Benedictus es, Domine

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers;
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.
Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you in the splendor of your temple;
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.
Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.
Glory to you, beholding the depths;
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.
Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

(from the apocryphal Song of the Three Young Men, vv. 29-34)

A Life That Will Satisfy

O Lord,
help me never to expect any happiness
from the world, but only in Thee.
Let me not think that I shall be more happy
by living to myself,
for I can only be happy if employed for Thee,
and if I desire to live in this world
only to do and suffer what Thou dost allot me.

Teach me
that if I do not live a life that satisfies Thee,
I shall not live a life that will satisfy myself.

Help me to desire the spirit and temper of angels
who willingly come down to this lower world
to perform Thy will,
though their desires are heavenly,
and not set in the least upon earthly things;
then I shall be of that temper I ought to have.

Help me not to think of living to Thee
in my own strength,
but always to look and rely on Thee
for assistance.

Teach me that there is no greater truth than this,
that I can do nothing of myself.
Lord, this is the life that no unconverted man
can live,
yet it is an end that every godly soul
presses after;

Let it be then my concern to devote myself
and all to Thee.
Make me more fruitful and more spiritual,
for barrenness is my daily affliction and load.
How precious is time, and how painful to see it fly
with little done to good purpose!

I need Thy help:
O may my soul sensibly depend upon Thee
for all sanctification,
and every accomplishment of Thy purposes
for me, for the world,
and for Thy kingdom.

(from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett; image by Fånga Images via unsplash.com)

I Bring to Thee My Heart to Fill

I bring to Thee my heart to fill;

I feel how weak I am, but still

To Thee for help I call.

In joy or grief to live or die,

For earth or Heaven, this is my cry:

Be thou my all in all.

I've little strength to call my own,

And what I've done before Thy Throne

I here confess, is small;

But on Thy strength, O God, I lean,

And through the Blood that makes me clean,

Thou art my all in all.

No tempest can my courage shake,

My love from Thee no pain can take,

No fear my heart appal;

And where I cannot see I'll trust,

For then I know Thou surely must

Be still my all in all.

(a hymn by Herbert Booth; illustration by kevsnaps27 via Unsplash.com)

Arise

 

Reign Over Me

Come, King of Grace, and fill me with your grace in this life, just as you will fill me in heaven with your eternal glory. Reign over me in the gracious kingdom of your Holy Spirit; yes, prepare your kingdom in me, which is justice, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Enlighten my heart, rule my life, and sanctify my thoughts so that they all may be reverent and pleasing to you. Surround me with your grace, that I may never be removed from it.

Come to me, Holy Trinity! Make me your dwelling and your temple. Spark in me the light of your knowledge, faith, hope, humility, patience, prayer, perseverance, and reverence. Amen.

(from Amish Prayers, compiled by Beverly Lewis)

Phos Hilaron

 

The Cambridge Chorale sings Owain Park's arrangement of the 1700-year-old Phos Hilaron (Hail, gladdening light):

Hail, gladdening Light, of His pure glory poured

Who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest,

Holiest of Holies, Jesus Christ our Lord!

Now we are come to the sun’s hour of rest;

The lights of evening round us shine;

We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine!

Worthiest art Thou at all times to be sung

With undefiled tongue,

Son of our God, Giver of life, alone:

Therefore in all the world Thy glories, Lord, they own.

The House of My Soul is Narrow

O Lord,

The house of my soul is narrow;

enlarge it that you may enter in.

It is ruinous, O repair it!

It displeases Your sight.

I confess it, I know.

But who shall cleanse it,

to whom shall I cry but to you?

Cleanse me from my secret faults, O Lord,

and spare Your servant from strange sins.

Amen.

(a prayer of St. Augustine; photo via unsplash.com by Max Zed) 

True Humility in Them

This prayer, abundantly answered for my children, I now pray once a month for my grandchildren (from the "31 Ways to Pray for Your Kids" app for iPhone and iPad, available exclusively via iTunes).

Doors to You

Every day I see again

that only you can teach me to pray,

only you can set my heart at rest.

Only you can let me dwell in your presence.

No book, no concept or theory

will ever bring me close to you

unless you yourself are the one

who lets them become the doors to you.

But Lord, let me at least remain open

to your initiative.

Let me wait patiently and attentively

for the hour when you will come

and break through the walls I have erected.

Create new doors.

Teach me, O Lord, to pray.

Amen.

