in the
desert,
Lord,
please bring fruit
from
the
rocky
recesses
of my heart.
This Family
God,you have given me everythingin giving me this wife,this daughter,this son,this son-in-law,this daughter-in-law,these grandkids.Thank you.
Times and Seasons
Thank you, Lord, that the seasons of my lifehave included so many births, and so few deaths;more times to plant, than times of plucking up that which is planted;No times to kill, and many times to heal;infrequent times to break down, and frequent times to build up;Fewer times to weep than times to laugh;Fewer times to mourn than times to dance.Thank you for those times to cast away stones, and times of gathering stones together;thank you for times of embracing, and times to refrain from embracing;Thank you for so many times to get, and so few times to lose,so many times to keep, and so few times to cast away.Make me wise to recognize times to rend, and times to sew;times to keep silence, and times to speak;times to love, and times to hate;times of war, and times of peace,in Jesus' name, amen(based on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, KJV; photo via everystockphoto.com).
Just One Single Day
for today, just one single day,
you have given me grace to pray,
coffee to drink,
food to eat,
clothes to wear.
You allowed me
to wake in my own bed,
in health,
and in (mostly) my right mind.
I have hope of meaningful work,
innumerable comforts,
and a happy conclusion to this day.
By your grace, I can see, hear, touch, taste, feel.
By your grace, I know love and companionship.
By your grace, I have the means to buy, and abundance to give.
By your grace, I am forgiven and forgiving.
For this and more,
just one day's worth,
I give you my most heartfelt thanks!
Amen.
(photo by RachelScottYoga via pixabay.com)
Unquestioning Acceptance
please make me more like the birds and the lilies,
who (in Bonhoeffer's words) "glorify their Creator,
not by their industry, toil or care,
but by a daily
unquestioning
acceptance of his gifts."
(photo by Auzz33 via pixabay.com)
I Claim an Entrance
O God, if still the holy place
Is found of those in prayer,
By all the promises of grace
I claim an entrance there.
Give me a self-denying soul,
Enlarged and unconfined;
Abide within me, and control
The wanderings of the mind.
Give me the strength of faith that dares
To die to self each day,
That bravely takes the cross, nor cares
To find an easier way.
Help me to make more sacrifice,
To walk where Christ would lead,
That in my life He may arise
To hallow every deed.
Amen.
(a prayer of General Albert Orsborn of The Salvation Army)
That Hoping in Thee We May Do Good
O Lord, in Whom is our hope,remove far from us,we pray Thee,empty hopes and presumptuous confidence.Make our hearts so rightwith Thy most holy and loving heart,that hoping in Thee we may do good;until that daywhen faith and hope shall be abolishedby sight and possession,and love shall be all in all.Amen.(a prayer by Christina Rossetti; photo by Lars_Nissen via pixabay.com)
Flower and Sun
We are the flower, Thou the sun!
Forgive us if, as days decline,
We nearer steal to Thee....
(lines 7-9 of Emile Dickinson's "The Daisy Follows Soft the Sun";
photo illustration by Kathas_Fotos via pixabay.com)
On Veterans' Day
God of peace,
we pray for those
who have served our nation
and who laid down their lives
to protect and defend our freedom.
whose spirits and bodies
are scarred by war,
whose nights are haunted by memories
too painful for the light of day.
We pray for those who serve us now,
especially for those in harm's way:
shield them from danger
and bring them home.
Turn the hearts and minds
of our leaders and our enemies
to the work of justice and a harvest of peace.
Spare the poor, Lord, spare the poor!
May the peace you left us,
the peace you gave us,
be the peace that sustains,
the peace that saves us.
Christ Jesus, hear us!
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer!
Amen.
(from A Concord Pastor Comments blog; photo by KaraSuva via pixabay.com)
Quietness and Confidence
you said,
"In quietness and confidence
is your strength"
(Isaiah 30:15, NLT).
