridegroom’s robe, decking me with jewels of holiness. But in my Christian walk I am still in rags; my best prayers are stained with sin; my penitential tears are so much impurity; my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin; my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.

I need to repent of my repentance; I need my tears to be washed; I have no robe to bring to cover my sins, no loom to weave my own righteousness; I am always standing clothed in filthy garments, and by grace am always receiving change of raiment, for you always justify the ungodly; I am always going into the far country, and always returning home as a prodigal, always saying, “Father, forgive me,” and you are always bringing forth the best robe.

Every morning let me wear it, every evening return in it, go out to the day’s work in it, be married in it, be wound in death in it, stand before the great white throne in it, enter heaven in it shining as the sun.

Grant me never to lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the exceeding righteousness of salvation, the exceeding glory of Christ, the exceeding beauty of holiness, the exceeding wonder of grace.

(from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett)

Isaiah Prayer