(a prayer of Henri Nouwen; photo via unsplash.com in collaboration with Drazen Nesic)

Forgive My Prayers

0

Abba, Father,

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.

 

New Day

 

Expose and Depose

Lord God, there is so much hate and violence, 

so many lies, 

and so much corruption in this world, 

and so much of it

so well financed and organized. 

Expose it all, Lord. 

Depose the corrupt. 

Deliver us from evil, 

in Jesus' name, amen. 

(photo illustration by Will Porada via unsplash.com)

Happy Birthday, Robin

 

Abba, you have granted me the loveliest bride,

the perfect woman for me, and I am grateful.

Bless her abundantly, extravagantly, today, on her birthday.

As your beauty and grace lives in her and exudes from her,

let her feel your approval in every way

on this day and in all the days to come.

Smile on her. Rejoice over her. Thrill her and fill her

with the awareness of your pleasure

and the rich appreciation of her husband, family, and many friends, in Jesus' name, amen.

Ours and Yours

 

Mercy

Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Lord, have mercy on me, a husband.

Lord, have mercy on me, a father.

Lord, have mercy on me, a grandfather.

Lord, have mercy on me, a son.

Lord, have mercy on me, a brother.

Lord, have mercy on me, a writer.

Lord, have mercy on me, a friend.

Lord, have mercy on me, a man.

Lord, have mercy on me, your child.

(photo by Hassan Saleh via Unsplash.com)

Yet You Hold Me

I do nothing, I give you
nothing. Yet you hold me

minute by minute
from falling.
Lord, You provide.

(excerpt from "Psalm Fragments (Schnittke String Trio)," by Denise Levertov, The Stream and the Sapphire, p. 23).

Highest Good

God, You are the highest good of the reasonable creature, and the enjoyment of You is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied.

To go to heaven fully to enjoy You is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here.

Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows. But the enjoyment of You is the substance.

These are but scattered beams, but You are the sun.

These are but streams, but You are the fountain.

These are but drops, but You are the ocean.

Amen.

(from God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse by James Weldon Johnson, by way of the Daily Prayer blog)

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Respect

My prayer today for my kids and my grandkids, from the "31 Ways to Pray for Your Kids" app for iPhone and iPad.

Majestic

 

Breathe Into Me

Secure

 

To Overcome

Lord, please teach me
and teach my world
not to return evil for evil
but to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21),
darkness with light,
ugliness with beauty,
hatred with love,
anger with understanding,
grief with comfort,
frustration with faith,
and despair with hope,
in Jesus' strong name, amen.

America's Birthday

Lord my God,

I worship you today,

on this 248th 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 many 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 2024,

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.

(photo by Free-Photos via pixabay.com)

For Your Constancy and Perseverance

Abba, I give you praise today;
for your constancy and perseverance in all things,
from the rotation of the earth
to your faithfulness to me;
for your justice,
from your laws and decrees
to your discipline of me;
for your mercy,
from your care for the birds of the air
to your kind mercy toward me,
shown even now in the mercy of a new day,
of my latest breath.

I give you praise, Abba;
if I could praise you enough,
it would take all my breath for all of eternity,
and still would not be enough.

By the Wind of the Spirit

Lord God Adonai,
teach me please not to be blown around
on the waves of circumstances,
but to sail solely
by the wind
of the Spirit,
in Jesus' name, amen.

At Thy Feet

 

Mourning into Dancing

So Kind

 

Let the Morning

 

On the Scale

 

Lord, give me grace to accept the first reading on the bathroom scale each morning...

amen.

The Willingness and Ability to Work Hard

This prayer, abundantly answered for my children, I now pray once a month for my grandchildren (from the iPhone/iPad app, "31 Ways to Pray for Your Kids," available in the iTunes app store, here):

Hör Mein Bitten

Hear my prayer, O God, incline Thine ear!
Thyself from my petition do not hide.
Take heed to me! Hear how in prayer I mourn to Thee,
Without Thee all is dark, I have no guide.

The enemy shouteth, The godless come fast!
Iniquity, hatred, up on me they cast!
The wicked oppress me, Ah where shall I fly?
Perplexed and bewildered, O God, hear my cry!

My heart is sorely pained, within my breast,
my soul with deathly terror is oppressed,
trembling and fearfulness up on me fall,
with horror overwhelmed, Lord, hear me call.