Make it so in me.
Help me to prove it, here and now,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Help me to prove it, here and now,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Kyrie
Lord, King and Father unbegotten, True Essence of the Godhead,
have mercy on me.
Lord, Fount of light and Creator of all things,
have mercy on me.
Lord, Thou who hast signed me with the seal of Thine image,
have mercy on me.
Christ, True God and True Man,
have mercy on me.
Christ, Rising Sun, through whom are all things,
have mercy on me.
Christ, Perfection of Wisdom,
have mercy on me.
Lord, vivifying Spirit and power of life,
have mercy on me.
Lord, Breath of the Father and the Son, in Whom are all things,
have mercy on me.
Lord, Purger of sin and Almoner of grace,
I beseech Thee abandon me not because of my sins,
O Consoler of the sorrowing soul,
have mercy on me.
Amen.
(photo by jplenio via pixabay.com)
Post-Election-Day Prayer
wisdom and power are yours.
You change times and seasons;
you depose kings and raise up others.
You give wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
You reveal deep and hidden things;
you know what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with you.
Praise be to your name, God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
(based on Daniel 2:20-22; photo via Pixabay.com)
Election Day Prayer
I pray for every candidate for every office, and the people who love them: God, be merciful to them and bless them; look on them with kindness (Psalm 67:1), whether they win or lose, and accomplish what is best for them, their loved ones, and their constituents.
I pray Isaiah 11:2 for every voter: Holy Spirit, speak to every person who votes in this election. Send the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD on everyone who casts a ballot.
I pray for justice to roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream, through my neighborhood, city, state, and nation (Amos 5:24).
I pray for your people to participate in this election and respond to the results not in a spirit of fear and timidity, but in a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).
As Jesus prayed, I ask for your will rather than mine (Matthew 26:39). Dispel suspicion and hatred, heal divisions, repair the damage to and by your church, and restore the unity of our nation.
And, finally, Father, I ask for the faith to see your hand in the results of this election, even as I remember those people around the world who have no voice and no vote. Let my reaction to this election reveal my faith in You and my awareness of my privilege and responsibility as a citizen, in Jesus’ name, amen.
On All Saints' Day
you have knit together your elect
in one communion and fellowship
in the mystical body
of Your Son, Christ our Lord,
and kindled the flame of your love
in the hearts of the saints.
I praise you for the holy men and women
you have raised up
in every time and place.
Give me grace so to follow their example
in devotion and godliness
that I may come
to those ineffable joys
that you have prepared for those
who unfeignedly love you,
through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
(updated and modernized from the Catholic Liturgy of the Hours, the Gothic Missal, and The Book of Common Prayer, 1979)
On All Hallows' Eve
From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!
(Traditional Scottish prayer)
A Prayer of Columba of Iona
Be thou a guiding star above me,
Be thou a smooth path below me,
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me,
Today - tonight - and for ever.
(a prayer of Columba of Iona;
illustration by Comfreak via pixabay.com)
Just Like Jeremiah
Lord God Adonai, by your great grace
make me, like Jeremiah,
"a fortified city, an iron pillar, bronze walls,"
in Jesus' name, amen.
(based on Jeremiah 1:18)
Pity My Unsettled Soul
Jesus, Shepherd of the sheep,
Pity my unsettled soul;
Guide and nourish me and keep,
Till Thy love shall make me whole.
Give me perfect soundness, give;
Make me steadfastly believe.
I am never at one stay,
Changing every hour I am;
But Thou art, as yesterday,
Now and evermore the same.
Constancy to me impart,
Stablish with Thy Grace my heart.
Give me faith to hold me up,
Walking over life's rough sea;
Holy, purifying hope,
Still my soul's sure anchor be.
That I may be always Thine,
Perfect me in love divine.
(a prayer of Charles Wesley)
The Spring of All My Blessings
To Thee my all I owe;
Thy constant goodness is the spring
Whence all my blessings flow.
