Thank you, Lord,
that the task ahead of me
is never as great
as the power behind me.
Amen.
(photo by markkoenig via Unsplash.com)
Fill
I lift it up, Lord.
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul.
Bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more.
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole.
(photo by anitapeppers via morguefile)
Jacob's Prayer, Slightly Revised
I will not let you go, so you might as well bless me.
(based on Genesis 32:26)
Change the Pressure Rating
This cardboard boxLord
see it says
Bursting limit
100 lbs. per square inch.
The box maker knew
how much strain
the box would take
what weight
would crush it.
You are wiser
than the box maker
maker of my spirit
my mind
my body.
Does the box know
when pressure increases close to
the limit?
No
It knows nothing.
But I know
when my breaking point
Is near.
And so I pray
Maker of my soul
Determiner of the pressure
within
upon
me
Stop it
lest I be broken
Or else
change the pressure rating
of this fragile container
of your grace
so that I may bear more.
(A prayer of Joseph Bayly from Psalms of My LIfe)
That I Can Proclaim Your Word
that I can proclaim your Word!
What an honor.
What a joy.
You dwell with the lowly
and visit those who tremble at Your Word.
Anoint me with lowliness.
Fill me with trembling.
Come upon me in spirit and truth.
Overshadow me with your Spirit.
All my springs are in you, Lord.
Flow from me
for the salvation of souls
and for the blessing,
admonition,
and upbuilding of your people,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Drown Me in You
let me enter fully into you and into your presence,
your fellowship,
your infinite sufficiency.
I take you, Lord, as my all.
I take you as my ENOUGH.
I take you as my sufficiency.
Please rid me of all but you.
Cleanse me of all that is not of you.
Give me you.
Fill me with you.
Drown me in you.
Amen.
(photo by timmarshall at Unsplash.com)
Perfume My Feeble Breathings
O God of grace,I bewail my cold,
listless,
heartless prayers;
their poverty adds sin to my sin.
If my hope were in them
I should be undone,
But the worth of Jesus perfumes my feeble breathings,
and wins their acceptance.
Deepen my contrition of heart,
Confirm my faith in the blood that washes from all sin.
May I walk lovingly with my great Redeemer.
Flood my soul with true repentance
that my heart may be broken for sin and unto sin.
Let me be as slow to forgive myself
as thou art ready to forgive me.
Gazing on the glories of thy grace
may I be cast into the lowest depths of shame.
and walk with downcast head now thou art pacified towards me.
O my great High Priest,
pour down upon me streams of needful grace,
bless me in all my undertakings,
in every thought of my mind,
every word of my lips,
every step of my feet,
every deed of my hands.
Thou didst live to bless,
die to bless,
rise to bless,
ascend to bless,
take thy throne to bless,
and now thou dost reign to bless.
O give sincerity to my desires,
earnestness to my supplications,
fervour to my love.
(from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett)
From an Errant Child
Lord, forgive me that when life’s circumstances
lift me to the crest of the wave,
I tend to forget Thee.
Yet, like an errant child,
I have blamed Thee
with my every failure,
even as I credit myself
with every success.
When my fears evaporate like the morning mist,
then vainly I imagine that I am sufficient unto myself,
that material resources and human resources are enough.
I need Thee when the sun shines,
lest I forget the storm and the dark.
I need Thee when I am popular,
when my friends and those who work beside me
approve and compliment me.
I need Thee more then, lest my head begin to swell.
O God, forgive me for my stupidity,
my blindness in success,
my lack of trust in Thee.
Be Thou now my Savior in success.
Save me from conceit.
Save me from pettiness.
Save me from myself!
And take this success, I pray, and use it for Thy glory. In Thy strength, I pray.
Amen.
(a prayer by Peter Marshall)
That We May Be Children of Light
Our loving Father, from Thy hand have come all the days of the past. To Thee we look for whatever good the future holds. We are not satisfied with the world as we have found it. It is too little the kingdom of God as yet. Grant us the privilege of a part in its regeneration. We are looking for a new earth in which dwells righteousness. It is our prayer that we may be children of light, the kind of people whose coming and ministry the world is waiting. Amen. (from the Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project, "Prayers" section)
Lift My Vision
you are high and lifted up,
the lofty One who inhabits eternity
and yet is not contained by it.
Lift my vision of you, Lord.
Let me always see you,
grasp you,
attain you as a fact,
not merely as a concept,
an idea,
or an ideal.
Fine-tune my heart and mind
to truly sing your praises aright,
in Jesus' name, amen.
(photo by jcorl via Unsplash.com)
Sparrow Prayer
Abba, you are watchful and mindful when a sparrow falls;
catch and cushion your children...
let your everlasting arms shield and strengthen and support us all,
in Jesus' name, amen.
(photo via pixabay.com)
Change the Gears Within Me
I say that I believe in you, yet I doubt your promises.
I say that in God I trust, yet I worry and try to manage my own affairs.
I say that I love you, O Lord, and yet I do not obey you.
I say that you have the answers to all my problems, and yet I am slow to consult you.
Forgive me, Lord, for my lack of faith and the willful pride that ignores the way, the truth, and the life.
Please reach down and change the gears within me that I may go forward with you, amen.
(a prayer of Peter Marshall, slightly revised; photo via pixabay.com)
Sands
“Lord, let me find my life in You, and not in the shifting sands of this world's favor or gain.”
(a prayer by Charles Haddon Spurgeon)
Only Wise God
I give praise to you, my Father, "the only wise God [my] Saviour" (Jude 1:25).
You are all wise,
only wise,
infinitely wise.
You are wise in creating,
wise in sustaining,
wise in inspiring,
wise in guiding,
wise in saving,
wise in correcting.
You are wise in all you think,
all you say,
and all you do.
You are wise,
only wise,
and all wise.
May all glory and majesty, dominion and power, be yours both now and ever, amen.
(photo via pixabay.com)
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