For Mia's Birthday
my amazing, wonderful granddaughter, Mia, is.
Please watch over her, especially today on her 16th birthday.
Bless and guide her wherever she is,
everywhere she goes,
keeping her as lovely and kind as she is today
even as you increase her in wisdom, learning, and skill.
Continue to make her strong in faith and conduct.
Comfort her when she's sad or discouraged.
Lift her when she stumbles.
Continue to surround her with friends and family
who respect, value, and love her.
And may the peace that passes understanding
and joy unspeakable
fill her heart and her days,
both now and ever more,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Beauty, Delight, and Joy
O my God, if Thy creations are so full of beauty, delight and joy, how infinitely more full of beauty, delight and joy art Thou Thyself, Creator of all!
(a prayer of Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain)
Gentle Rain
Almighty God my King,please let me feel
the warmth of your smile
on all I do today;
let your favor refresh my heart
like a gentle rain. Amen.
(based on Proverbs 16:15)
An Eighth Century Prayer
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance,
now and always:
Thou and Thou only,
first in my heart,
High King of heaven,
my Treasure Thou art.
(Author unknown, 8th Century; translated from ancient Irish to English by Mary E. Byrne, in “Eriú,” Journal of the School of Irish Learning, 1905)
Valentine
floating from a sun-filled sky,
draping airy-white on flowered fields,
Your love astonished me.
No frilly show,
no assorted-chocolate pledge,
no candy hearts or silver kisses
disclosed your care for me;
But unsparing,
cross-bearing,
thorn-wearing love
that opened hands and feet and side
to spill your heart for me,
To recreate,
inundate my longing soul
with giving, holding, accepting,
enfolding love for me.
(photo by stux via pixabay.com)
Lord, Lay Some Soul Upon My Heart
And love that soul through me;
And may I bravely do my part
To win that soul for Thee.
Nina
Lord, thank you for the wonderful wife you gave to my son,
the mother you gave to my grandchildren Miles and Mia,
the daughter-in-law you gave to me and Robin,
the blessing you gave this world in bringing Nina into it.
Grant that she may rest in the knowledge that she is loved,
she is yours,
she is enough,
she is blessed and a blessing.
Shower on her every blessing today on her birthday
and every day that is to come,
in Jesus' name, amen.
The Cause of Your Journey
Remember, merciful Jesu,
that I am the cause of your journey.
(a prayer from Mozart's Requiem)
I Am Desired to Preach Today
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)
I Love You As
I love you, Lord, with all my heart.
I love you as a child loves a perfect father.
I love you as a slave loves his redeemer.
I love you as a near-victim loves the rescuer,
as an orphan the adopter,
as a wanderer the guide,
as a student the teacher,
as a lover the beloved.
Grant that today
I may love you even more,
in Jesus' name, amen.
(photo by Janosch Diggelmann via Unsplash.com)
For That Great Love
I have not much to give Thee, Lord,
For that great love which made Thee mine;
I have not much to give Thee, Lord,
But all I have is Thine.
(a prayer from a song by Richard Slater; photo by jontyson via Unsplash.com)
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)
For My Sins, Which are Many and Manifold
Framer of the world,
I set thee, Lord, before me,
and unto Thee do I lift up my soul.
I worship Thee on my knees,
and humble myself under Thy mighty hand.
I stretch forth my hands unto Thee:
my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty land.
I smite upon my breast,
and say, with the publican,
God be merciful to me a sinner,
the chief of sinners;
to the sinner above the publican
be merciful, as to the publican.
Father of mercies, I beseech Thy fatherly pity,
despise me not,
an unclean worm, a dead dog, a body of death;
despise not Thou the work of Thine own hands;
despise not Thine own image,
though bearing the brands of sin.
Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean.
Lord, speak the word only, and I shall be healed.
And Thou, my Saviour Christ,
Christ my Saviour,
Saviour of sinners, of whom I am chief,
despise me not; despise me not, O Lord,
who am purchased with Thy blood,
called by Thy name;
but look on me with those eyes
with which Thou didst look upon
Magdalene at the feast,
Peter in the hall,
the thief on the cross:
that with the thief I may entreat Thee humbly,
Lord, remember me when Thou comest
into Thy kingdom;
that with Peter I may weep bitterly and say,
O that mine eyes were a fountain of tears,
that I might weep day and night;
that with Magdalene I may hear Thee say,
Thy sins are forgiven thee,
and with her may love much,
for my sins, which are many and manifold,
are forgiven.
And Thou, all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit,
despise me not, Thy breath,
despise not Thine own holy things;
but return, O Lord; how long?
and let it repent Thee concerning Thy servant.
(a prayer of Lancelot Andrewes, from Lancelot Andrewes and His Private Devotions)
Task
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)
Friend
What a friend I have in you, Jesus,
all my sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
everything to you in prayer!
O what peace I often forfeit,
O what needless pain I bear,
when I fail to carry
everything to you in prayer.
