For Transcendence

Thank You, God,

For Your hand that reaches to me,
touching my arm, tapping my shoulder,
telling me to pause and to look and to listen
at all the windows of the soul.

Help me to see something in those windows,
something of heaven in every earthly event,
something of the divine spark in every human soul.

Please, dear God, give me grace to stand, shoes in hand,
before all that in some way bears Your glory,
for I don't want to spend my days
just sitting around
plucking blackberries...

(A prayer by Ken Gire from his book, Windows of the Soul, p. 45)

A Prayer of Cecil Murphey

Dear God, help me not to try to run the world for you.

Wake Me Up

Lord, wake me up!
To the beating of wings and splashing of water,
the settling of fog at twilight—
the way the leaves and the childhood can slip away in the woods,
torched with the last of summer.
Amen.

(based on the words of Ann Voskamp in Selections from One Thousand Gifts: Finding Joy in What Really Matters (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishers, 2012), p. 6).

Samuel Prayer

Lord,
let my first words
in prayer
always be,
"Speak, Lord,
for your servant is listening."
Amen.

(based on 1 Samuel 3:10)

First Speaker

First Speaker,
you whispered your love to me
in my mother's womb.

First Knower,
you knew me
long before I knew you.

First Finder,
you found me
before I looked for you.

First Lover,
you loved me
before I had the first chance to love you back.

And you are still speaking,
knowing,
finding,
and loving me
first,
every day,
every moment;
you are always
speaking,
knowing,
finding,
and loving
me first.

Thank you,
in Jesus' name, amen.

A Prayer Before Preaching

Lord God Adonai,

thank you

for once again bringing me to your day,

in your house,

among your people.

Thank you for the fearsome privilege

of breaking the bread of life

once more.

Please make your presence known to me,

and help me to make my presence known to you.

Let me please you in all I do,

and especially (because my need is so great)

in my preaching.

Please meet me,

break me,

mold me,

fill me,

change me,

use me.

Show up in beauty.

Show up in holiness,

mercy,

grace,

and in life-changing power.

Help me to decrease

that you may increase,

in Jesus' name, amen.

Repentance

I repent, Lord.
I repent.

I have been wrong in supposing that I could manage my own life 
and be my own god; 
I have been wrong in thinking I had, or could get, 
the strength, education and training to make it on my own; 
I trust that God in Jesus Christ is telling me the truth. 

I lean into the realization
that what you want from me 
and what I want from you 
are not going to be achieved by doing the same old things, 
thinking the same old thoughts. 

I decide 
again
and still  
to follow you, 
my Lord Jesus Christ, 
and be your pilgrim in the path of peace.

(a prayer based on lines from Eugene Peterson, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980), 29-30).

I, a Pilgrim of Eternity

I, a pilgrim of eternity,
stand before Thee,
O eternal One.

Let me not seek to deaden or destroy
the desire for Thee that disturbs my heart.

Let me rather yield myself to its constraint
and go where it leads me.

Make me wise to see all things today
under the form of eternity,
and make me brave to face all the changes in my life
which such a vision may entail:
through the grace of Christ my Saviour. Amen.

(a prayer of John Baillie)

Not So Fast

Hold Me Near

Hold me near, when I am restless.
Hold me near, when I am bitter.
Hold me near, when I'm rebellious.
Hold me near until the end.

Hold me near, when my heart is broken.
Hold me near, when I'm ignorant.
Hold me near, when I am jealous.
Hold me near until the end.

But as for me, my feet almost gave up;
I nearly sold my heart.
It's good to be held by my Father;
It's good to be where you are.

(from the album, "Enter the Worship Circle")

Another Psalm 7

Lord God, you are Refuge.
You are Rescuer.
You are Savior.

Without you, I would be overtaken,
overwhelmed and overcome.

In spite of all the wrongs I have done,
and all the sins I have committed,
you defend me
and preserve me.

Thank you that you are not complacent when I am attacked;
when my back is against the wall, you fight for me,
you rouse yourself,
you roar on my behalf.
You are always in the middle of your people,
you rule over us all.
You dispense justice;
defend and vindicate me,
not according to my righteousness (for I have none)
but according to my Righteousness.

