Father, if I could,
all I would ask for from this life
would be a quiet place to live,
books to read,
time with my wife,
time with my family,
time to think,
space to write,
a church to love,
and all my bills paid.
If you wanted to make me really happy,
I would let you throw in
an occasional visit with friends,
a nice steak once in a while,
and every year a trip to someplace new.
That would do it,
that would more than do it.
So why, Lord, why did you go and make me a pastor?
When Many Are Coming and Going
When many are coming and going and there is little leisure, give us grace, O heavenly Father, to follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who knew neither impatience of spirit or confusion of work, but in the midst of his labors held communion with you, and even upon earth was still in heaven; where he now reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.
(A prayer by C. J. Vaughan, 1816-1897)
(A prayer by C. J. Vaughan, 1816-1897)
Prayer for my Grandson
Abba, Father, God,I pray that as he grows,
Miles will have a heart that is tender toward you;
a heart that beats to please you;
that from his first awareness of you,
his hands won't hesitate to lift toward heaven in praise and worship;
and as he grows up,
that those hands will be used to reach out
in service to you
and comfort those who are hurting
and help for those in need.
May the first step he takes be one of many
on the path that you have planned and laid out before him,
and ultimately, may his countenance reflect a man who has come
to know and love his Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord,
in whose name I ask,
amen.
All the Afflictions I've Never Had
Abba, Father,
Mighty God,
my Healer and Sustainer,
I thank you for the health and vitality I enjoy,
for the energy and ability that characterizes my daily life.
I thank you with my whole heart
for all the afflictions I've never had,
all the sufferings I've never had to face:
from AIDS to anemia,
arthritis and meningitis,
autism and muscular dystrophy,
from botulism to mad cow disease,
ALS,
cancer and carpel tunnel,
cerebral palsy and cholera,
kidney stones and diabetes,
diphtheria and ebola,
salmonella,
typhoid,
epilepsy,
epstein-barr,
necrotizing faciitis,
gout,
heart disease,
hepatitis,
high cholesterol and high blood pressure,
malaria,
lupus,
lyme disease,
Hodgkins,
polio,
SARS,
shingles,
smallpox,
stroke,
tuberculosis,
tetanus,
Tourette's,
multiple sclerosis,
yellow fever,
and more,
and more,
and more.
I thank you for every danger and affliction I have escaped,
even as I pray for those who have not,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Mighty God,
my Healer and Sustainer,
I thank you for the health and vitality I enjoy,
for the energy and ability that characterizes my daily life.
I thank you with my whole heart
for all the afflictions I've never had,
all the sufferings I've never had to face:
from AIDS to anemia,
arthritis and meningitis,
autism and muscular dystrophy,
from botulism to mad cow disease,
ALS,
cancer and carpel tunnel,
cerebral palsy and cholera,
kidney stones and diabetes,
diphtheria and ebola,
salmonella,
typhoid,
epilepsy,
epstein-barr,
necrotizing faciitis,
gout,
heart disease,
hepatitis,
high cholesterol and high blood pressure,
malaria,
lupus,
lyme disease,
Hodgkins,
polio,
SARS,
shingles,
smallpox,
stroke,
tuberculosis,
tetanus,
Tourette's,
multiple sclerosis,
yellow fever,
and more,
and more,
and more.
I thank you for every danger and affliction I have escaped,
even as I pray for those who have not,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Waiting for the Fire
In full and glad surrender,
I give myself to Thee,
Thine utterly and only
And evermore to be.
My all is on the altar,
I'm waiting for the fire,
Waiting, waiting, waiting,
I'm waiting for the fire.
A Thin Place
O God,
make of my heart,
and of my church,
and of the Loft,
and of Oxford,
a thin place.
Amen.
(Based on an incident related to Evelyn Underhill by a friend who had been to the Isle of Iona and there heard a local gardener say, “Iona is a very thin place.” She asked, “What do you mean?” The gardener, a Scotsman, said, “Its a thin place, because there is not much between Iona and the Lord”)
For a Braveheart's Prayer Life
GOD, GIVE ME A BRAVEHEART’S PRAYER LIFE!
Make me a man of prayer.
Make my church a house of prayer.
Grant us the joy and exhilaration of partnering with you
through prayer
to bring about things that we can’t imagine
can scarcely even dream,
as we not only see the needs around us
and feel them,
but learn to submit them to you
in faith,
day by day
and moment by moment, in Jesus’ name, amen.
Make me a man of prayer.
Make my church a house of prayer.
Grant us the joy and exhilaration of partnering with you
through prayer
to bring about things that we can’t imagine
can scarcely even dream,
as we not only see the needs around us
and feel them,
but learn to submit them to you
in faith,
day by day
and moment by moment, in Jesus’ name, amen.
For a Braveheart's Passion
GOD, GIVE ME A BRAVEHEART’S PASSION!
God, give my church a braveheart’s passion.
Please fill us with excitement not just for moving into a building
but for moving out into our community!
Please give us passionate hearts that beat in tune with yours,
that see the needs and FEEL the needs around us,
and respond with compassion
and enthusiasm
and exertion, in Jesus’ name, amen.
God, give my church a braveheart’s passion.
Please fill us with excitement not just for moving into a building
but for moving out into our community!
Please give us passionate hearts that beat in tune with yours,
that see the needs and FEEL the needs around us,
and respond with compassion
and enthusiasm
and exertion, in Jesus’ name, amen.
