in your infinite wisdom,
please guide my reading
so as to inspire
and inform
what you want me to think,
what you want me to notice,
what you want me to remember,
what you want me to write,
and what you want me to quote,
in Jesus' name,
amen.
Guide My Reading
in your infinite wisdom,
please guide my reading
so as to inspire
and inform
what you want me to think,
what you want me to notice,
what you want me to remember,
what you want me to write,
and what you want me to quote,
in Jesus' name,
amen.
Beautiful Lord and Fierce
Lord of starfall,
Lord of icicle and rain puddle,
Lord of mountain trail and babbling brook,
Lord of gain and loss,
Lord of fog and snow,
Lord of lightning,
Lord of burrow,
Lord of change,
Lord unchanging,
Beautiful Lord and fierce,
I praise you
with my tiny
voice,
my tiny
self,
my tiny heart.
Amen.
A prayer of Mechtid of Magdeburg
O chosen sun,
O perfect moon,
O fathomless well,
O unattainable height,
O clearness beyond measure,
O wisdom without end,
O mercy without limit,
O strength beyond resistance,
O crown of all majesty,
the humblest you created sings your praise,
Amen.
Knowing He Hath Wings
Rests on a bough too slight.
And feeling it give way beneath him sings,
Knowing he hath wings.
(a prayer by Lettie Cowman
in Streams in the Desert (p. 61),
slightly revised)
For Overnight Success
I wouldn't mind
if you chose tonight
as the night
to make me
an
overnight
success.
Amen.
Do What Only You Can Do
I'll take my cold, cold heart
I'll take my unrenewed mind
I'll take Your word in my hand
And I'll give You time, to come and melt me
I can't even love You unless You call my name
I can't even worship unless You anoint my heart
I can't een want to unless You want me first
So come fan the flame
Do what only You can do - Come fan the flame
Do what only You can do - Come fan the flame
Do what only You can do - Come fan the flame
Do what only You can do
Just let my heart be alive
Let me be living deep, deep on the inside
Just let my heart be alive
Let me be living deep, deep on the inside
Come fan the flame
Thanks and Petition
I think about my family, my relatives, the neighbors, people with whom we will spend this day. Dear Jesus, as I look at their faces and remember their stories, there are feelings of gratitude and some fear and anxiety. Thank you for these loved ones and please forgive me for the ways I have been less than accepting and loving. Please heal the wounds, division and conflicts that stand between us and help me to remember how dearly you love them. I only want to remember that you have come to save us all. Amen
(from The War Cry, February 2013, p. 29)
(from The War Cry, February 2013, p. 29)
Dormancy
Cold.
Quiet.
Still.
Hidden.
Fruitless.
But I believe that I am here
in your will,
with your knowledge
and blessing.
I am here because you know best.
You know what is good for me,
and you make all things beautiful
in your time.
So thank you for this.
Thank you for the awareness
that I am not alone,
and you have not forgotten me...
that you are working in me
as truly and faithfully
as in those seasons when shoots spring up
and blossoms appear
and fruit is all around.
And when you say the word,
when you decide the time is right,
I will be glad for a new season
of newness and change and growth and fruit,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Frailty
Lord...how do I despise
What upon trust
Is styled honor, riches, or fair eyes;
But is--fair dust!
I surname them gilded clay,
Dear earth, fine grass or hay.
(a prayer of George Herbert)
What upon trust
Is styled honor, riches, or fair eyes;
But is--fair dust!
I surname them gilded clay,
Dear earth, fine grass or hay.
(a prayer of George Herbert)
You Answered
thank you
from the bottom of my heart
for the good report yesterday
on Miles's eyesight.
Those who know your name
will trust in you,
for you, LORD,
have never forsaken those who seek you (Psalm 9:10).
For Writing Tools
Legal pads and time to think,
Olivetti, Underwood, Selectric,
Typewriters both manual and electric,
Typing paper, carbon paper,
Correction ribbon and Liquid Paper,
Dictionaries and thesauri,
Keyboards, touchpads, countless styli,
Strunk and White and Zinsser, too,
Staples, tape, and Elmer's Glue,
Desktops, laptops, iPads, printers,
Modems, faxes, scanners, shredders,
Voice recording and dictation,
Chairs for work and relaxation,
Templates, shortcuts, tips and tricks,
Cross pens, Shaffers, Pilots, Bics,
For all the tools that have played their part,
Flow thanks from this poor writer's heart.
