A Prayer for Vocation

Help me, O God,
to listen to what it is that makes my heart glad
and to follow where it leads.

May joy, not guilt,
Your voice, not the voices of others,
Your will, not my willfulness,
be the guides that lead me to my vocation.

Help me to unearth the passions of my heart
that lay buried in my youth.

And help me to go over that ground again and again
until I can hold in my hands,
hold and treasure,
Your calling on my life.

(A prayer by Ken Gire from his book, Windows of the Soul)

You Know My Need

I Give You This Day

My God, I give you this day.

I offer you, now,
all of the good that I shall do
and I promise to accept, for love of you,
all of the difficulty that I shall meet.

Help me to conduct myself during this day
in a manner pleasing to you.
Amen.

(a prayer of St. Francis de Sales)

That We Live Our Lives On Fire

Jesus,
Teach us hope.
Sing over us Your heart,
and let Your love to us become life through us,
that we live our lives on fire.

Hold us like a mother,
guard us like a lion,
be jealous for us like a lover,
let Your love control us.

(a prayer by Rodney Ridley, one of my youngest students at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference, August 1, 2013; used with permission. Photo, "In the Beginning" by artist Makoto Fujimura, taken at Cairn University the day Rodney Ridley wrote the prayer above)

A 1,600-Year-Old Prayer

O Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of
Laziness, meddling, self-importance and idle talk.

Instead, grace me, Your servant, with the spirit of modesty,
Humility, patience, and love.

Indeed, my Lord and King, grant that I may see my own faults,
And not condemn my brothers and sisters, for You are blessed unto
ages of ages. Amen.

(a prayer of Ephraim of Edessa, translation by Fr James Silver, Drew University)

At Least a Little Like Light

God grant that we may each of us cast off our own works of darkness, whatever they are, however we can, and put upon ourselves the armor of something at least a little like light as we wait for the truth of Christ to come finally and fully true at last.

(a prayer of Frederick Buechner in Secrets in the Dark, p. 285; based on an ancient Advent prayer)

Speaker's Prayer

Father, let my speaking today

be like apples of gold 

in settings of silver, 

in Jesus' name, 

amen. 

A Prayer of Ephraim of Edessa

Lord, you have had it written:
'Open your mouth and I will fill it'
See, Lord, your servant's mouth and his mind are open to you!
Fill it, O Lord, with your gift,
That I may sing your praise according to your will.

Make me worthy to approach your Gift with awe!

Though your nature is one, its expressions are many;
They find three levels, high, middle, and lowly.
Make me worthy of the lowly part,
Of picking up crumbs from the table of your wisdom.

Make me worthy to approach your Gift with awe!

Your highest expression is hidden with your Father,
Your middle riches are the wonder of the Watchers [i.e. angels]
A tiny stream from your teaching, Lord,
For us below makes a flood of interpretations.

Make me worthy to approach your Gift with awe!

In your Bread is hidden a Spirit not to be eaten,
In your Wine dwells a Fire not to be drunk.
Spirit in your Bread, Fire in your Wine,
A wonder set apart, [yet] received by our lips!

Make me worthy to approach your Gift with awe!

See, Fire and Spirit in the womb that bore you!
See, Fire and Spirit in the river where you were baptized!
Fire and Spirit in our Baptism;
In the Bread and the Cup, Fire and Holy Spirit!

Make me worthy to approach your Gift with awe!

Your Bread kills the Devourer [death] who had made us his bread,
Your Cup destroys death which was swallowing us up.
We have eaten you, Lord, we have drunk you,
Not to exhaust you, but to live by you.

Make me worthy to approach your Gift with awe!

See, Lord, my arms are filled with the crumbs from your table;
There is not room left in my lap.
As I kneel before you, hold back your Gift;
Keep it in your storehouse to give us again!

(a prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, Hymns on the Faith 10 To Christ on the Incarnation, the Holy Spirit, and the Sacraments, translation by R Murray, Eastern Churches Review 3 (1970), copied from T.M.Finn, "Early Christian Baptism and the Catechumenate: West and East Syria", The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, 1992)

On a Day of Driving

G-d who watches over us,
Watch over this journey.
Keep us free from affliction and strife,
Safe from danger and wrong doing,
Protected in Your loving sight.
May we know strength and good fortune on the way,
Rest and peace upon our return.
May this travel be blessed with the shelter of Your gentle arms,
The guidance of Your mighty hand,
The gift of Your countless blessings.