For a Braveheart's Perspective
GOD, GIVE ME A BRAVEHEART’S PERSPECTIVE!
I want to serve a cause greater than myself,
I’m ready to get out of myself,
I’m going to make a difference in this world.
Keep my mind so focused,
please,
in Jesus' name, amen.
I want to serve a cause greater than myself,
I’m ready to get out of myself,
I’m going to make a difference in this world.
Keep my mind so focused,
please,
in Jesus' name, amen.
A Prayer for the First Day of Summer
Abba, thank you for summer,for green grass
and honeysuckle,
leafy trees
running streams
bare feet
balmy days
singing birds
laughing children
baseball games
cookouts
sunshine
clear skies
the smell after a summer rain
beauty
and fecundity
everywhere
I turn.
Amen.
My Psalm 71
O Lord, I run into your arms;don’t let me be discouraged.
Save me and rescue me in this low place,
for you do what is right.
Put your ear close to my heart
and hear the murmurs I can’t put into words.
Be my mountain fortress,
my crag of safety.
Command my deliverance,
for you are my Mighty Rescuer.
O God, save me from this recurring depression;
I am so tired of being in the line of fire,
of shouldering the problems of others
(as if mine aren’t enough!).
I’m sick of being second-guessed,
and of others who think they have the answers,
without even seeking to understand the question.
O Lord, you alone are my hope.
You’ve had my heart from childhood.
You’ve guided me from birth;
year after year you have been my shelter.
No wonder I am always praising you!
Make my life an example to many,
an encouragement to others to find strength and protection in you.
Even in my depression, I can’t stop praising you;
I declare your glory with my whole heart, all day long.
Now that I am old, don’t set me aside.
My stamina may be gone, but let my experience count for something.
Answer those who whisper against me.
Defend me against those who think I’m stupid.
Save me from those who nurse resentment against me.
O God, don’t be coy.
My God, please hurry to help me.
Bring disgrace and destruction on my Enemy.
Humiliate and shame him and his divisive plans.
I will keep on hoping for your help;
I will praise you no matter what others do.
I will faithfully tell everyone about your righteousness;
I will preach the Word, season after season.
I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord.
I will do all I can to lead others to you.
O God, you’ve had my heart from childhood.
I will trust you and follow you for the rest of my days.
Let me proclaim your power to a new generation,
your mighty miracles to all who come after me.
Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens.
You have done wonders.
Who can compare with you?
Who can even come close to you?
I know I bring much hardship on myself,
and you let me suffer through it,
but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth.
You will restore me to even greater honor and comfort me once again.
Then I will praise you with songs in the sanctuary,
I will lift up your praise in the midst of your people,
I will stand up against every foe,
because you are faithful to your promises, O my God,
you have ransomed me,
and you lift me higher than I have any right to be,
higher than I have any reason to expect.
Teaching Me to Pray
Thank you, Lord, for what you're teaching me about prayer:
to ask,
ask boldly,
ask loudly,
ask bluntly,
ask dangerously;
to listen;
to persevere.
to ask,
ask boldly,
ask loudly,
ask bluntly,
ask dangerously;
to listen;
to persevere.
Lost Friendships
Abba, Father, my loving Daddy, I give to you my lost friendships, those relationships I have treasured and now mourn. Save me from self-pity and self-loathing. Save me from repeating past mistakes and sins. Save me from resentment and bitterness toward those who turn away from me. Save me from unwillingness to trust and be honest with friends in the future. Save me, and heal me, in Jesus' name, amen.
God of Abraham
God of Abraham, and Moses, God of Exodus and Easter, God of wonders, I muse upon your mighty works and plead: do it again! Bring me through discouragement once more, to victory. Sort through the afflictions of your church and bring about a culture of unity and grace and encouragement. Restore our marriages, heal the hurting, soothe the afflicted, comfort the grieving, shield the joyous, and all for your love's sake, amen.
From the Book of Common Prayer
Most loving Father, whose will it is for us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on you who cares for us: Preserve me from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from me the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested to us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, and for ever. Amen.
Sunday Gratitude
Father, what a day this has been! Sweet worship, rich fellowship, encouragement, and blessing, in spite of feeling physically poor and needy. How quick I am to turn to weariness and ingratitude, in the midst of all you do for me and for my flock. I am blessed beyond words, Lord, and am too often an ungrateful servant. But not right now. Thank you.
Daily Bread
"I have food to eat that you know nothing about" (John 4:32).
Give me that food, Lord,
that nourishment your disciples knew nothing about;
give it to me daily,
momently,
now,
that sustenance that comes from communion with the Father,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Give me that food, Lord,
that nourishment your disciples knew nothing about;
give it to me daily,
momently,
now,
that sustenance that comes from communion with the Father,
in Jesus' name, amen.
From a Desk Piled High
Abba, just when I think I'm going to clear my desk and get down to where I need to be, down to a manageable to-do list, something intrudes, and I'm behind again! Do you want me to be behind? Do you want me--ever--to catch up? Or is even that hope unrealistic? Do I need to thank you for full schedules, and rejoice that my work is never done? Or should I ask for wisdom to plan my workload so as to become more manageable?
This much I can do: I thank you for my demanding job. You place way too much confidence in me, from my perspective at least! Help me to be wise and diligent and discerning in the work you've given me to do. Amen.
This much I can do: I thank you for my demanding job. You place way too much confidence in me, from my perspective at least! Help me to be wise and diligent and discerning in the work you've given me to do. Amen.
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