Lord God Adonai, help me,
when temptation comes,
when I feel attacked
or accused,
devalued or depressed,
to more fervently--
and quickly--
devote myself to prayer,
and so make such attacks
a stupid thing
for the devil to try,
in Jesus' name, amen.
A Stupid Thing
Lord God Adonai, help me,
when temptation comes,
when I feel attacked
or accused,
devalued or depressed,
to more fervently--
and quickly--
devote myself to prayer,
and so make such attacks
a stupid thing
for the devil to try,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Divine Invitation
Sweet, sweet love of God,
We revere Your firelight heart;
Sweet, sweet grace surrounds,
We've been sought, through all of our years
You've carried our tears with you.
We are all here to find
The place where our restless souls will be free;
We were all made to see:
Our hearts could not rest until found in Thee.
In this divine invitation we find your embrace,
And in our deep adoration see the light of your face.
In this divine invitation we all find the place
For our souls where the longings were born long ago.
Sweet, sweet Savior, come
Near us now
Into the depths of our hearts.
Sweet, sweet breath of life,
You fulfill
With the warmth of your love
A mystery of your ways.
(a prayer by Something Like Silas, performed by Page CXVI)
I Enter Thy Presence
Great God, in public and private, in sanctuary and home,may my life be steeped in prayer,
filled with the spirit of grace and supplication,
each prayer perfumed with the incense of atoning blood.
Help me, defend me,
until from praying ground I pass to the realm of unceasing praise.
Urged by my need,
invited by Thy promises,
called by Thy Spirit,
I enter Thy presence,
worshipping Thee with godly fear,
awed by Thy majesty, greatness, glory,
but encouraged by Thy love.
I am all poverty as well as all guilt,
having nothing of my own with which to repay Thee,
but I bring Jesus to Thee in the arms of faith,
pleading His righteousness to offset my iniquities,
rejoicing that He will weigh down the scales for me,
and satisfy thy justice.
I bless Thee that great sin draws out great grace,
that, although the least sin deserves infinite punishment because done against an infinite God,
yet there is mercy for me,
for where guilt is most terrible,
there Thy mercy in Christ is most free and deep.
Bless me by revealing to me more of His saving merits,
by causing Thy goodness to pass before me,
by speaking peace to my contrite heart;
strengthen me to give Thee no rest untiI Christ shall reign supreme within me in every thought, word, and deed,
in a faith that purifies the heart, overcomes the world,
works by love, fastens me to Thee, and ever clings to the cross.
(from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers)
A Prayer of St. Basil
O God and Lord of the Powers, and Maker of all creation,
Who, because of Thy clemency
and incomparable mercy,
didst send Thine Only-Begotten Son
and our Lord Jesus Christ
for the salvation of mankind,
and with His venerable Cross
didst tear asunder the record of our sins,
and thereby didst conquer the rulers and powers of darkness;
receive from us sinful people, O merciful Master,
these prayers of gratitude and supplication,
and deliver us from every destructive and gloomy transgression,
and from all visible and invisible enemies who seek to injure us.
Nail down our flesh with fear of Thee,
and let not our hearts be inclined to words or thoughts of evil,
but pierce our souls with Thy love,
that ever contemplating Thee,
being enlightened by Thee,
and discerning Thee,
the unapproachable and everlasting Light,
we may unceasingly render confession and gratitude to Thee:
The eternal Father, with Thine Only-Begotten Son,
and with Thine All-Holy, Gracious,
and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
A Prayer About Value
How I compare to others isn't important.
The only thing that matters--and the only way to avoid my insecurities--
is to find my value as a creation of almighty God.
When I reflect on how much you love me, I find the courage to be myself,
and I realize I might be more valuable than I give myself credit for.
(an excerpt from the book, 365 Pocket Prayers, by Ron Beers)
For Friends with Cancer
today I am praying for four dear friends
who are struggling with cancer.
I'm sick of it.
I hate it.
In determined weakness I stand against it.
In Jesus' name, I oppose it.