A Song of Ascents
in private
and together with the saints
who stand to sing and pray and give
and sit to listen and read and study
in your house this morning.
I will lift up my eyes.
I will lift up my hands.
I will lift up my voice.
I will lift up my heart
to worship you,
my dwelling place,
my holy place,
my Holy of Holies.
I will bless you
from where I am,
as if I were standing on Zion itself,
in Jesus' name, amen.
(based loosely on Psalm 134)
For Calleigh
A Poet's Prayer
Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee,
And I'll forgive Thy great big one on me.
(Robert Frost, "Cluster of Faith," 1962)
And I'll forgive Thy great big one on me.
(Robert Frost, "Cluster of Faith," 1962)
For the Grace This Day Will Require
O God the author of all good, I come to Thee for the grace another day will require for its duties and events. I step out into a wicked world; I carry about with me an evil heart. I know that without Thee I can do nothing, that everything with which I shall be concerned, however harmless in itself, may prove an occasion of sin or folly, unless I am kept by Thy power. Hold Thou me up and I shall be safe. Preserve my understanding from subtilty of error, my affections from love of idols, my character from stain of vice, my profession from every form of evil. May I engage in nothing in which I cannot implore Thy blessing, and in which I cannot invite Thy inspection. Prosper me in all lawful undertakings, or prepare me for disappointments. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny Thee and say, Who is the Lord? or be poor, and steal, and take Thy name in vain.
May every creature be made good to me by prayer and Thy will. Teach me how to use the world and not abuse it, to improve my talents, to redeem my time, to walk in wisdom toward those without, and in kindness to those within, to do good to all men, and especially to my fellow Christians. And to Thee be the glory.
Amen.
(from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett)
On This Day of Travel
May it be Your will, Lord, My God and God of my ancestors, to lead me, to direct my steps, and to support me in peace. Lead me in life, tranquil and serene, until I arrive at where I am going. Deliver me from every enemy, ambush and hurt that I might encounter on the way and from all afflictions that visit and trouble the world. Bless the work of my hands. Let me receive divine grace and those loving acts of kindness and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all those I encounter. Listen to the voice of my appeal, for you are a God who responds to prayerful supplication. Praised are you, Lord, who responds to prayer.(Photo: a copy, in Hebrew, of the Traveler's Prayer (prescribed in the Talmud), found in a 1940's era C-47B-5-DK plane, used in the Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War)
Mantle
I ask, too, for the mantle of a prophet,
for a generous inheritance as a writer:
for insight like Leonard Sweet,
for the pastorly heart and mind of Eugene Peterson,
for creativity like Calvin Miller,
the energy of Josh McDowell,
sensitivity of Brennan Manning,
lyricism of Wendell Berry,
productivity of Jerry Jenkins,
and influence of N. T. Wright.
I feel silly and arrogant praying such a prayer, but I do so on the basis of James 4:2, in full awareness of my own unworthiness and your surpassing worth and willingness to answer prayer, in Jesus' name, amen.
Overshadowed (Slightly Revised)
How desolate my life would be,
How dark and drear my nights and days,
If, Lord, your face I did not see,
To brighten all earth's weary ways.
I'm overshadowed by your mighty love--
Love eternal, changeless, pure.
Overshadowed by your mighty love;
Rest is mine, serene, secure.
You died to ransom me from sin,
You live to keep me day by day,
I'm overshadowed by your mighty love,
Love that brightens all my way.
With burdened heart I wandered long,
By grief and unbelief distressed;
But now I sing faith's happy song,
In you, my Savior, I am blest.
Now judgment fears no more alarm,
I dread no death, nor Satan's power;
The world for me has lost its charm,
God's grace sustains me every hour.
(by H. A. Ironside and George S Schuler)
*NOTE: this song is rich in memory and meaning for me, especially since I remember it as one of my mother's favorites
Another Psalm 4
You, my Defender and my Advocate.
Proclaim Jubilee in my heart, mind, and life.
Have mercy on me and answer my prayer:
For freedom from insults, real or imagined,
freedom from lingering regrets and resentments,
freedom from people-pleasing cares.
I am sure of this:
I belong to you.
I matter to you.
I am clean in your sight.
Set an angelic sentinel at the entrance to my mind,
a guard against untrust and ungrace,
especially in the night watches.
