For Mia's Birthday

Lord, what a blessing

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.

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)

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)

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)

As a Child

Lord, help me to receive your kingdom--daily--as a little child. Amen.

That I Can Proclaim Your Word

Lord God, what a marvel,

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

Oh, Lord, by your gracious and blessed salvation,

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)

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)

Overflowing with Thankfulness

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

Help Me Keep My Eyes on You

Dear Lord, help me keep my eyes on you.
You are the incarnation of Divine Love,
you are the expression of God's infinite compassion,
you are the visible manifestation of the Father's holiness.
You are beauty, goodness, gentless,
forgiveness, and mercy.
In you all can be found.
Outside of you nothing can be found.
Why should I look elsewhere or go elsewhere?
You have the words of eternal life,
you are food and drink,
you are the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
You are the light that shines in the darkness,
the lamp on the lamp stand,
the house on the hilltop.
You are the perfect Icon of God.
In and through you I can see the Heavenly Father,
and with you I can find my way to him.
O Holy One, Beautiful One, Glorious One,
be my Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Guide,
my Consoler, my Comforter, my Hope, my Joy, and my Peace.
To you I want to give all that I am.
Let me be generous, not stingy or hesitant.
Let me give you all--
all I have, think, do and feel.
It is yours, O Lord.
Please accept it and make it fully your own.
Amen.

(a prayer of Henri Nouwen, from A Cry for Mercy)

On 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.

If You Plan to Bless Me

Lord God Adonai,

if you plan to bless me--
and I know you do--
then no devil's strategy
and no man's scheme
can thwart you!

So bless me, Lord.
Bless me,
bless my wife,
bless my family,
bless my children,
my grandchildren,
my home, 
my body,
my writing,
speaking, 
earning,
spending,
sleeping,
eating, 
thinking,
feeling,
dreaming,
praying, 
worshiping, 
serving,  
and more,
in Jesus' name, amen.

(photo by Cantos via Unsplash.com)

The Joys of the Secret Place

Gracious, loving Father
who sees and hears in secret,
disclose to me the joys of the secret place.
Teach me to pray there,
and stay there,
and go again from there in confidence.
Grant me the rewards of the secret place,
first and foremost, the knowledge that I have been with you,
and you have met with me,
in Jesus’ name, amen.

(from The Red Letter Prayer Life, p. 32; photo by "tinyfroglet" via everystockphoto.com)

Forgive Us Our Debts

Forgive us our debts. Literally.
Forgive the things I've charged or financed
to assuage my desires
instead of waiting,
instead of saving,
instead of giving.
Forgive the money I've wasted
on impulse purchases,
interest payments,
and fees and penalties.
Forgive the consumer mentality
that makes me buy now,
pay later,
pay more in the long run.
Teach me to wait,
to save,
to resist temptation,
in Jesus' name, amen.

(photo by Chance Agrella via freerangestock.com)

Grit

God, make me a man with "grit" in me;
a man who,
when he knows a thing to be right,
will not turn away, or turn aside, or stop;
a man who will persevere all the more
because there are difficulties to meet
or foes to encounter;
who will stand all the more true to my Master
because I am opposed;
who, the more I am thrust into the fire,
the hotter I become;
who, just like the bow,
the further the string is drawn
the more powerfully it sends forth its arrows,
and so the more I am trodden upon,
the more mighty I will become
in the cause of truth against error,
in Jesus' name, amen.

(modeled on lines by Charles Spurgeon; photo by frozenchipmunk via everystockphoto.com)

Anoint

Lord God, what a marvel,
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 sinners
and for the blessing,
admonition,
and upbuilding of your church,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Another Day

What? Another day
of life,
health,
thought,
work,
struggle,
uncertainty,
discovery,
pleasure,
pain,
purpose,
trial,
disappointment,
surprise,
blessing,
and trust?
Yes, please.

 

Senryu

Here I am alone

But not alone; you are here.

Speak in the silence. 

Witness to Your Kindness

I give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. I give praise and thanks to you for the privilege that is mine to witness to your kindness, to your beauty, to your great salvation. I confess that it is both privilege and pain to me—-sweet and bitter. I ask you, please, to make me faithful to speak at your urging and to refrain at your prompting. Light my lamp, and keep it burning. Make my witness bold and unconquerable, reminding me that by your grace and in your strength I can have a greater impact than that of earthquakes and armies. Amen.

(a prayer from the upcoming book, How to Survive the End of the World)