Banish it, Lord.
Obliterate it,
in them and in others.
But especially in them.
Heal them by your mighty hand.
Visit them with hope and wholeness.
I pray for your immediate, instant healing,
even as I submit to your sovereign authority
to heal in other ways,
as you will,
as your wisdom and love see fit.
But act, Lord.
Bare your mighty arm.
Make known your healing balm.
Provide them with wise and attentive care
as well as laughter,
and energy and stamina along the way.
Grant them
courage when they are afraid,
comfort when they are in pain,
and blessing when their spirits start to flag,
that they may conquer fear
and depression
and faithlessness
as they also conquer cancer,
in your power,
for your glory,
Amen.
A Prayer of Corretta Scott King
Keep us ever mindful of our dependence upon Thee, for without Thee our efforts are but naught.
We pray for Thy divine guidance as we travel the highways of life. We pray for more courage.
We pray for more faith and above all we pray for more love.
May we somehow come to understand the true meaning of Thy love as revealed to us in the life, death and resurrection of Thy son and our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
May the Cross ever remind us of Thy great love, for greater love no man hath given.
This is our supreme example, O God.
May we be constrained to follow in the name and spirit of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
(a prayer of Corretta Scott King)
A Ragamuffin Prayer
Grazie, Signore...for judging me
not by my shabby good deeds
but by Your love
that is Your gift to me,
for Your unbearable forgiveness
and infinite patience with me,
for other people
who have greater gifts than mine,
and for the honesty
to acknowledge
that I am
a ragamuffin.
(based on words from Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel, p. 121).
A Prayer to My Shepherd
(a prayer from The Bible 30-Day Experience Guidebook by Bob Hostetler)
A Prayer to My Daily Bread
(a prayer from The Bible 30-Day Experience Guidebook by Bob Hostetler)
Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess
Release me from the idea that I must straighten out other peoples' affairs. With my immense treasure of experience and wisdom, it seems a pity not to let everybody partake of it. But thou knowest, Lord, that in the end I will need a few friends.
Keep me from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point.
Grant me the patience to listen to the complaints of others; help me to endure them with charity. But seal my lips on my own aches and pains -- they increase with the increasing years and my inclination to recount them is also increasing.
I will not ask thee for improved memory, only for a little more humility and less self-assurance when my own memory doesn't agree with that of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be wrong.
Keep me reasonably gentle. I do not have the ambition to become a saint -- it is so hard to live with some of them -- but a harsh old person is one of the devil's masterpieces.
Make me sympathetic without being sentimental, helpful but not bossy. Let me discover merits where I had not expected them, and talents in people whom I had not thought to possess any. And, Lord, give me the grace to tell them so.
Amen.
A Prayer of One Set Free
(a prayer from The Bible 30-Day Experience Guidebook by Bob Hostetler)
Helpless Without You
Lord, I am helpless without you. I am powerless without you.
I am wholly, thoroughly inadequate without you.
I am empty, weak, ineffectual without you.
But in you, abiding in you,
I am more than a conqueror.
In you, I can move mountains.
In you, I can scale a wall,
overthrow kingdoms,
shut the mouths of lions,
rout armies...
in you, abiding in you and walking in your Spirit,
I can face all things through Christ, who is my strength. Amen.
No Earthly Thing Can Satisfy Me
(a prayer of John Baillie in A Diary of Private Prayer, by way of the Daily Prayer blog)
For My Daughter on Her Birthday
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 children'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.
For My Life
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.
For That Which I Do Not But Would
God, you are my God, and I seek you this morning;
let my prayers rise before you
like the morning sacrifice.
Please grant that I may seek you wholeheartedly,
which I confess I do not now.
Grant that I may seek you only,
which I do not now.
Grant that I may seek you moment-by-moment,
consistently, and constantly,
which I do not now,
for I need you constantly and completely
and only, amen.
Immensity
Lord,your immensity
reminds me
that your resources
are not vast...
they are limitless,
because
you are limitless.
You may callon 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.