Bless our moments apart,
Bless our moments together.
Grace upon departure,
Joy upon return.
Remembering to praise and bless
Your Holy Name
Wherever You lead us.

© 2010 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

A Prayer from the Fourth Century

Who then, my Lord, compares to you?

The Watcher slept,
the Great was small,
the Pure baptized,
the Life who died,
the King abased to honor all:
praised be your glory.

(a prayer of Ephrem (or Ephraim) of Edessa, translated by John Howard Rhys. It is the final verse of a hymn as it appears in the Episcopal Hymnal 1982)

Post-Retreat Prayer

Let Me Hide Myself in Thee

Little Things, Big Differences

Thank you, God,
for the little things
that make such a big
difference in my life:
a few temperatures cooler,
the microscopic enzymes that help me digest food,
the salt that seasons a meal,
a morning kiss from my bride,
a smile from a grandchild,
the respect of my kids,
a well-turned phrase in a book,
a non-stuffy nose,
a few drops of rain,
found money in a pants pocket,
a light that turns green just in time,
an extra ten minutes of sleep,
a "thank you,"
a thoughtful note or text message,
the ability to inhale fully,
walking barefoot in the grass.
Amen.

A Prayer of Hezekiah, Revised

Sovereign Lord,
I thank you
for the troubles I have had in my soul,
for by them you continue to teach me humility.

You give life, Lord,
and you have given new life to my spirit.
All my suffering
has been for your purposes,
for good and not evil.
You have saved me from destruction,
and cast my sins behind you.
You have lifted me from the pit,
that I might praise you
with my words and with my life.

Well, then, I will praise you,
like a father telling his children
a thrilling bedtime story.

I will praise you
like a gifted Gospel singer
belting out "How Great Thou Art."

I will praise you
all the days of my life. Amen.

(based on Isaiah 38:15-20; the illustration above is by Stacy Lee, available for purchase here)

For Eight Years of Prayer Blogging

Lord God Adonai,
thank you for the first eight years
of this prayer blog.

Thank you for all 2,528 prayers
I have prayed on this blog
to date.

Thank you for the blessings
and growth
and grace
that have come to me
through these prayers,
and for the many thousands of other people
who have read them
and prayed them,
in Jesus' name, amen.

(to see the first prayer posted on this blog, go here)

I Light My Candle

I light my candle
at your flame, Holy Spirit.
Let me burn brightly,
and let my light so shine
that others may see
and glorify the Father.
Let my light not fade or fail
until my course is run
and the victory won,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Deliver Us

Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God

Holy Spirit, living Breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Bring the presence of the risen Lord
To renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your Word to come alive in me;
Give me faith for what I cannot see;
Give me passion for Your purity.
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.

Holy Spirit, come abide within;
May Your joy be seen in all I do—
Love enough to cover ev'ry sin
In each thought and deed and attitude,
Kindness to the greatest and the least,
Gentleness that sows the path of peace.
Turn my striving into works of grace.
Breath of God, show Christ in all I do.

Holy Spirit, from creation's birth,
Giving life to all that God has made,
Show Your power once again on earth;
Cause Your church to hunger for Your ways.
Let the fragrance of our prayers arise.
Lead us on the road of sacrifice
That in unity the face of Christ
Will be clear for all the world to see.

Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
© 2006 Thankyou Music

Make Me a Psalm 1 Man

Make me that man, Lord.
The one who doesn't think like the wicked
or flirt with temptation
or go along with the crowd.

Make me that man
who loves your Word
and dwells in your presence.

Make me that man who is like a tree,
planted by a flowing stream,
bearing fruit season after season.
Make me that man whose leaf never withers,
whose prosperity only grows,
in Jesus' name,
amen.

(based on Psalm 1:1-3)

A Hymn of Love

My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee all the pleasures of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love Thee because Thou has first loved me,
And purchased my pardon on Calvary’s tree.
I love Thee for wearing the thorns on Thy brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, ’tis now.

I love with this heart you have purchased from sin,
I love with a mind you've renewed from within,
With whatever strength you may give from now on,
My Jesus, I'll love you, my strength and my song.

(a hymn by William Featherston with a new verse (the last) by Bob Hostetler)

A Prayer of Jayber Crow

Let my life,
when poured out at the end, say,
"Good-good-good-good-good!"
like a gallon jug
of the prime local spirit.
Amen.