The creature of Thy hand,
On Thee alone I live;
Thy countless benefits demand
More praise than I can give.
O let Thy grace inspire
My soul with strength divine!
Let all my powers to Thee aspire,
And all my days be Thine.
(a hymn by Anne Steele)
Get Up Son
in my sleep
I want to go to bed
and be awakened
by you
saying
Get up son
it's the first day of school
the beginning of your new job
the dawn of eternity.
Here are your clothes.
Your older brother
wore them first
now they're yours
forever
white and fresh and clean
smelling of heaven.
(from Joseph Bayly's Psalms of My Life; sponsored link)
Cast
Lord, I cast all my cares upon you.
I lay all of my burdens down at your feet.
And even though I don't know what to do,
I just cast all my cares upon you.
All-in-All
Be thou my wisdom
and my righteousness.
Be thou my peace, my wholeness, my Shalom.
Be thou my kindness and grace,
my health and rest,
my light and salvation.
Be my joy,
my everything,
my all-in-all,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Godspeed
Lord, I know there are millions of travelers on the roads and rails, on the seas and in the skies today,
and you love and care for them all.
But please keep a watchful eye on me,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Eternity Within
(a prayer of John Baillie in A Diary of Private Prayer; photo by EvgeniT via pixabay.com)
Possessions
for the things I don't possess:
fancy cars,
expensive clothes,
a boat,
a plane,
a jet ski,
a second mortgage,
a divorce settlement,
an alimony payment,
a bodyguard,
a fence around my property.
Thank you also, Lord,
for the things that don't possess ME:
drugs or alcohol,
guilt or shame,
a need to maintain a certain lifestyle
or a desire to keep up appearances.
Thank you that I am not afflicted
with wealth,
fame,
or beauty,
in Jesus' name, amen.
(photo by BarbaraBonanno via pixabay.com)
Generosity
My prayer today for my kids and my grandkids, from the "31 Ways to Pray for Your Kids" app for iPhone and iPad:
On My Favorite Daughter's Birthday
It's my favorite daughter's birthday, Lord.
I still can't fathom,
can't even process,
that she is all she is.
I'm still and always amazed
at how kindly, fully, and generously
you've answered my prayers
and her mother's prayers
for her.
You have made her faithful like Ruth and regal like Esther,
fierce like Deborah and brilliant like Abigail,
industrious like Lydia and a leader like Junia.
I give you so much praise and thanks
for my only daughter,
my firstborn, my Blossom;
for the child you gave me,
the woman she is,
the love we share,
the pride and joy I feel in her,
the blessings you've given her,
and the blessings you've given me through her.
Please bless her abundantly today
and in all the days to come.
Keep her safe and well.
Keep her marriage strong and beautiful.
Prosper her and her husband,
answer their prayers,
supply their needs,
fulfill their dreams.
Let her children continue to grow in happiness, health, and holiness.
Reward Aubrey's love and faithfulness and diligence as a mom
with beauty and grace,
charm and wisdom,
health and wholeness,
integrity and strength in each of her children
as you have done for me in mine.
Show her every kindness,
grant her your favor,
use her,
bless her,
hold her,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Working in Me?
Dear Lord, in the midst of much inner turmoil and restlessness, there is a consoling thought: maybe you are working in me in a way I cannot yet feel, experience, or understand. My mind is not able to concentrate on you, my heart is not able to remain centered, and it seems as if you are absent and have left me alone. But in faith I cling to you. I believe that your Spirit reaches deeper and further than my mind or heart, and that profound movements are not the first to be noticed.
Therefore, Lord, I promise I will not run away, not give up, not stop praying, even when it all seems useless, pointless, and a waste of time and effort. I want to let you know that I love you even though I do not feel loved by you, and that I hope in you even though I often experience despair. Let this be a little dying I can do with you and for you as a way of experiencing some solidarity with the millions in this world who suffer far more than I do. Amen.