Let me offer you pleasing sacrifices,
and passionate worship.
No looking back.
No wishing or longing for what is not.
Just your smiling face,
the joy of your presence,
the abundance of this moment, this season,
and the restful spirit
of a soul kept by you.
Amen.
Transform
Lord Jesus,
you turned a meager lunch into a banquet for thousands,
a common lake trout into an ATM,
a brash fisherman into a water-walker,
a skeptical Thomas into a staunch devotee,
and a grisly death into death's defeat.
Please turn my faulty thoughts and flailing words
into something worth reading.
Amen.
Amanuensis
Your scribe. Your secretary.
Think aloud to me,
slowly and simply enough
that I can transcribe the things you want to say
to me,
through me.
Tune the ears of my heart,
train my fingers to flow,
my muscles to move,
at the slightest inflection of your voice,
the tiniest trace of meaning
from your mind.
Amen.
Joan of Arc Prayer
God, keep me there.
If I am not in your Truth,
God, put me there.
Amen.
(from the Daily Prayer blog)
But Thine Own
We give Thee but Thine own,
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
Whate’er the gift may be;
All that we have is Thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from Thee.
Fruit Prayer
cultivate and proliferate your fruit in my writing.
Let love permeate my words.
Help me experience joy in the writing, and let my readers experience joy in reading.
Use my writing to spread shalom.
Give me patience in the writing.
Let goodness characterize what I write,
and gentleness how I write it.
Make and keep me faithful to you, to the publisher, and to the reader from beginning to end,
and let God-given self control guide my every thought, impulse, and decision as I write, revise, edit, and review,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Where You Lead
I will follow.
Where you lead me
I will follow.
Where you lead me
I will follow.
I'll go with you,
With you all the way.
Seasons of Love Prayer
In daylights,
in sunsets,
in midnights,
In cups of coffee,
In inches,
in miles,
in laughter,
in strife,
in love...
by any measure,
you have made me
immeasurably
inexpressibly
rich.
Thank you.
Amen.
(based on the song, "Seasons of Love," from the musical, Rent)
Words Fitly Written
grant that I may produce today
words fitly written,
that shine like apples of gold
in settings of silver,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Until the Floodgates Open
I have a deadline, a goal,
and I have fallen behind.
I will keep working,
inspiration or no inspiration.
I will keep plodding,
and try not to stress.
I will do my best
to let you do all the planning and plotting
while I simply follow along,
step by step,
word by word,
line by line,
page by painstaking page,
until the momentum shifts,
the floodgates open,
and words flow like streams in April,
amen.
Tante Jans's Prayer
I thank you that you have done all--all--on the cross,
and that all we need in life or death
is to be sure of this.
(from The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom).
Prayer for a Writing Day
I am your servant
And I am listening;
Speak to me Lord, speak to me.
I need your wisdom
And truth and comfort;
Speak to me Lord, speak to me.
Speak to me,
Speak to me,
Through your word,
Through your Spirit,
Speak your words of life.
Speak to me,
Speak to me,
I am listening,
I am waiting,
Speak to me.
I am your servant
And I am listening;
Speak to me Lord, speak to me.
My heart is silent,
My soul is longing,
Speak to me Lord, speak to me.
(a prayer of Tommy Walker)
Best Thing
Falling in love with you, Jesus, Was the best thing I've ever
Ever done.
In your arms, I feel protected,
In your arms, never disconnected,
In your arms, I feel protected,
There's no place I'd rather, rather be.
Falling in love with you, Jesus,
Was the best thing I've ever
Ever done.
(From the song by Kirk Whalum, slightly revised)
A Prayer on Epiphany
(from the Gelasian Sacramentary)
One Writer's "Take My Life"
Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.
Take my keyboard, and my screen; my desk and office chair,
My pages, sentences, and words, my flittings here and there,
My focus and my flow, my pacings up and down,
My insecurities and fears, my grins, my groans, my frowns.
Let every bit be used by you, the good, the bad, and ugly too.
Make me better than I know to be, by being yours while being me,
Let every word I type be true by coming first and most from you.
Suggest, revise, inform, inspire, and take my writing higher and higher.
Take my fingertips, let them be filled with messages from Thee.
Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.