A Prayer For Those Who Are Sorting Things Out
Lord, when I look at the pictures of Jesus in Scripture, I don’t see Him confused or upset. I don’t see Him wondering what to do or how to do it. When He faced big decisions and life-changing moments, He always drew apart and spent time with You.
Lord, when I’m tempted to worry, please pull me into prayer. When my thoughts swirl about me, remind me that I have Your mind. Help me acknowledge You in every way as I trust You to make my paths straight.
Savior, I want to say along with you, “Lord, not my will but Yours be done.” Grant my desire to seek You first. Give me grace to seek You always. And help me as I sort things out according to Your Word, your will, and your way. In the holy name of Jesus I pray—AMEN.
(from Marti Pieper's blog, http://martipieper.com)
Bedew My Whole Nature
Come, O Lord my God; my soul invites you earnestly,
and waits for you 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 your matchless character!
Come, O my Father,
who is the Husbandman,
and deal with me in your 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 your servant is listening.
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)
Wild flowers
Blessed Jesus, thou dost receive with favor the smallest sincere token of affection! Thou dost receive our poor forget-me-nots and lovetokens, as though they were intrinsically precious, though indeed they are but as the bunch of wild flowers which the child brings to its mother.We will give thee the first fruits of our increase, and pay thee tithes of all, and then we will confess "of thine own have we given thee" (Charles H. Spurgeon).
Traveling Prayer
Lord Jesus,
be our vanguard,
our rear guard,
and our constant companion
as we travel.
Amen.
be our vanguard,
our rear guard,
and our constant companion
as we travel.
Amen.
Status
I'm safe.
I'm sheltered.
I'm warm.
I'm fed.
I'm hydrated.
I'm clean.
I'm clothed.
I'm comfortable.
I'm healthy.
I'm free.
I'm able.
I'm ambulatory.
I'm conscious.
I'm aware.
I'm lucid.
I'm loved.
I'm dry.
I'm home.
I'm relaxed.
I'm happy.
I'm hopeful.
I'm blessed.
I'm grateful.
Amen.
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)
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)
October Prayer
Into a tree in autumn
And let my dying
Be a blaze of glory!
Drape me in a
Crimson, leafy gown,
And deck my soul
In dancing flakes of gold!
And then when Death
Comes by, and with his hands
Strips off my rustling garment
Let me stand
Before him, proud and naked,
Unashamed, uncaring,
All the strength in me revealed
Against the sky!
Oh, God
Make me an autumn tree
If I must die!
(a prayer of Esther Pope, 1896-1958)
Forgive My Prayers
forgive my prayers.
Forgive all the misguided prayers I have prayed.
All the selfish prayers.
All the self-righteous prayers.
All the stupid prayers.
All the small-faith prayers.
Forgive the prayers I have "preached"
instead of truly prayed.
Forgive the times I have only
or mostly
mouthed the words.
Forgive the countless times
I have prayed only what was on my heart,
not even bothering to seek what was on your heart.
Forgive the weak prayers.
The manipulative prayers.
The faithless prayers.
The feckless prayers.
The fraudulent prayers.
Forgive, Lord,
and thank you more than I can say
that you still listen...
after all that.
Amen.
The Door of My Heart and Life
O God, make the door [of my heart and life]wide enough to receive
all who need human love and fellowship;
narrow enough to shut out
all envy, pride, and strife.
Amen.
(a prayer from St. Stephen's Walbrook in London)
A Prayer for Incarnation
To live the recipe
before I give the recipe.
Give me the kneading strength
to work the words into the doughy recesses of my life.
Help me to leave it alone a while
so it can rise.
Help me not to fear the oven
so it can bake.
And grant that in the baking
the world would be able to roll down its window
and savor the aroma of freshly baked bread...
(A prayer by Ken Gire from his book, Windows of the Soul, p. 59)
Autumn Praise
for falling temperatures and morning chill,
trees turned gold and red, brown and orange,
falling leaves and blowing leaves,
the smell of burning leaves,
the joy of leaf-pile jumping.