(a prayer based on words
by the title character
of the Wendell Berry book,
Jayber Crow)

Bless My Bruises, Drop by Drop

Bruised and blemished,
a fallen leaf forgotten by most,
remembered by you, Lord
blessed with pearls of grace...

You'll kiss a windblown leaf
so touch my heart with peace:
with drops of mercy quench my thirst
for life, for you...

Morning dew or evening rain
- makes no difference: night and day
your Spirit soothes a dry and weary soul
with sweet anointing from above...

Cleanse my blemished heart
and bless my bruises, drop by drop,
'til your moist mercy seeps within
to heal my deeper wounds...

(a prayer from A Concord Pastor Comments; photo by Mark Penta)

Tired of My Own Voice

Dear God,
I would love to be like your servant Nehemiah, who lived with a constant sense of your presence. Your Word shows that his life was a moment-by-moment conversation with you, even as he pursued his ambitious agenda to rebuild the protective walls of Jerusalem. How can I grow more aware of you speaking in my life? Perhaps I could put a Post-it note on my computer to remind me to breathe a quick prayer whenever I sit down to work. Or I could set my cell phone alarm to sound every sixty minutes, and then take thirty seconds to review how you have been with me the last hour and ask you to help me in the hour ahead. The point is, I need to take time to listen to you so our relationship can grow. Or really, so that I will grow closer to you as I settle myself and listen for your voice. My spiritual maturity is often hindered by inattention. I show up, but I come with an agenda and a list of demands. I'm sorry, God. I'm tired of my own voice, and I want to hear yours. Please talk to me. I'm ready to listen. Show me how my life can become a moment-by-moment conversation with you.

(from the book, 365 Pocket Prayers, by Ron Beers)

The Prayer Preceding All Prayers

May it be the real I who speak;
May it be the real Thou I speak to.

(a prayer of C.S. Lewis)

It's Her Birthday

Abba, you have granted me
the loveliest bride,
the perfect woman for me,
and I am grateful.
Thank you
for hearing my heart's cry 36 years ago
and thank you
for giving her in marriage to me 33 years ago.
And thank you
for every day with her since then,
in Jesus' name, amen.

I Would Be Thy Holy Temple

I would be thy holy temple,
Sacred and indwelt by thee;
Naught then could stain my commission,
‘Tis thy divine charge to me.

Take thou my life, Lord,
In deep submission I pray,
My all to thee dedicating,
Accept my offering today.

Seeking to mirror thy glory,
Living to answer thy call,
Each faithful vow now renewing,
Gladly I yield thee my all.

Time, health and talents presenting,
All that I have shall be thine;
Heart mind and will consecrating,
No longer shall they be mine.

O for a heart of compassion,
Moved at the impulse of love,
Lost ones to bring to thy footstool,
Thy gracious riches to prove!

(by Brindley Boon, from The Salvation Army Songbook, #786)

Delight in Simple Things

Lord, make me more like him,
who can find delight
in the simplest things,
like balls
and crawling under tables
and finding a long-neglected toy
in an out-of-the-way place.
Amen.

Orlando's Prayer

Let gentleness my strong enforcement be.

(from William Shakespeare's As You Like It, Act 2, Scene VII, line 119)

At Your Feet

Lord Jesus, here I am.
Here you are.
I sit at your feet.
I gaze on your beauty.
I feel your closeness.
I am happy to linger in your presence.
It is enough.
You are enough.
Amen.

A Petition from the Talmud

May it be Your will, O Lord my God,
to grant me a good heart,
a good portion,
a good inclination,
a good friend,
a good name,
a good eye,
a good soul,
a lowly disposition,
and a humble spirit. Amen.

(from the Talmud, Tractate Berakhot)

Until Respondent Voices Rend the Air

Omnipotent God, whom through the worship of my heart alone I know, to the wicked unknown, yet known to every devout soul, you are without beginning and without end, more ancient than time past and time to come; your fashion and extent no mind can ever grasp, no tongue express....

Son of the All-highest, bringer of salvation to the human race, you to whom your Begetter has committed all the powers of his Fatherhood, keeping none back in envy, but giving freely, open a way for my prayers and safely convey them to your Father's ears.

Grant me a heart, O Father, to hold out against all deeds of wrong, and deliver me from the serpent's deadly venom, sin....