(a prayer by Henri Nouwen, from A Cry for Mercy; photo by Talie79 via pixabay.com)
For Thy Royal Bounty
Thou fairest, greatest,
first of all objects,
my heart admires,
adores,
loves thee,
for my little vessel
is as full as it can be,
and I would pour out
all that fullness before thee
in ceaseless flow.
When I think upon and converse with thee
ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,
ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,
ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,
crowding into every moment of happiness.
I bless thee for the soul thou hast created,
for adorning it, for sanctifying it,
though it is fixed in barren soil;
for the body thou hast given me,
for preserving its strength and vigour,
for providing senses to enjoy delights,
for the ease and freedom of my limbs,
for hands, eyes, ears that do thy bidding;
for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,
for a full table and overflowing cup,
for appetite, taste, sweetness,
for social joys of relatives and friends,
for ability to serve others,
for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,
for a mind to care for my fellow-men,
for opportunities of spreading happiness around,
for loved ones in the joys of heaven,
for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.
I love thee above the powers of language to express,
for what thou art to thy creatures.
Increase my love, O my God,
through time and eternity.
(from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett)
I Would Learn from You
Train me.
Teach me.
Amen.
(a prayer of Samuel Logan Brengle, in his book, Ancient Prophets)
Make Them Lovers of Your Word
(today's prayer for my children and grandchildren from the iPhone/iPad app, "31 Ways to Pray for Your Kids," available in the iTunes app store, here)
A Writer's Hymn
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my keyboard, and my screen; my desk and office chair,
My pages, sentences, and words, my flittings here and there,
My focus and my flow, my pacings up and down,
My insecurities and fears, my grins, my groans, my frowns.
Let every bit be used by you, the good, the bad, and ugly too.
Make me better than I know to be, by being yours while being me,
Let every word I type be true by coming first and most from you.
Suggest, revise, inform, inspire, and take my writing higher and higher.
Take my fingertips, let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
(based on and drawing from a hymn by Francis Ridley Havergal)
The Shehecheyanu Blessing
Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam
shehecheyanu v'kiyimanu v'higi'anu laz'man hazeh (Amein).
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe
who has kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season (Amen).
(one of the prayers recited on the first two nights of Sukkot; illustration by @tomert via Dreamstime.com)
Who Is Like You?
You are the light of those who are spiritually lost.
You are the life of those who are spiritually dead.
You are the liberation of those who are imprisoned by guilt.
You are the glory of those who hate themselves.
You are the guardian of those who are paralyzed by fear.
You are the guide of those who are bewildered by falsehood.
You are the peace of those who are in turmoil.
You are the prince of those who yearn to be led.
You are the priest of those who seek the truth.
(a prayer by Johann Freylinghausen; image via pixabay.com)
Sensate
I give you thanks today, Lord God, Adonai;
I give you thanks for the day,
for the gift of waking,
the grace of breathing,
for the bounty of breaths I will draw
and thoughts I will think,
words I will exchange,
and work I will do.
Thank you for every moment of safety I will enjoy,
for every bite of nourishment,
every taste of pleasure.
Thank you for every moment of sight,
for the grace of seeing,
the privilege of gazing on my wife, my children, my grandchildren, my friends,
and the thousands of objects and images my eyes will see today.
Thank you for the sounds I will hear,
the grace of hearing,
the blessing of lover's voice and music and speech
and even the cacophony of traffic and machinery.
Thank you, Father, for all your kindnesses to me,
which daily go unmarked,
unthanked,
unappreciated.
Make me more mindful of the thousands of graces
you bestow on me today,
and make me glad to be alive, and sensate,
and able to enjoy so much.
Grant me to enjoy even the least enjoyable,
remembering that the sense to taste bitter
as well as sweet
is a grace as well,
in Jesus' name, amen.
(photo by DreamPixer via pixabay.com)
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