(from a hymn by Joseph M. Scriven, somewhat revised; photo by amaury_guti via Unsplash.com)
More Than Solomon
my body creaks and my hair is awful gray,
but Solomon in all his glory
didn't have the health and comfort I enjoy.
And the one wife I have
(compared to his 700 wives)
is more than I can handle,
but Solomon in all his glory
didn't have the lovely Robin to call his own,
his one,
his only.
And these children and grandchildren of mine--
Solomon in all his glory
could not have been happier or prouder or fuller than me.
And this home is no palace, for sure,
but Solomon in all his glory
didn't have his needs met, his comfort regulated, like this.
And I don't have all the books I'd like to have,
nor the time I'd love to read them,
but Solomon in all his glory
didn't have access to the volumes of truth and beauty I have at my fingertips.
And, sure, I have to carefully watch what I eat for the sake of my health and my weight,
but Solomon in all his glory
didn't have coffee every morning, donuts every so often, and fruit year-round.
And most of all, of course, though I am a fitful follower and a poor servant,
yet Solomon in all his glory
didn't know what it is to be rescued from the domain of darkness,
transferred to the kingdom of God's beloved Son,
in whom I have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
So thank you, Lord,
thank you,
that Solomon in all his glory
was not blessed like this.
My Soul's Horizons
O Lord, you are the God of the early mornings,
the God of the late nights,
the God of the mountain peaks,
and the God of the sea.
But, my God, my soul has horizons further away than those of early mornings,
deeper darkness than the nights of earth,
higher peaks than any mountain peaks,
greater depths than any sea in nature.
You who are the God of all these,
be my God.
I cannot reach to the heights or to the depths;
there are motives I cannot discover,
dreams I cannot realize.
My God, search me.
(a prayer of Oswald Chambers, from My Utmost for His Highest (updated edition), January 9 selection).
Who Shaped the Mountains
Lord God Almighty, I praise you because you are the one who shaped the mountains, stirs up the winds, and reveals your every thought. You turn the light of dawn into darkness and tread the mountains under your feet.(based on Amos 4:13)
Sweep Away My Clutter
God of compassion,
God of forgiveness,
I need your presence.
Great Physician, I need healing.
I am spiritually lukewarm
and unbelief mars my confidence
in trusting you--
brokenness and repeated failures
occupy my attention.
It astounds me that I continually try to battle life's issues on my own.
Sin makes me forget you.
Too long I have neglected the closet of prayer...
Too long I have forsaken the refreshment of your Word...
The cobwebs of indifference and the dust of life's cares choke my soul.
Broken relationships and shattered trust have prevented the health and healing of your Word.
But now--this moment,
I turn from absenteeism to the mercy seat.
I praise you for permission to approach the throne of grace.
Here, I pour out my confession of sin:
neglect,
pride,
willfulness,
arrogance,
self-sufficiency,
foolishly questioning your providence.
Divinely sweep away my soul's clutter.
Pour down upon me streams of needful grace.
Engage my heart to live more faithfully for you.
Your presence alone can make me holy,
devout,
strong,
happy.
I praise you for forgiveness--
real,
comprehensive,
enabling.
Accomplish in me your eternal purposes, through Jesus Christ, my only hope, my only Savior.
("Prayer Number Thirty-Seven" from A Pastor Prays for His People (A Collection of Wise and Loving Prayers to Help You through Life's Journey) by pastor Dr. Wendell C. Hawley; photo by MabelAmber via pixabay.com)
Epiphany
Almighty and everlasting God, who has made known the incarnation of your Son by the bright shining of a star, which, when the wise men beheld, they presented costly gifts and adored your majesty; grant that the star of your righteousness may always shine into our hearts; and that, as our treasure, we may give ourselves and all we possess to your service, through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
(from the Gelasian Sacramentary; image by Pancho_2323chivas via pixabay.com)
For Kevin
Lord, thank you for my son-in-law, Kevin.
Thank you that my daughter found him.
Thank you for the man he is,
the husband,
the father,
the friend,
and son.
Thank you that he loves well,
laughs often,
works hard,
fixes stuff,
and makes life better for those around him.
Thank you that he's a Reds' fan (as are all good people).
Please bless him today on his birthday,
and every day,
with health and favor, happiness and joy.
Draw him close to you,
keep him safe on his commute (and in his home improvement jobs),
and give him every blessing, today and every day,
in Jesus' name, amen.
On the Unknown Waters of This New Year
Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed in thy presence, in thy service, to thy glory.
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
but may rely on thy Spirit,
to supply every thought,
speak in every word,
direct every step,
prosper every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire
to show forth thy praise,
testify thy love,
advance thy kingdom.
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with thee, O Father, as my harbour,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
thee O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to thy calls,
my heart full of love,
my soul free.
Give me grace to sanctify me,
thy comforts to cheer,
thy wisdom to watch,
thy right hand to guide,
thy counsel to instruct,
thy law to judge,
thy presence to stabilize.
May thy fear be my awe,
thy triumphs my joy.
(from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett)
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