Prepare a road that I, being freed from the fetters of this frail body, may be led up on high, where in the clear heaven the Milky Way stretches above the wandering clouds of the wind-vexed moon--that road by which the holy men of old departed from the earth; by which Elias, being caught up in the chariot, once made his ways alive above our lower air; and Enoch, too, who went before his end without change of body.

Grant me, O Father, the effluence of everlasting light for which I yearn, and bring to your altar the offering of a stainless life.

Grant me your pardon, Father, and relieve my anguished breast...and when the hour of my last day shall come, grant that the conscience of a life well spent cause me not to fear death, nor yet long for it. When, through your mercy, I appear cleansed from my secret faults, let me despise all else, and let my one delight be to await in hope your judgment. And if that day delays, keep me far from that fierce tempter, the serpent, with his false allurements.

Claim these prayers as your own before the eternal Father, Son of God to whom I pray, Savior, God and Lord, Mind, Glory, Word and Son, very God of very God, Light of Light, who remains with the eternal Father, reigning throughout all ages, whose praise the harmonious songs of tuneful David echo forth, until respondent voices rend the air with "Amen."

(a prayer by Ausonius, shortened and updated slightly)

Serenity

Lord, I would share,

But first possess,

That inner gift, serenity.

Then, comforted, blessed, free from unrest,

Serve you nonetheless,

But with tranquility.

(from Abundant Living, by E. Stanley Jones, p. 155; slightly revised)

Before Vacation Ends

Gracious God, my time away is nearly over. Nourish in me excitement for going back to my daily life with renewed anticipation, ready to dig into the work and relationships that make my life meaningful and productive. Let me feel the creative impulse moving through me again. Help me take with me the tenderness that has nourished and refreshed me. May these times of quiet and rest, adventure and play give me new ways to think about my work and the demands of my life. May I always know that life is a balance between giving and receiving, working and resting, doing and being. May I do each with a heart filled with joy and gratitude. I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.

(from http://www.explorefaith.org/prayer/essays/vacationpray.html)

While I Am Away

Gracious God, in the midst of the busy-ness of my life, I often forget that you are near me, waiting patiently for my attention. I come to you when I am troubled, but I am so easily consumed with the round of activity that I don’t sit in stillness and feel your presence in the beat of my heart. Help me now, while I am away from work, to enter the space of quiet awe within my own soul, and find you there. Give me the silence and solitude I need to hear my heart beat again. Let me be astonished by the movement of your breath in me and startled by the closeness of your Spirit, so that when I return to the demands of my life, I will know again the importance of staying in your presence. I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.

(from http://www.explorefaith.org/prayer/essays/vacationpray.html)

On July Fourth

Lord my God,
I worship you today,
on this 237th birthday of this nation,
these wonderful United States of America
in which I live.

I thank you for the freedom
to worship you publicly...
even as I ask you to show kindness and mercy
to those who lack that freedom
because they live elsewhere.

Thank you for all those
who have sacrificed for my freedom,
for those who risked
(and some who gave) their lives
to make this a free and independent nation,
for those in my nation's armed services, past and present,
and for all who have served the cause of liberty in other ways...
even as I pray for those who even now
are in harm's way,
far from home,
in this nation's service.
Please meet their needs,
watch over them and their loved ones,
and grant them your favor in every way.

And, Father, on this Independence Day 2013,
I pray for the people in this land
and every land
who have not yet discovered the freedom
that is offered to them in your Son, Jesus Christ.
Draw them to you,
set them free
from sin and sadness and strife,
and grant them the eternal freedom
that is found only in trusting you,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Another Rhythm of Life

Gracious God,
help me appreciate
another rhythm of life
that comes when work ends for a time.

In my movement from activity to quiet,
from thinking to being,
from producing to relaxation,
give me the softness of your Spirit
that will slow my heart and change its beat.

I ask this for the sake of your love.
Amen.

(from http://www.explorefaith.org/prayer/essays/vacationpray.html)

While I Am Away from the Regular Responsibilities of Life

Gracious God, give me a heart of playfulness while I am away from the regular responsibilities of my life. Give me a spirit of adventure – a spirit that is ready to try new things, taste new food, experience new people. Give me courage to do the unexpected and untried. Give me a desire to delight in what is new and different, knowing that I will return fuller for having been bold enough to stretch myself out. I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.

