O Key of David
O Key of David,
O royal power of Israel,
controlling at your will the gate of heaven:
come, break down the prison walls of death
for those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death;
and lead your captive people into freedom.
Amen.
O Root of Jesse
O Flower of Jesse’s stem,
you have been raised up
as a sign for all peoples;
kings stand silent in your presence;
the nations bow down in worship before you.
Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.
Amen.
O Adonai
O sacred Lord of ancient Israel,
who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,
who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:
come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free. Amen.
O Wisdom
O Wisdom,
coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other mightily,
and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence.
Amen.
How
Lord, how am I supposed to do this?
How live so far away?
How see them so seldom?
How hold them so fleetingly?
How?
Generosity
My prayer today (a great prayer for Advent) for my kids and my grandkids, from the "31 Ways to Pray for Your Kids" app for iPhone and iPad:
Come
come to me, a poor sinner.
Come, Lord Jesus,
come anew to my heart.
Come, Holy Spirit,
fall afresh on me.
Amen.
Can I?
Can I have the things I pray for?
God, you know best;
You are wiser than your children,
Therefore, I can rest.
God, you know best;
You are wiser than your children,
Therefore, I can rest.
O Come
(from the annual Christmas extravaganza, Awaited, created and hosted by Crossroads Community Church)
For a Godly Self-Esteem
My prayer today for my kids and my grandkids, from the "31 Ways to Pray for Your Kids" app for iPhone and iPad:
Tiptoe
Lord Jesus, the day of your nativity approaches,
the day on which we commemorate
your birth,
your condescension,
your humble incarnation.
Please help me and mine
to approach that day on tiptoe,
with reverence and awe,
mindful of your holiness and beauty,
and grateful for the privilege
of finding
and approaching
and kneeling at
your manger, amen.
Nevertheless
(a prayer from The Imitation of Christ: Classic Devotions in Today's Language by Thomas à Kempis, compiled and edited by James N. Watkins)
O Come
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Ese Oluwa
Eshe Oluwa, Eshe Baba o (We thank you Lord, we thank you Father)
Eshe Oluwa, Awadupe baba (We thank you Lord, we are thankful Father)
You gave me shelter when I have no other
You made a way when there’as no way
You turn my darkness into light
Awadupe Baba (We are thankful Father)
You put food on my table Daddy
You comfort me when I was lost
Who can be compared unto you
Awadupe Baba (We are thankful Father)
Awadupe baba o, Awadupe baba (We are thankful Father)
Awadupe eledumare, Awadupe baba (We are thankful Father)
Eshe Oluwa, Eshe Baba o (We thank you Lord, we thank you Father)
Eshe Oluwa, Awadupe baba (We thank you Lord, we are thankful Father)
(In Pidgin)
Baba way, Baba way dey for heaven now oh (Father, you are the Heavenly Father)
We go praise you now Eee (We will praise you)
We go praise you papa ( We will praise you Father)
Nativity Prayer
Because it brings joy to all humanity.
Old people and infants alike enjoy Your day.
Your day is celebrated from generation to generation.
Kings and emperors may pass away,
And the festivals to commemorate them soon lapse.
But Your festival will be remembered until the end of time.
Your day is a means and a pledge of peace.
At Your birth heaven and earth were reconciled,
Since You came from heaven to earth on that day
You forgave our sins and wiped away our guilt.
You gave us so many gifts on the day of your birth:
A treasure chest of spiritual medicines for the sick;
Spiritual light for the blind;
The cup of salvation for the thirsty;
The bread of life for the hungry.
In the winter when trees are bare,
You give us the most succulent spiritual fruit.
In the frost when the earth is barren,
You bring new hope to our souls.
In December when seeds are hidden in the soil,
The staff of life springs forth from the virgin womb.
(a prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, from the new book We Hear the Angels, by JoAnn Streeter Shade; illustration is from the facing page in the book)
The Refreshment of Prayer
Spent in Thy presence will prevail to make;
What heavy burdens from our bosoms take,
What parched fields refresh as with a shower.
We kneel, and all around us seems to lower;
We rise, and all, the distant and the near,
Stands forth in sunny outline, brave and clear;
We kneel how weak; we rise how full of power!
Why should we ever weak or heartless be,
Why are we ever overborne with care,
Anxious or troubled, when with us is prayer,
And joy, and strength, and courage are with Thee?
(a prayer of Richard Trent, by way of Leonard Sweet's Facebook page; image via everystockphoto.com)
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