End violence and wickedness.
Spread righteousness over all the earth,
you, righteous God,
who sees into every heart and mind.

You are my shield;
you save me and give me an upright heart.
You are my judge,
and also my advocate.

Make me always quick to repent,
so quick that you need not chide me
or discipline me.

Let me not for one moment
be like those who propagate evil,
and multiply gossip and lies.
Save me always from the stupidity
of those who fall prey to their own devices.
Instead let me be constantly thanking you
for your kindness and holiness;
fill my heart and mind and mouth
with praises to your name, Lord Most High.
Amen.

Prayer While Scrubbing a Floor

Thank you for the privilege of scrubbing this floor.
Thank you for the health and the strength to do it.
That my back is straight and my hands are whole.

I can push the mop.
I can feel the hard surface under my knees when I kneel.
I can grasp the brush and let my energy flow down into it as I erase the dirt and make this floor bright and clean.

If I were blind I couldn't see the soil or the patterns of the tile or the slippery circles shining.
If I were deaf I couldn't hear the homely cheerful sounds of suds in the bucket, the crisp little whisper of brush or mop.
I would miss the music of doors banging and children shouting and the steps of people coming to walk across this bright expanse of floor.

Lord, thank you for everything that has to do with scrubbing this floor.

Bless the soap and the bucket and the brush and the hands that do it. Bless the feet that are running in now to track it. This I accept, and thank you for.

Those feet are the reason I do it.
They are the living reasons for my kneeling here---
half to do a job, half in prayer.

A floor is a foundation. A family is a foundation. You are our foundation.

Bless us all, and our newly scrubbed floor.

(a prayer by Marjorie Holmes, from I've Got to Talk to Somebody, God)

But Thou

The other gods were strong, but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God's wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds but Thou alone.

(Edward Shillito, from "Jesus of the Scars")

Bid Me

Lord, bid me.
Bid me come to you,
Walking on water,
Treading on lion and cobra,
Trampling serpents and scorpions,
Scaling the heights,
Riding on the highlands,
Wherever you call,
Wherever you send,
If only it is your bidding
And brings me step by step
Closer to you.
Amen.

(based on Peter's words in Matthew 14:28, as well as Psalm 91:13, Luke 10:19, Habakkuk 3:19, Deuteronomy 32:13)

A Prayer for Solitude

Help me, O God,
To be a still axis in the wheel of activities that revolves around my life.
Deliver me from my distractions, which are many,
and lead me to a quiet place of devotion at your feet.

Teach me there how to pause at more windows.

I know I won't see everything,
but help me see something.

So much passes me by
without attention, let alone, appreciation;
without reflection, let alone, reverence;
without thought, let alone, thankfulness.

Slow me down, Lord, so I may see the windows in roller rinks
and the overarching grandeur of Your image
in the Sistine Chapel of the soul. . .

(A prayer by Ken Gire from his book, Windows of the Soul, p. 37)

For Egypt

Lord, have mercy on the people of Egypt. Save them from violence and hatred. Save them from injustice and oppression. Save them, Lord, and restore peace and prosperity where now there is so much unrest, disorder, and need. 

Please let the voices of calm and reason be heard above the din of division and ugliness. Please let cooler heads prevail. Let wisdom arise. Bring about hope and healing at all levels of that society. 

Please take special care for the Coptic Christians. Save them from the targeting and persecution under which they've suffered so much. Preserve them. Restore all that hatred has taken from them; heal all they have suffered.  

Lord of all the earth, have mercy on Egypt. 

Miraculously intervene.

Arrest evil. 

Restore peace and freedom. 

Amen. 

A Prayer from Matthew 5

God, our Creator, thank you for the gift of Jesus. He walked among us embodying your creative and life-giving Word in his body, his life, his words, his deeds, his sufferings, his death, and his resurrection. When we see him loving the outcast, forgiving the sinner, confronting the hypocrite, and teaching the crowds a new way of life, we see your heart, your compassion, your mercy, your character. To know Jesus is to love him, and to love him is to know him, and to know and love him is to know and love you.

So help me, Lord, to be among your disciples who come to you to be taught.

Help me, Lord, to be among the poor in spirit, to see and know that your kingdom is my homeland even now ...