(from http://www.explorefaith.org/prayer/essays/vacationpray.html)

A New Prayer on Vacation

Gracious God, it is a time to see and do new things now. The work that claims my heart is done now, and my soul is ready for a time of Sabbath rest. Help me be attentive and curious, open and aware, so that the images, experiences and encounters of this time may be bouquets of refreshment when work again is my soul’s delight. I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.

(from http://www.explorefaith.org/prayer/essays/vacationpray.html)

A Prayer While on Vacation

Gracious God,
may I see the wonders of creation
this day.

May the simple gifts
that are so often buried
under the activities of my life
be revealed in glory.

May my heart that
is so often distracted
be clear and still.

May my soul,
hungry for peace,
be fed by your grace.

When I close my eyes in sleep
this night,
may I be filled with gratitude
for the blessing of this leisurely day.

I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.

(from http://www.explorefaith.org/prayer/essays/vacationpray.html)

A Vacation Prayer

Gracious God, it’s hard to shift from a life of busy work to a period of quiet relaxation. Help me let go of my need to produce and of my worry over what will happen at work while I am away.

As I give myself to the relaxation of mind and body, let the activities of my work life silently recede into the background. Let me open my soul to you as if it were an empty canvas waiting for the creative touch of the artist’s hand.

I ask this for the sake of your love. Amen.

(from http://www.explorefaith.org/prayer/essays/vacationpray.html)

A Prayer As I Leave for Vacation

Gracious God,

thank you that our vacation is finally here!

Thank you for a week to spend with my wife
and some of it with my children and grandchildren.

Give us all safe travel to and from our destination.
Steer us away from dangers, traffic jams, and speeding tickets.
Deliver us from car problems and health problems.
Give the grandkids grace to travel well,
sleep well,
and eat well.
Give their parents a respite from work and weariness.

May gas, grocery, and restaurant prices not be too high,
crowds not be too large,
temperatures not too oppressive,
and rain not too frequent.

Help us all to enjoy each other,
the lovely surroundings,
and the time to read, rest, and play.

Go with us.
Keep us aware of you,
and of your kindness and generosity,
in Jesus' name, amen.

I Don't Want to Fall Away from You

Isaiah 12 Prayer

God, you are my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
You, Lord God Adonai, are my strength and my song;
you have become my salvation.
With joy I draw water
from the wells of salvation,
for you, God, are my salvation.
I drink from your fulness,
from your freshness,
from your replenishing depths.
Amen.

The Deeper Joy Behind

In Thee lies hid my unknown heart,
   In Thee my perfect mind;
In all my joys, my Lord, Thou art
   The deeper joy behind.

(a prayer by George MacDonald, from Poetical Works, Vol. 1)

Streams and Showers

Lord God Adonai,

please send to me today,

showers of blessing

and streams of refreshing,

in Jesus' name, amen.

Savior, Like a Shepherd

Attentive

Holy Spirit, please make me less attentive
to my own desires
and more attentive
to yours,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Author of My Prayers

Abba, teach me to pray.
Save me from "making" prayers.
Help me to know how to pray,
what to pray,
for whom to pray.
Prompt my praying.
Guide my praying.
Be the author of my prayers,
from beginning to end, amen.

Ten Times More

I love Thy skies, Thy sunny mists,
   Thy fields, Thy mountains hoar,
Thy wind that bloweth where it lists--
   Thy will, I love it more.

I love Thy hidden truth to seek
   All round, in sea, on shore;
The arts whereby like gods we speak--
   Thy will to me is more.

I love Thy men and women, Lord,
   The children round Thy door;
Calm thoughts that inward strength afford--
   Thy will than these is more.

But when Thy will my life doth hold
   Thine to the very core,
The world, which that same will doth mould,
   I love, then, ten times more!

(a prayer by George MacDonald, from Poetical Works, Vol. 1)

I Rise

I rise this day,
in the love of the Father.
I rise this day,
with the mind of Christ.
I rise this day,
in the Spirit's power.
I rise this day,
in the blessings of God.

(from the DesertPastor blog)

Lavish Summer

Thank you, God, that

"There is no price set on the lavish summer,

And June may be had by the poorest comer."

(from "The Vision of Sir Launfal" by James Russell Lowell)

Say But the Word

Lord, have mercy.

In light of yesterday's news from Aubrey that Calleigh's lungs can no longer be considered free of complications, I kneel before you, Father, and ask you to heal.