I praise you, Lord, for Autumn:
the interplay of outside temperatures
and inside warmth,
the promise of cider and pumpkin bread,
the blessing of blankets and sweaters.
I praise you, Lord, for Autumn:
what Archibald Macleish called
"the flower-barren fields, the clouds, the tall
Unanswering branches where the wind makes sullen noise."*
I praise you, Lord, for Autumn:
the beauty and hope in the change of season,
the promise that the coming of Autumn
heralds another ending,
a new beginning,
and the wonder of another Winter,
another Spring,
another Summer,
yet to come.
(*Archibald MacLeish, “Immortal Autumn” from Collected Poems 1917-1982. Copyright © 1985 by The Estate of Archibald MacLeish)
For Humility
To have the humility to sit at the feet of great art,
whether it is a painting or a person on the street,
a scene from a movie or a score from a musical,
a sunset or a psalm,
and to look and to listen and to receive
what is being offered me there.
Give me the grace to submit to its scrutiny,
seeking not to do something to it,
but that it might do something to me;
seeking not in some way to judge it,
but that it might in some way judge me...
(A prayer by Ken Gire from his book, Windows of the Soul, p. 94; the art is "In the Beginning," by internationally-renowned artist Makoto Fujimura)
A Kyrie Eleison for a Sick World
For the people of Nairobi, Kenya, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For the Christians of Peshawar, Pakistan, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For Guangdong Province and the city of Shanwei, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For the bereaved of the Navy Yard shooting, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For the victims of violence in Afghanistan and Iraq, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For the people of Egypt--especially the Coptic community, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For the victims of flooding in Colorado, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For all who suffer in this sick world, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
For the Christians of Peshawar, Pakistan, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For Guangdong Province and the city of Shanwei, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For the bereaved of the Navy Yard shooting, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For the victims of violence in Afghanistan and Iraq, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For the people of Egypt--especially the Coptic community, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For the victims of flooding in Colorado, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
For all who suffer in this sick world, I pray,
Lord, have mercy.
Workday Prayer
Fronting my task, these things I ask:
To be true, this whole day through;
To be content with honest work,
Fearing only lest I shirk;
To see, and know, and do what's right;
To come, unsullied, home at night.
(from Abundant Living, by E. Stanley Jones, p. 245)
Autumn Day
Lord, it is time. The summer was so great.
Impose upon the sundials now your shadows
and round the meadows let the winds rotate.
Command the last fruits to incarnadine;
vouchsafe, to urge them on into completeness,
yet two more south-like days; and that last sweetness,
inveigle it into the heavy vine.
(excerpt from "Autumn Day," by Rainer Maria Rilke; from The Book of Images)
Impose upon the sundials now your shadows
and round the meadows let the winds rotate.
Command the last fruits to incarnadine;
vouchsafe, to urge them on into completeness,
yet two more south-like days; and that last sweetness,
inveigle it into the heavy vine.
(excerpt from "Autumn Day," by Rainer Maria Rilke; from The Book of Images)
Before I Speak
I place myself in Your hands.
I will be tempted,
on this day in which I am blessed to speak to others,
to do so in my own strength,
as though I have any word to say,
and wisdom to offer,
anything of my own.
Forgive me now, Lord,
and forgive me then,
and turn me quickly
to remember you and rely on you,
my only Source,
my only Word,
my only wisdom,
my all,
in Jesus' name, amen.
On This Day of Travel
Gracious Lord, be with me as I travel today.
Make smooth paths for me.
Grant safe and timely travel
to the airport,
between airports,
and between gates.
Help me to make my flights
and safely reach my destination.
Guide my steps,
guard my thoughts,
and give me sweet communion with you
and pleasant interactions with others
everywhere I go,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Blessed Indeed
thank you
that neither my children
nor my grandchildren
have yet known
the horrors of war,
the deprivation of poverty,
or the ache of true hunger,
in Jesus' name,
amen.
