From Eden to Me

Lord God Adonai,
you provided every sort of seed-bearing plant
and tree in the Garden,
manna for Israel,
bread and meat for Elijah,
flour and oil for the widow of Zarephath,
wine for the wedding feast,
a feast for five thousand,
and a breakfast for the seven on Lake Kinnereth.

I trust you to provide for me and mine,
in ways
and at times
of your choosing.
Amen.

Zarephath Prayer 5

Lord God Adonai,
my defender and provider,
I pray once more
as I have prayed before:
let it be to me
as it was to the widow
of Zarephath.

You know my need of the moment;
you know my need in the future.
You know what is yet to come in,
and what is yet to go out.
You know the state of my jars,
the condition of my pantry.

I lean on you still,
I depend on you
to make much of little
and enough of not enough,
in Jesus' name, amen.

(Based on 1 Kings 17:14)

Incomplete

Abba, Father,
thank you that I am far from complete.

Thank you for the pleasure of reading,
the joy of learning,
the thrill of discovery.

Thank you that there is so much yet
to look forward to,
ideas to have,
skills to develop,
things to try.

I know there will come a time
when by your grace all things will be fulfilled
and I will be complete,
and will know as fully as I am known...
I thank you heartily for that promise
even as I thank you for the present incompleteness
that characterizes my life,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Prayer for Those Seeking Employment

Abba, Father, I know better
than to think it a coincidence
that I talked to
so many dear souls yesterday
who asked for prayer for work,
for an interview,
for a job offer.

Grant favor, Lord, to S.,
and open the door to that dream position;

favor to H.,
and give him the news we prayed for
in a call TODAY;

favor to M., that deliverance from debt and despair may come now;

favor to J. and M., that doors may open and jobs be granted.

I remember before you those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of work.
Grant to all who are able and willing
suitable and fulfilling employment,
and just payment for their labor,
in Jesus' name, amen.

To Your Holy Mountain

Lord, bring me today to your holy mountain,
to Mount Zion,
to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem,
to God himself,
to Jesus,
the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people,
and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives.

(based on Isaiah 66:20, Hebrews 12:22-24; painting: Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, by David Roberts in 1842, Library of Congress)

My Soul Waits

My soul waits on you, Lord.

I wait on you,
as a servant waits to be called,
as a dog looks to the master.

I wait on you, to hear your voice,
to be guided by your will
even in what I pray,
to follow in step with you.

I wait in silence.
In stillness.
In attentiveness.
Expectation.
Contentment.

Please guide my praying,
my thinking,
my sleeping,
my waking,
my planning,
my writing,
my speaking,
my reading,
my eating and drinking,
and direct me in all I do
to the fulfilling of your purpose,
for you are all and in all,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Mists

Lord, you have swept away my sins
like the morning mists.

You have scattered my offenses
like the clouds.

I praise you and thank you
for the unfathomable price you paid
to set me free.

Amen.

(based on Isaiah 44:22)

Sump Pump

Thank you, Lord,
for sump pumps,
that work unceasingly,
unseen,
unnoticed,
and yet prevent so much harm.
Kinda like your Spirit.
Amen.

Jerusalem

Lord God Adonai,
I pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
Let those who love her be secure.
Let there be peace within her walls
and security within her citadels.

For the sake of brothers and sisters and friends,
let there be peace within her.

For the sake of your name
and your heritage,
grant prosperity
and restore peace
in the city of our God,
the mountain of your holiness.

Amen.

(based on Psalm 122, Psalm 48)

You Suffice for Me

You are holy.
You are holy, Lord, the only God, and your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong, you are great.
You are the most high, you are almighty.
You, holy Father, are King of heaven and earth.
You are three and one, Lord God, all good.
You are good, all good, supreme good, Lord God, living and true.
You are love, you are wisdom.
You are humility, you are endurance.
You are rest, you are peace.
You are joy and gladness, you are justice and moderation.
You are all riches, and you suffice for me.
You are beauty, you are gentleness.
You are my protector, you my our guardian and defender.
You are courage, you are my haven and hope.
You are faith, my great consolation.
You are my eternal life, great and wonderful Lord,
God almighty, merciful Savior. Amen.

(by Francis of Assisi, slightly revised)

A Place for You in the Caverns of My Soul

Sometimes, O God, my thirst for you is pushed aside, ignored, or simply quenched by something other—something reasonable, something more popular—than you. But you never go away, never stop, never leave the depths of me. Like an underground spring, you are fresh and free, breaking through. Help me prepare a place for you in the caverns of my soul. Amen.

(a prayer by Pamela Hawkins, from page 36 of The Awkward Season: Prayers for Lent. Copyright 2009 by Pamela Hawkins)

My Heart is Full

My heart is full,
My joy complete,
My life is rich,
My prayers are sweet.
And I know how this came to be:
It's all of you, and none of me.

So what's to be done
With a blessed life like mine?
Lord, use it up,
Like oil and wine.
Then touch me again, my cup overflow,
And grant me once more
Your favor to know.