Heal. Heal. Come to her assistance; make haste to help her. Only you can save, Lord; only you can deliver. Only you can make her whole. Say but the word, Lord, and my granddaughter will be healed. Say the word. Say the word, Lord. Please. Heal her and make her whole in body as well as in spirit. Clear her lungs. Re-create her pancreas. Expel all anomalies and dysfunctions in her body. Invade her body with health. Cover her with your hand. Make her and keep her whole, for her sake, for your sake, and the sake of your name, in Jesus’ name, amen.

A Father's Day Prayer

Abba, Father,
thank you for being such a father to me:
patient, wise, loving, constant, and strong.

Thank you for my father,
for the many years you've given him on this earth,
for the example he's shown me
and the things he's taught me.

Thank you for the kind of father
my son and son-in-law are
to my grandchildren:
patient, wise, loving, constant, and strong.

Let this Father's Day be a blessing to you
and to the fathers in my life and family,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Loosen In Me the Hold of Visible Things

Lord, loosen in me the hold of visible things;
   Help me to walk by faith and not by sight;
I would, through thickest veils and coverings,
   See into the chambers of the living light.

Lord, in the land of things that swell and seem,
   Help me to walk by the other light supreme,
Which shows Thy facts behind man's vaguely hinting dream.

(a prayer by George MacDonald, from Diary of an Old Soul)

A Prayer of Columba of Iona

Be thou a bright flame
before me,

Be thou a guiding star
above me,

Be thou a smooth path
below me,

Be thou a kindly shepherd
behind me,

Today...tonight...and forever.
Amen.

A Prayer by Nadia Bolz Weber

Lord of compassion I pray,

As you did in Nain, enter our city gates. Enter into the somber roads down which our hearses drive and the glad streets where children run. Enter the parks where the junkies shoot up and the yuppies listen to jazz. Walk uninvited into starter mansions and public housing and dorms and cheap motel rooms on Colfax that charge by the hour. Stroll into the cool-air freezer section where the pregnant women escape the heat and the bus stop benches where the weary wait. Step into the space between the city worker who wrote me a parking ticket and my mis-guided anger. Enter our city gates, Lord of Compassion, as you did the city of Nain. And bless.

Bless the things we think are dead. Bless that which we have already begun to carry out of town to bury. Bless our rocky marriages and our college age kids who smoke too much pot. Bless the person at work who we love to hate. Bless the young adult who wonders if they are too young to really be an alcoholic and the 6o year old woman who’s had too much work done. Bless public schools lunch ladies and the guy who stole my kid’s bike. Bless the one who has no one. Bless what we call insignificant and which you call magnificent. Bless it all, Lord of Compassion, and love what only you can love: the ugly, and abandoned and unsanitary in the wash of humanity, upon which you have nothing but a gleaming compassion.

Lord of Compassion who saw the Widow of Nain, we thank you for seeing us. Seeing our loneliness and our bravery. Seeing the times we can’t say what we need to. Seeing the ones who suffer in silence. Seeing the moments when we are more than we thought we could be. Seeing what no one else can or will. We praise you for seeing as beautiful what we call ugly and that in your compassion you wipe away all tears.

Reach out once again and wipe our tears and raise us, Lord of compassion. Touch us as you did the wood on which the widow’s son lay dead and speak those same words to us: "Young man arise. Little girl, get up." To those who think they are not worthy to be loved and medicate themselves with food and booze and shopping, say “rise up.” To us who have been hurt by those who say they follow you, say “rise up.” To the proud at heart who think they are not dead, say “rise up.” To the ones who care for the least of these and who feel too burnt out to keep going, say “rise up.” To we who are holding onto resentments like our own personal security blankets say, “rise up.” To those who hide their failings behind good works, say “rise up.” To the unloved child who has no idea that one day they will change the world, say “rise up." To the one who has given up, say “rise up.”

And when again, Lord of Compassion, you have raised the dead...when again you have made whole that which is broken, when again you have ripped out my heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh, when again you have reached into the graves we dig ourselves and loved us back to life, help us, like the young man of Nain, to sit up and speak. Give us the words that are not empty praise or platitudes of piety, but give us strong words, as real as the very soil from which you raised us.

Give us the words to speak of you. And then, as you did the son to his mother, give us one to another, that when we speak others may hear and know that you are without question and without end the Lord of all Compassion. AMEN.