A Prayer for Grace
For those moments in my life
when You opened a window
and offered a word
that nourished the hunger in my soul.
Give me the grace to realize that these are the words I live by,
not by bread alone,
whatever form that bread may take,
however satisfying it may seem at the time.
Give me the grace to live not just reflectively but receptively,
that I may not only notice when a window is opened
but also receive what is offered,
understanding that what is offered
is my soul's daily bread...
(A prayer by Ken Gire from his book, Windows of the Soul, p. 59)
For Colorado and New Mexico
Father, we pray for those affected by the flooding in Colorado and New Mexico. Comfort those who have lost loved ones, heal those who are injured, and provide for those who have lost homes and possessions. Please bring the rain to an end, that the land may dry out and the clean up begin. Amen.
(borrowed from the Daily Prayer website)
(borrowed from the Daily Prayer website)
When I Behold the Problems of Our World
O Lord,
I pray not to be tempted to quick answers.
When every tongue declares a different Truth,
when every people praises its own righteousness,
let me pause before I speak or praise or hope.
Let me look inward
seeking to discover eternal truths
implanted there by Thee,
truths greater than those heard
in the outer multitude of voices and words.
And let me remember always that to be loud is not to be right,
to be strange is not to be forbidden,
to be new is not to be frightful,
to be black is not to be ugly.
Thus let me find truths true to Thee,
that I may live with them,
and Thee,
and myself,
in peace.
(a prayerfrom the 8th century Gelasian Sacramentary, the second oldest extant liturgical book in the West, by way of Leonard Sweet's Facebook page)
To Be a Pure Channel of Thy Grace
I am desired to preach today,
but go weak and needy to my task;
Yet I long that people
might be edified with divine truth,
that an honest testimony
might be borne for thee;
Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,
with heart uplifted for grace and unction.
Present to my view
things pertaining to my subject,
with fullness of matter and clarity of thought,
proper expressions, fluency, fervency,
a feeling sense of the things I preach,
and grace to apply them to men’s consciences.
Keep me conscious all the while of my defects,
and let me not gloat in pride
over my performance.
Help me to offer a testimony for thyself,
and to leave sinners inexcusable
in neglecting thy mercy.
Give me freedom to open the sorrows of thy people,
and set before them comforting considerations.
Attend with power the truth preached.
and awaken the attention of my slothful audience.
May thy people be refreshed, melted, convicted, comforted,
and help me to use the strongest arguments
drawn from Christ’s incarnation and sufferings,
that men might be made holy.
I myself need thy support, comfort, strength, holiness,
that I might be a pure channel of thy grace,
and be able to do something for thee;
Give me then refreshment among thy people,
and help me not to treat excellent matter in a defective way,
or bear a broken testimony to so worthy a redeemer,
or be harsh in treating of Christ’s death, its design and end,
from lack of warmth and fervency.
And keep me in tune with thee as I do this work.
(from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett; photo is of the pulpit in Worms Cathedral, Worms, Germany)
Prayer From an Upcoming Book
what is real in me
and submit it to
the ultimate, infinite reality that is in you.
(excerpted from a prayer
in the upcoming book,
Life Stinks...and Then You Die (Living Well in a Sick World), p. 35)
A Prayer on Yom Kippur
On this day our Christian thoughts are turned
to Jewish possibilities of forgiveness and reconciliation.
On this day we stand with them in covenant,
before you,
before your Torah,
amid a world torn asunder.
Our thoughts are of death and destruction,
of fragility and life under threat.
We ponder cities mired in mud and
mountains wrecked in quake;
we notice melting ice and rising water;
we name places of violence
far away and close to home.
We tremble in our insecurity,
afraid to be victim,
but now and then noticing that we are perpetrators;
we finance and applaud faraway violence,
usually not naming the torn bodies or
raped mothers or forgotten children.
We feel uneasy but not frontally guilty,
not until we face your thoughts
that are remote from our thoughts;
we imagine that you think in grief and disappointment
over the mess we have made;
we imagine that you shudder in dismay and anger
over the violation of your good dream;
we imagine that you are ready to abandon us.