Help me, Lord, to be among those who mourn, to join you in your sadness for all that's wrong and broken in this world, and in joining you, to find true comfort.

Help me, Lord, to be among the meek, those who find strength in weakness and power in vulnerability, to never fear lack or want, because when I have your love, I have all the world.

Help me, Lord, to desire justice, rightness, goodness, fairness, cleanness, clearness, and integrity more than I hunger for food or thirst for water ... and so let me find the truest fulfillment and satisfaction.

Help me, Lord, to be among the merciful. Help me to be a true friend to those who are hated, misunderstood, rejected, excluded, disregarded ... just as you, God of Mercy, are. When others fail - when they fail me - help me show the same mercy you show to those who fail you ... including me.

Help me, Lord, to be among the pure in heart. May your pure light shine in my heart and dispel every shadow, every layer and fold that conceals or pretends. Since it is only the heart that sees you, remove from my heart everything that keeps me from seeing you.

Help me, Lord, to be among the makers of peace. Many build walls. Many sow fear and distrust. Many spread rumors. Many inflame conflict and profit from it. Help me to be even among them an agent and messenger of your peace and reconciliation, and so bear your family likeness, God of peace.

Help me, Lord, not to fear being among the persecuted, but rather, to rejoice in having the honor of standing for your restorative justice and rightness, so I will see that your kingdom is my homeland, even now.

Help me, Lord, to be among those who suffer wrong well and with grace. Help me not to resent it, not to fear it, not to seek to escape it. Instead, help me to find joy in it ... when others insult me, make my life more difficult, or falsely malign me because of you. Help me to see through the momentary, light trouble to the lasting and weighty reward, even now, for your kingdom comes by suffering rather than by making others suffer.

So help me, Lord, to be among your disciples who come to you to be taught. I am a limping, broken sinner and beginner, far from these realities, but this is where I want to go. In your mercy, lead me in this path. Amen.


(a meditation on Matthew 5:1-12 by Brian McLaren)

Waiting

Dear Lord,
Help me to wait patiently. Open my eyes to the little blessing You pour into each and every day of my life, the little things that are so easy to overlook; raucous laughter of children, the buzz of "my" hummingbirds, and surprise pumpkins in what is supposed to be my flower garden. Thank you for walks in the woods, dragonflies hovering, and sunshine over all of it. Thank you for clay on my hands, water to wash, and eyes to see not only they physical, but the spiritual as well. Help me, Lord, to enjoy the wait and count the blessings.
Amen.

(from the Daily Prayer blog)

The Trustee's Prayer

God, help me handle possessions with a light touch.

(a prayer from Leonard Sweet's Soul Salsa, p. 58)

Another Psalm 6

Lord, thank you that,
for all my waywardness,
you don’t punish me
or discipline me in anger.

I'm feeling frail right now;
have mercy on me, Lord.
Send healing to my hurting heart
and strength to my knocking knees.

My body tells the story of my stress;
my neck and shoulders tense.

Visit me, Lord! Overcome me.
Break through for me yet again,
because of your faithful love.

I will praise you better from the heights
than I do in the depths...
though I will do both.

I’m worn out.
I'm cried out.

Restore my vision, Lord God.
Repel all attacks.
Answer my prayers.

Scatter and shame my Enemy.
Vindicate your Name
and use me once more.
Amen.

A Prayer of Maya Angelou

I want to thank you, Lord,

For life and all that's in it.

Thank you for the day

And for the hour, and for the minute.

(a prayer of Maya Angelou)

The Torrent of Pleasure

O most Sweet Lord Jesus, pierce my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of your love, with true, serene, and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with love and longing for you, that it may yearn for you and faint for your courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with you.

Grant that my soul may hunger after you, the bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of taste; let my heart ever hunger after and feed upon you, upon whom the angels desire to look, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of your savor; may it ever thirst after you, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the richness of the house of God.

May it ever compass you, seek you, find you, run to you, attain you, meditate upon you, speak of you, and do all things to the praise and glory of your name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, and with perseverance unto the end.

May you alone be ever my hope, my entire assurance, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my fragrance, my sweet savor, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession and my treasure, in whom may my mind and my heart be fixed and firmly rooted immovably henceforth and for ever. Amen.

(a prayer of St. Bonaventure)

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)