A Prayer for Those in the Path of the Wildfires

Gracious Lord God,
please have mercy on those in the path of the Black Forest fire.

Please help those who are fighting to contain the fire,
and keep them safe.

Please preserve homes and property,
businesses and buildings,
but most of all, of course,
please deliver precious lives from harm,
in Jesus' name, amen.

If the Lion In Us Pray

My prayers, my God, flow from what I am not;
   I think thy answers make me what I am,
Like weary waves thought follows upon thought,
   But the still depth beneath is all thine own,
And there thou mov'st in paths to us unknown.
   Out of strange strife thy peace is strangely wrought;
If the lion in us pray--thou answerest the lamb.

(a prayer by George MacDonald, from Diary of an Old Soul, May 26)

A Short Prayer of George MacDonald

You are such a Father,
that you take our sins from us
and throw them behind your back.

For a New Work of Love

O God, I have tasted Thy goodness,
and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.
I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.

O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
Show me Thy glory, I pray, so that I may know Thee indeed.
Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Amen.

(a prayer of A. W. Tozer)

Make My Worship Pleasing

Father God, lead me back to the heart of worship. Let my daily worship and my weekly worship with others reorient me and place me in the right posture in relation to your throne, in relation to your rule over all. Make my worship pleasing to you; make it also an impetus for repentance and reconciliation with others.

Holy Spirit, teach me as I read and study your Word. Lead me into all truth, as Jesus promised.

And, Lord Jesus, you who are worthy to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise, revive and restore me through the worship I offer. Let my worship bring joy to you. Let it bring heaven to me. Amen.

(a prayer from the book, How to Survive the End of the World, p. 57)

The Call

Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life:

Such a Way, as gives us breath;

Such a Truth, as ends all strife;

And such a Life, as killeth death.

Come, my Light, my Feast, my Strength:

Such a Light, as shows a feast;

Such a Feast, as mends in length;

Such a Strength, as makes his guest.

Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart:

Such a Joy, as none can move;

Such a Love, as none can part;

Such a Heart, as joys in love.

(a prayer by George Herbert)

Amazing Love

God, your love is amazing. Thank you for showing to me....the many facets of your love for me. You knew me and loved me before I was even born. You loved me from the moment of my first breath. You loved me in my sin. You loved me and gave your Son for me. You loved me in Christ. You loved me in all my waywardness. You loved me in all my clumsy attempts to please you. You loved me like a rock. You loved me steadfastly. You loved me like a lion, calling me back to your side. You love me still. You will love me ever. Thank you for your unfathomable love, from before the foundation of the world until now. Teach me to love you more truly. In Jesus’ name, amen.

(from Falling in Love with God, by Bob Hostetler, p. 145)

The Thanks I Need to Give

I need to thank you, Lord,
not for your sake, but for mine.

I thank you.
Thank you for your constant and current mercy on me.
By your mercy alone do I live another day,
loved, forgiven, delivered, whole.
Thank you for sleep, and for waking from sleep.
Thank you for the rain today.
Thank you for freedom from pain and discomfort.
Thank you for the love of my life, my bride,
the sweetest and loveliest woman to walk the earth.
Thank you for my children, my daughter and my son;
thank you that they still love me despite my many mistakes,
both early in their lives and late.
Thank you for my friends--many, faithful, and strong.
Thank you for the community I live in,
so clean, convenient, comfortable.
Thank you for dry clothes, clean clothes.
Thank you for shelter, and not just any shelter,
but a clean, lovely, comfortable home.
Thank you that, though troubles come to me and mine
from time to time,
they come no worse than they do
and for no longer than they do.
Thank you for days off--far and few between,
but the more valuable because of that.
Thank you for music.
Thank you for coffee.
Thank you for books.
Thank you for my senses, every one still intact.
Thank you for prayer.
Thank you for hearing me.
Thank you for answering.
Thank you for building me up in my most holy faith,
gently at times and sternly at times. I know I need both.
For these and all your gifts,
I give you thanks, in Jesus' name, amen.

A Prayer Before Speaking

No speaker is saved by the quality of his material;
none succeeds by the multitude of his gifts.
Relying on man's approval is a vain hope, a stupid goal;
despite all its allure it cannot save.
My hope is on your unfailing love, Lord;
I hope for your deliverance.

(based on Psalm 33:16-17)