But we also imagine that your thoughts are interrupted
by your own poets and prophets,
who line out newness...
new exodus,
new covenant,
new forgiveness,
new life.
While we watch in our dis-ease,
we hear Easter news again,
and your resolve of new beginning.
And so we begin to move
from sadness to joy,
from hurt to dance,
from enslavement to freedom.
And then we wait again for your wonder to become visible
in the world of empires and colonies,
of mudslides and torrents.
We wait. Come fully, come soon.
(a prayer by Walter Brueggemann, from his book, Prayers for a Privileged People)
My Oliver Twist Prayer
I want some more.
More of you,
more of life,
more of love,
more beauty,
more blessing,
more books,
smiles,
laughter,
minutes,
hours,
more days and weeks and months and years
of this delicious kindness
called life.
To My Lowest Depths of Need
grant that I may rest
in the goodness of God,
knowing that
that goodness
can reach down
to my lowest depths
of need.
Amen.
(based on a quote by Julian of Norwich)
A 9/11 Prayer
We remember the first time we heard the news.
We recall the first time we saw those images.
We remember the way our thoughts and prayers were with those families who lost loved ones.
Our thoughts and prayers are with them again today.
O God of comfort - twelve years have passed.
Yesterday, today and forever;
let your love and peace endure.
We remember those who survived.
We recall their heart-breaking stories.
We remember that their lives are forever scarred by those moments.
Our thoughts and prayers are with them again today.
O God of healing - twelve years have passed.
Yesterday, today and forever;
let your love and peace endure.
We remember the pain we felt.
We recall the bereavement and bitterness of the aftermath.
We remember that you are a God of redemption and restoration.
Help us forgive those who caused so much trauma, and that we may find release in that forgiveness.
O God of forgiveness - twelve years have passed.
Yesterday, today and forever;
let your love and peace endure.
We remember that you love the world.
We recall you sent your Son to bring reconciliation and salvation.
We remember your Spirit inhabits your Church.
Help us bring your comfort and peace to all.
O God of hope - twelve years have passed.
Yesterday, today and forever;
let your love and peace endure.
© Jimmy Orr/engageworship.org
Prayer for a Workday
Now I get me up to work, I pray the Lord I will not shirk.
If I should die before the night,
I pray the Lord my work's all right.
(from Abundant Living, by E. Stanley Jones, p. 245)
A Prayer for Christians in the Middle East
have mercy on the Middle East.
Your faithful servants – young and old alike –
are called to witness to Christ.
May they be strengthened during this time of turmoil
as they seek to follow your beloved Son,
who Himself walked their ancient homelands.
In union with Pope Francis,
and our Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, and Coptic brothers and sisters
along with all Christians in the Middle East,
we pray that they may be enabled to live their faith in full freedom.
Embolden them to act as instruments
of peace and reconciliation,
united with all the citizens of their countries.
Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord,
Amen
(based on a Prayer for Aid to the Church in Need by Coptic Catholic Patriarch Emeritus Cardinal Antonios Naguib of Alexandria, Egypt, found here; illustration is an icon in the Catechetical Institute, Assiut, Upper Egypt)
Another Psalm 8
my God,
my Great God,
your awesome majesty
and the glory of your name
is so great
it overwhelms and overflows
the earth and sky and limitless space.
Yet little children can know you.
Babes can praise you.
Simple faith like theirs
triumphs over all the arguments
and posturings of your enemies.
When I see the night sky
I see your work.
Your hands made the moon and stars,
your fingers hung them in place,
a fact amazing enough on its own,
but even more so compared to the truth
that you condescend to me,
to my little world,
to my puny mind
and poor heart.
And yet you honor me
with such precision in creating me
and such blessing in attending to me.
You speak to me and call me and give me work to do;
you smile on me as on the sheep and oxen,
the birds and fish,
the teeming multitudes of the ocean deep.