(based on and drawing from a hymn by Francis Ridley Havergal)
Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian
O Lord and Master of my life, give me not the spirit of laziness,
despair,
lust of power,
and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of sobriety,
humility,
patience
and love
to Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King,
grant me to see my own transgressions
and not to judge my brother,
for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.
(A prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, 305-373)
A Place to Hang My Hat
A refuge from the storm,
A place of comfort, peace, and love,
A haven sweet and warm.
A Prayer on January 1
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)
For the Last Day of the Old Year
(swiped from my online friend Austin Fleming's A Concord Pastor Comments blog, and updated to 2012)Good Lord,
it's the last day of 2012...
Only a few hours left in this old year
which seemed so new
oh, not-so-long ago...
Where has the old year gone, Lord?
And how did it go?
And how did I go with you,
make my way with you, Lord,
these past twelve months?
I remember the times
we walked and talked together,
side by side,
you and I...
And I remember the times
when I forgot, somehow,
that you were right there by my side,
and the times I tried to pretend
that you weren't there,
always within arm's reach...
I remember the times when you took delight
in my words and my work
and I remember the times I ignored and forgot you
- but still you loved me
and in your mercy, you forgave me...
Nothing I've done, Lord,
merits what you've given me:
all your love is grace,
an unearned gift
from your heart to mine...
In return I offer so little
and I have so little to offer...
But there comes now a new year, Lord,
and with it my prayer
to live a life more worthy
of all you so freely give me...
In this new year, Lord,
make strong my resolve to be faithful,
make deep my trust in your presence
and make sure my hope in your promise,
for without your help
I will fail...
Lord, you offer me only
what is true and pure,
good and just, strong and graced...
In this new year, help me recognize
what is false, cheap and sham...
Help me to settle for nothing less
than what comes from your heart and hand...
Nourish me, Lord:
give me a hunger for what is genuine,
a thirst for what is holy,
a wisdom for discerning your gifts...
It's the last day of the old year, Lord...
Shake from my heart what has no place there
and wake my heart
to the gift of your grace
and the dawn of a new beginning...
Amen.
On Recovering from Illness
Abba, Father,
thank you that illness is such a rare thing
in my life.
And though I'm not happy that
you didn't heal me quickly,
as I asked,
you have not promised to make me happy.
But you have promised me joy.
So please use these days of sickness
and seeming waste
to heighten my gratitude,
deepen my joy,
and draw me closer to you,
in Jesus' name, amen.
thank you that illness is such a rare thing
in my life.
And though I'm not happy that
you didn't heal me quickly,
as I asked,
you have not promised to make me happy.
But you have promised me joy.
So please use these days of sickness
and seeming waste
to heighten my gratitude,
deepen my joy,
and draw me closer to you,
in Jesus' name, amen.
My Defeats Are Thy Victories
Holy Baby Thing
To slay their foes and lift them high:
Thou cam'st, a little baby thing
That made a woman cry.
O Son of Man, to right my lot
Naught but Thy presence can avail;
Yet on the road Thy wheels are not,
Nor on the sea Thy sail!
My how or when Thou wilt not heed,
But come down Thine own secret stair,
That Thou mayst answer all my need--
Yea, every bygone prayer.
(a prayer of George MacDonald, from “That Holy Thing,” The Poetical Works of George MacDonald (London: Chatto & Windus, 1893), 2: 323).
Because of This Day
thank you that because of this day,
this holy feast, in the words of Chrysostom,
the ancient slavery is ended,
the devil confounded,
the demons take to flight,
the power of death is broken,
paradise is unlocked,
the curse is taken away,
sin is removed from us,
error driven out,
truth has been brought back,
the speech of kindliness diffused,
and spreads on every side,
a heavenly way of life has been in-planted on the earth,
angels communicate with men without fear,
and men now hold speech with angels,
amen!
A Christmas Eve Prayer
(This prayer, written by a young Italian seminarian named Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli in 1902 who would later become Pope John XXIII, has become a Christmas Eve tradition for me).
Night has fallen; the clear, bright stars are sparkling in the cold air; noisy, strident voices rise to my ear from the city, voices of the revelers of this world who celebrate with merrymaking the poverty of their Saviour. Around me in their rooms my companions are asleep, and I am still wakeful, thinking of the mystery of Bethlehem.
Come, come, Jesus, I await you. . . .