O for the wings, for the wings of a dove!
Far away, far away would I rove!
In the wilderness build me a nest,
and remain there forever at rest."

(anthem for soprano solo, chorus and organ or orchestra written by Felix Mendelssohn in Germany in 1844. The text, originally in English, written by William Bartholomew, is derived from Psalm 55' image via pixabay.com)

Your Joy

 

Nearer

Hurry to Me

 

Summer with Me

I offer you these months, Lord,
my heart's July and August days...

Come summer with me, Lord;
summer deep down in my soul;
restore my faith in summer’s time,
in rest, in joy, in play, in you...

Summer in my heart, Lord,
and dwell there
as if time would never end,
as if all time were children's time, eternal time
when school is always out and joy is ever in…

And let others summer in my shade, Lord,
and share whatever summer’s peace is mine to give,
whatever summer’s light is mine to shed,
whatever summer's warmth is mine to share...

Good God of every season and every day this week,
come summer with me, Lord, and let the child in my heart
spend this summer in your love...

Amen.

(excerpted from a prayer on the Concord Pastor Comments blog)

Summer

Good morning, good God!

It’s summer, Lord:
the days are warm and the nights, too...

It’s a time to be grateful for the AC
everywhere, cooling to comfort
the places where we live and work
and play and rest and pray…

But some days, some nights,
I run from the heat,
from how the sun soaks in
and seeps its way through my pores,
through muscle to bone,
through bone to the marrow of my soul,
warming me through and through
until, from the inside out,
I’m baked in a light from light years away…

Draw me out from the shade and shadows
and warm me with your love
as with your summer sun...

Blaze a path into my soul:
pass through all that shields me
from the brilliance of your light,
the heat of your presence,
the burn of your desire…

Bake me in your love
until I sweat from every pore
the moist anointing of your presence…

Bathe me in the warmth of your grace
‘til I am burnished within and without
by your light touch…

Warm my heart’s desire for you, Lord,
and let no cool shade keep me from the peace
your heart burns to give…

I offer you my praise for summer days
when all creation warms to know
the light no darkness can extinguish...

And in the heat of the noonday sun
keep me mindful, Lord, of others
whose thirst I might quench,
whose shade I might provide...

So comes my prayer this morning, Lord,
as the sun rises to its noon day height
until it sets at this day's end, until tomorrow
when your sun will rise again,
upon a brand new day...

Amen.

(from A Concord Pastor Comments; photo by ralppie via unsplash.com)

Too Beautiful

God, I fear

You’ve made the World too beautiful this year.

(a prayer by Edna St. Vincent Millay; photo by Lynn McCane)

My New Book

 

Lord, it's release day for my new book! Look how beautiful it is! 

Please shower your favor on it. 

Let it be a blessing to many. 

Use it to make children smile 

and feel secure in the knowledge of your love

and the love of their families. 

Use it to draw families closer

and help adults express their hopes and dreams for the children they love, and turn those hopes and dreams into focused, purposeful prayers. 

Thank you for granting me the honor of writing it

and seeing it published...and, I hope, purchased, 

in Jesus' name, amen. 

O God, My Help

O God, my help in ages past,
My hope for years to come,
My shelter from the stormy blast,
And my eternal home.

Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And my defense is sure.

Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.

A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.

O God, my help in ages past,
My hope for years to come,
My shelter from the stormy blast,
And my eternal home.

O Lamb of God

Clasp

Lord, I would clasp your hand in mine,

And never murmur or repine,

Content, whatever lot I see,

Since it is your hand leading me.

(from the hymn, He Leadeth Me, by Joseph Henry Gilmore, slightly updated)

True Humanness

God forgive us
that we have imagined true humanness,
after the Enlightenment model,
to mean being successful,
having it all together,
knowing all the answers,
never making mistakes,
striding through the world as though we owned it

(a prayer of N. T. Wright, from The Challenge of Jesus, p. 193; photo by Amazos7 via pixabay.com).

Fearless as the Sun

Lord, I pray today
that I would be
"like the sun when it rises
in its strength" (Judges 5:31b).
May I bring light in a dark world;
may I show people the way.
Help me to bring warmth and energy,
and to be strong, bold and fearless as the sun.

(a prayer of @nickygumbel; photo via everystockphoto.com)

Apples of Gold

Father, let my speaking today

be like apples of gold 

in settings of silver, 

in Jesus' name, 

amen.