O Lord, my God and King,
your awesome majesty
and the glory of your name
overwhelms and overflows
the earth and sky and limitless space.
Syria
please save this country from attacking Syria,
and save Syria not only from our weapons
but also from each other’s.
Please send comfort to those who are bereaved,
healing to the wounded,
and sanity to the leaders on all sides.
Change the hearts of those who have taken up arms
and those who plan to take up arms,
and strengthen the resolve of those committed to peace.
Please bring about an end to the conflict,
and please do so soon
and in a way that brings
freedom to the oppressed,
justice to all,
and hope for the future.
Please help Syria’s neighbors
in their care and welcome for refugees.
God of hope and Father of mercy,
inspire leaders on all sides to choose peace over violence
and to seek reconciliation with enemies.
Inspire the Church around the world with compassion for the people of Syria,
and make us faithful in praying for them
and caring for them and for all who suffer around the world.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and Light of the World,
who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Amen.
(based in parts on a prayer of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
An Old One
Thank you, Lord, for making me whole;
Thank you, Lord, for giving to me
Thy great salvation so rich and free.
(a prayer by Seth and Bessie Sykes)
A Rosh Hashanah Prayer
L'shanah tovah tikatev v'taihatem!
(translation: A good and sweet year to you,
may you be written and sealed for a good year)
(from the Concord Pastor Comments blog)
A Prayer for Nourishment
yet how acute are its pangs.
How incapable am I in understanding those longings,
let alone, in tending them.
Feed me with food, O God,
that will best nourish my soul,
food that will intensify rather than satisfy
my love for You
and my longing to be with You.
Awaken every eternal seed You have planted in my soul
so while I am yet rooted in this earth
something of heaven might blossom in my life...
(A prayer by Ken Gire from his book, Windows of the Soul, p. 52)
For Joints
Abba, Father,
thank you for elbows that bend,
shoulders that swivel,
knees that work,
knuckles that move,
wrists and ankles that turn,
neck and vertebrae and hips that function
just as they are supposed to,
without thought
and without pain.
It is no small thing
for which I give thanks.
Amen.
thank you for elbows that bend,
shoulders that swivel,
knees that work,
knuckles that move,
wrists and ankles that turn,
neck and vertebrae and hips that function
just as they are supposed to,
without thought
and without pain.
It is no small thing
for which I give thanks.
Amen.
Labor Day Prayer
O God, creator of the world,of sun and moon and stars,
you chose to fashion us, your own,
your handiwork of love.
Indeed, we are your hands’ own work
and yet into our hands
you give the care
of every living thing.
In more ways than we can count
our work builds up
or tears apart what came
as gift from you.
Keep us faithful in preserving
all you’ve given
lest we harm the smallest part
of all you’ve made.
Give us good and honest work to do
and rest at each day’s end.
Let a fair and good day’s wage be paid
for a good day’s work well done.
Give us work that nurtures and sustains
the ones who serve and those they serve.
Let those who labor work in peace,
in freedom, without fear.
Give those in need a job to do
and to the tired well earned rest.
Let all our work and toil, Lord,
give glory to your name.
Amen.
(from A Concord Pastor Comments)
Sunday Morning
Good morning, Abba!Thank you for another day,
another Sunday,
another resurrection morning,
another day of worship,
another opportunity to assemble
with your people in worship.
Please, make this a sacred day,
a day in which your Name is magnified,
your praise multiplied,
your glory manifested,
your heart made glad.
Meet your gathering servants.
Condescend to every waiting heart.
Make our hearts beat with devotion
that we may worship You in spirit and in truth.
Unite your people in heart and soul.
Be with us so we may receive the blessing
promised to all who sincerely pray to You and faithfully hear Your Word,
in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
A Prayer of Thomas à Kempis
make me one with You in eternal love.
Often I become weary with reading and hearing many things.
You are all I want and desire.
Let all teachers be mute and creation keep silence before You.
Speak to me, You, and You alone.
Amen.
(a prayer of Thomas à Kempis, from The Imitation of Christ)
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