(with apologies to Keith Green)

For Spring

Shimmering, radiant air
Alive with new warmth.
Sunshine waking the earth,
Calling the grasses to grow,
Bulbs to prepare flowers.
Winds clear the last remnants of seasons past,
Old leaves and dry branches
Making way for new life.
And the rain joins the sun to feed the land.

Bless this day, G-d of seasons.
Bless the Spring with energy and hope.
Be present with us as we celebrate the glory of creation
Planting the land and our lives with Your gifts,
These gardens of holiness and love.

G-d of time and space,
May this season be a blessing and a teacher.
Make me like the sunshine, a source of light.
Make me like the earth, a source of bounty, ready to give.
Bless my days with service and my nights with peace.
Make me like a garden,
A source of beauty and purpose,
Sustenance and splendor.

© 2010 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

May Thy Strong Hand

May Thy strong hand, O Lord,
be ever my defence;
Thy mercy in Christ
my salvation;
Thy all‑veritable word,
my instructor;
the grace of Thy life‑bringing Spirit,
my consolation,
all along, and at last.

The Soul of Christ hallow me,
and the Body strengthen me,
and the Blood ransom me,
and the Water wash me,
and the Bruises heal me,
and the Sweat refresh me,
and the Wound hide me.

The peace of God
which passeth all understanding,
keep my heart and thoughts
in the knowledge and the love
of God.

(a prayer of Lancelot Andrewes, from The Private Devotions of Lancelot Andrewes, “Prayer for Grace” for the Sixth Day)

My Eyes Are Dry

My eyes are dry,
My faith is old,
My heart is hard,
My prayers are cold.
And I know how I ought to be:
Alive to You and dead to me.

So what can be done
For an old heart like mine?
Soften it up
With oil and wine.
The oil is You, Your Spirit of love.
Please wash me anew
With the wine of your blood.

(a prayer by Keith Green)

St. Patrick's Breastplate for My Children and Grandchildren

I bind to my children and grandchildren today
The strong Name of the Trinity,
Invoking the same
The Three in One
and One in Three.

I plead for them forever
The power of faith, Christ’s incarnation;
His baptism in Jordan river,
His death on Cross for my salvation;
His bursting from the spiced tomb,
His riding up the heavenly way,
His coming at the day of doom
I plead all for them today.

I invoke for my children and grandchildren the power
Of the great love of cherubim;
The sweet ‘Well done’ in judgment hour,
The service of the seraphim,
Confessors’ faith, Apostles’ word,
The Patriarchs’ prayers, the prophets’ scrolls,
All good deeds done unto the Lord
And purity of virgin souls.

I ask for them today
The virtues of the starlit heaven,
The glorious sun’s lifegiving ray,
The whiteness of the moon at even,
The flashing of the lightning free,
The whirling wind’s tempestuous shocks,
The stable earth, the deep salt sea
Around the old eternal rocks.

I beseech for them today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to their need.
The wisdom of their God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give them speech,
His heavenly host to be their guard.

Against the demon snares of sin,
The vice that gives temptation force,
The natural lusts that war within,
The hostile men that mar their course;
Or few or many, far or nigh,
In every place and in all hours,
Against their fierce hostility
I ask, in Jesus’ name, these powers.

Against all Satan’s spells and wiles,
Against false words of heresy,
Against the knowledge that defiles,
Against the heart’s idolatry,
Against the wizard’s evil craft,
Against the death wound and the burning,
The choking wave, the poisoned shaft,
Protect them, Christ, till your returning.

Christ be with them, Christ within them,
Christ behind them, Christ before them,
Christ beside them, Christ to win them,
Christ to comfort and restore them.
Christ beneath them, Christ above them,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love them,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I ask all this in the Name,
The strong Name of the Trinity,
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One and One in Three.
By Whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word:
Praise to the Lord of my salvation,
Salvation is of Christ the Lord. Amen.

A Writer's Prayer (With Apologies to William Williams, Author of "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah")

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
as I write with feeble hand.
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven,
feed me till I want no more;
feed me till I want no more.

Open now the crystal fountain,
whence the streams of inspiration flow;
let the fire and cloudy pillar
light the way you'd have me go.
Strong deliverer, strong deliverer,
be thou still my strength and shield;
be thou still my strength and shield.

When I hit the wall in writing,
all my anxious fears forfend;
keep me thinking, keep me writing,
till I reach the happy end.
Songs of praises, songs of praises,
I will ever give to thee;
I will ever give to thee.

Lamentations 3 Prayer

Lord, I praise you
because your unfailing love
never ends!
By your mercies I have been kept from complete destruction.
Great is your faithfulness;
your mercies begin afresh each day.

You are my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in you.

You are unfailingly good
to those whose hope is in you,
to those who seek you.

Teach me to wait quietly for your salvation.
Help me to submit to your yoke of discipline.
Let me sit alone in silence beneath your demands.
Amen.

(Drawn from Lamentations 3:22-26)

Best Friend Prayer

God,
thank you
that I'm
in love
with my
best friend.
Amen.

Fanny Crosby Prayer

There shall be showers of blessing;
Send them upon me, O Lord;
Grant to me now a refreshing,
Come, and now honor your Word.

Showers of blessing,
Showers of blessing I need:
Mercy drops round me are falling,
But for the showers I plead.