(based on Proverbs 25:11)

Desires

Dear God,

Sometimes my desires are so strong that they keep me from thinking straight. Like Samson in the Bible, I can become so obsessed with what I want that I forget to ask for your guidance and wisdom. Help me to know whether the objects of my desire are consistent with your will.

(an excerpt from the book, 365 Pocket Prayers, by Ron Beers)

On Miles's Birthday

Lord, the mind reels. 

The heart swells.

How is it even possible that my first grandchild, my oldest grandson, this young man after my own heart, Miles Jacob Hostetler, turns seventeen today?

Thank you for all you have made him to be:

healthy, strong, charming, sweet, sensitive, smart, wonderful.

Thank you for all you have given him:

caring, wise, attentive, loving parents,

a sister who loves him and even says so,

a family that loves to be around him and spend time with him,

an active and brilliant mind,

a fascination with bugs and beasts and birds,

and a warm home, good school, and lovely church.

Thank you that he's so great as to make missing him so hard.

Thank you that he's growing so fast and learning so much 

as to make me insanely jealous of those who get to watch it happen day by day and week by week.

Thank you that for the earliest years of his life I got to see him so often, almost daily at times.

And thank you that even with the physical distance between us, we still enjoy a closeness that brings tears to my eyes. 

Please bless him mightily on his birthday, and on every day that follows it.

Please shine on him, smile on him, and slather him with your favor.

Please preserve his sweetness even as he grows up.

Please give him a great summer this year, and a blessed rest-of-the-year.

Please grant that he may grow in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Give him backbone, confidence, solidity, centeredness, and a feeling of comfort in his own skin.

Please draw him and keep him close to you, 

grant his every need 

and make even his biggest, boldest dreams come true, 

in Jesus' name, amen.

You Deserve

Day of Travel

Father God, 

please grant me and the lovely Robin 

safe and successful travel today. 

Make smooth paths 

(and flight schedules) for our feet. 

Grant safe and timely travel to the airport. 

Help us to make our flights 

and safely reach our destination. 

Protect us from coach cabin and airport terminal infections. 

Guide our steps, 

guard our thoughts, 

and give us sweet communion with you and

pleasant interactions with others. 

Make us alert to any opportunity to be the means of blessing

to our fellow travelers,

or those who serve them,

in Jesus' name, amen.

Prayer for My Kids and Grandkids

Today's prayer from the "31 Ways to Pray for Your Kids" app for iPhone and iPad...and my prayer today for my kids and my grandkids.

I Come Quietly to Your Door

Gracious One, I come quietly to your door needing to receive from your hands the nourishment that gives life.

Amen and Amen.

(a prayer of Bernard of Clairvaux)

Good Morning, Lord

The sun is risen; 

Me too. Birds are on the wing. 

My spirit takes flight. 

(photo by Danish Upadhyay via unsplash.com)

Anniversary Prayer

O Lord God, 

with each passing year it becomes more amazing to me 

how long--

and how high and wide and deep--

you have blessed me with my bride, 

my wife, the lovely Robin:  

through forty-seven years of marriage, 

and fifty--FIFTY!--years as a couple.

Thank you for yet another year of life together.

Thank you, thank you for her faithful,

giving,

loving,

kind,

passionate,

sweet,

constant heart.

Thank you for all

the happiness we've known together;

the sorrows we've faced,

the struggles we've survived,

the children we raised,

and the grandchildren we've been so wonderfully given.

Thank you for our home, 

health,

laughter,

hopes and dreams,

our yet-unfinished plans,

and our small accomplishments.

Thank you that she has stuck with me, never wavering in her support.

Thank you that I can still make her laugh, usually.

Thank you that she grows more beautiful every day.

Thank you for all of her perfections,

and all of my improvements.

Spare us another year to walk together,

and grant that for us it may be true

that the best is yet to be,

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Las Vegas

 

Lord, 

isn't it strange that I live in Las Vegas? 

I would never have guessed. 

And yet here I am, and the lovely Robin. 

I love our comfy home here, 

our neighbors,

our church family, 

the hikes, 

and the trips to see our kids and grandkids.

Thank you for where we live, 

how we live, 

that we live, 

in Jesus' name, amen. 

(photo by julianpaefgen via unsplash.com)

Holy Forever

June

Thank you, God, that 

"There is no price set on the lavish summer, 

And June may be had by the poorest comer." 

(from "The Vision of Sir Launfal" by James Russell Lowell)

On This My Steadfast Soul Relies