I am a poor shepherd; I have only a wretched stable, a small manger, some wisps of straw. I offer all these to you, be pleased to come into my poor hovel. I offer you my heart; my soul is poor and bare of virtues, the straws of so many imperfections will prick you and make you weep--but oh, my Lord, what can you expect? This little is all I have. . . . I have nothing better to offer you, Jesus, honour my soul with your presence, adorn it with your graces. Burn this straw and change it into a soft couch for your most holy body.
Jesus, I am here waiting for your coming. Wicked men have driven you out, and the wind is like ice. I am a poor man, but I will warm you as well as I can. At least be pleased that I wish to welcome you warmly, to love you and sacrifice myself for you.
Amen.
Night has fallen; the clear, bright stars are sparkling in the cold air; noisy, strident voices rise to my ear from the city, voices of the revelers of this world who celebrate with merrymaking the poverty of their Saviour. Around me in their rooms my companions are asleep, and I am still wakeful, thinking of the mystery of Bethlehem.Come, come, Jesus, I await you. . . .
I am a poor shepherd; I have only a wretched stable, a small manger, some wisps of straw. I offer all these to you, be pleased to come into my poor hovel. I offer you my heart; my soul is poor and bare of virtues, the straws of so many imperfections will prick you and make you weep--but oh, my Lord, what can you expect? This little is all I have. . . . I have nothing better to offer you, Jesus, honour my soul with your presence, adorn it with your graces. Burn this straw and change it into a soft couch for your most holy body.
Jesus, I am here waiting for your coming. Wicked men have driven you out, and the wind is like ice. I am a poor man, but I will warm you as well as I can. At least be pleased that I wish to welcome you warmly, to love you and sacrifice myself for you.
Amen.
O Emmanuel
O Emmanuel, our king and our lawgiver,
the hope of the nations and their Savior:
Come and save us, O Lord our God.
Amen.
O King of All the Nations
O King of all the nations,
the only joy of every human heart;
O Keystone of the mighty arch of man,
come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.
O Rising Sun
O Rising Sun,
splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness:
Come and enlighten those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death.
Amen.
O Key of David
O Key of David,
O royal power of Israel,
controlling at your will the gate of heaven:
come, break down the prison walls of death
for those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death;
and lead your captive people into freedom.
Amen.
O Flower of Jesse
O Flower of Jesse’s stem,
you have been raised up
as a sign for all peoples;
kings stand silent in your presence;
the nations bow down in worship before you.
Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.
Amen.
O Adonai
O sacred Lord of ancient Israel,
who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,
who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:
come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free. Amen.
O Wisdom
O Wisdom,
coming forth from the mouth of the Most High,
reaching from one end to the other mightily,
and sweetly ordering all things:
Come and teach us the way of prudence.
Amen.
Behold, You Come
I’ve begun to understand something I have known for a long time: You are still in the process of your coming. Your appearance in the form of a slave was only the beginning of your coming, a beginning in which you chose to redeem men by embracing the very slavery from which you were freeing them. And you can really achieve your purpose in this paradoxical way, because the paths that you tread have a real ending, the narrow passes which you enter soon open out into broad liberty, the cross that you carry inevitably becomes a brilliant banner of triumph.It is said that you will come again, and this is true. But the word again is misleading. It won’t really be “another” coming, because you have never really gone away. In the human existence that you made your own for all eternity, you have never left us.
But still you will come again, because the fact that you have already come must continue to be revealed ever more clearly. It will become progressively more manifest to the world that the heart of all things is already transformed, because you have taken them all to your heart.
Behold, you come. And your coming is neither past nor future, but the present, which has only to reach its fulfillment. Now it is still the one single hour of your Advent, at the end of which we too shall have found out that you have really come.
O God who is to come, grant me the grace to live now, in the hour of your Advent, in such a way that I may merit to live in you forever, in the blissful hour of your eternity.
(from Watch for the Light: Readings for Advent and Christmas)
Peniel Prayer
God of Peniel,
to wrestle with the strength
and will of Jacob in my prayers,
laying hold and keeping hold of you
until I am sure of your blessing and will,
and ready, though wounded, to obey.
(Image: James J. Tissot, "Jacob Wrestles with an Angel" (c. 1896-1902), gouache on board, Jewish Museum, New York)
Heartfelt Holiday Prayer
from the bottom of my heart, that
The Twelve Days of Christmas,
Little Drummer Boy,
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,
Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time,
Santa Baby,
Up on the Housetop,
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,
Santa Claus is Coming to Town,
Here Comes Santa Claus,
Jingle Bells,
All I Want for Christmas is You,
All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth,
Happy Christmas (War Is Over),
Jingle Bell Rock,
Blue Christmas,
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas,
The Chipmunk Song,
I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, and
Rocking Around the Christmas Tree
are only played incessantly in public places
for a few weeks every year.
Amen.
Another Psalm 3
Lord, thank you that I have no one to trouble me!
Thank you that none are rising up against me.
Thank you that (to my knowledge) people no longer have to gossip about me.
Sure, I know that it's not because people have changed,
but mainly because my role is different these days.
And I'm grateful for that.
You, Lord, are my shield in any case;
your mercy and grace to me are glorious.
You lift me up when I'm down
and show me the way to greater peace and blessing.
I cried out to you, and you answered.
I can lay down and sleep without tossing and turning;
the knots in my neck and shoulders are gone.
You've once again sustained me, revived me, and provided for me.
I'm glad to be where you've placed me.
I'm happy to leave justice in your hands.
Deliverance comes from you.
You cover me.
Amen.
I Will Never Stop
I know you always heal.
I know your ways are higher than my ways.
I know you are good and your plans are good.
I know you make all things beautiful in your time.
I just want you to know that I will never
stop
praying
for their healing.
Never.
Ever.
While I have voice,
while I have thought,
while I have life,
I will pray
until the day my prayers are clearly and completely answered.
O Come
O come, O come Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear:
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel!
(HT: A Concord Pastor Comments)
Forbid Us to Be Satisfied
(a prayer of Eleanor Roosevelt)
The Prayer Perfect
Gracious Lord! I pray
Thou wilt look on all I love
Tenderly today!
Weed their hearts of weariness,
Scatter every care
Down a wake of Angel-wings
Winnowing the air.
Bring unto the sorrowing
All release from pain;
Let the lips of laughter
Overflow again;
And with all the needy,
O divide, I pray,
This vast treasure of content
That is mine today!
(a prayer of James Whitcomb Riley)
A Prayer Before Worship
Come, O Incarnate Word,
Gird on your mighty sword,
Our prayer attend;
Come, and your people bless,
And give your Word success;
Spirit of holiness,
On us descend!
(anonymous, revised slightly)
Gird on your mighty sword,
Our prayer attend;
Come, and your people bless,
And give your Word success;
Spirit of holiness,
On us descend!
(anonymous, revised slightly)
Enliven Me
Gracious God, enliven me. Make me alive to you.
Alive to my wife,
my father,
children,
grandchildren,
neighbors,
strangers,
and yes, even to my enemies.
Alive to the house wren speeding to her nest with another caterpillar to feed her demanding brood.
Alive to the cricket singing outside the back door.
Alive to the cloud that is sailing overhead right now.
Alive to the spin of this planet--real, but completely undetectable to me.
Alive to chemistry and physics and philosophy and economics and even politics.
Alive to open books and folded sheets, a sleeping dog, migrating geese, frying eggs, everything. Amen.
(based on lines from Brian McLaren's Finding Our Way Again (The Return of the Ancient Practices), pp. 182-183).
For Deadlines
that give structure
and impetus
to my writing life.
Help me to meet every one,
and to beat them often enough
as to be a blessing to the editors and publishers
who are foolish enough or kind enough
to give me work,
in Jesus' name, amen.
Against Bitterness
Lord, that there should be any bitterness in my heart, after all you've done for me and given to me, is a wonder and a shame. But there is, from time to time. I confess it. It rises up at odd moments, unexpectedly. I don't want it. I reject it. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from me, along with all malice. By your mercy and grace, deliver me from it, that I may follow you in complete and constant gratitude, in Jesus' name, amen.
A Shakespearean Paean of Praise
When thou art all the better part of me?
What can mine own praise to mine own self bring?
And what is but mine own when I praise thee?
(William Shakespeare, Sonnet 39, lines 1-4)
A Prayer for Wisdom
As a new work-week begins, I seek your wisdom. Solomon could have asked you for anything, but he asked you for wisdom and a discerning heart (1 Kings 3:5-14). I want to make that same choice.
May your Holy Spirit give me a discerning heart. Grant me godly common sense in every task, every meeting, every administrative decision, every personal interaction, every financial transaction, every step I take.
Remind me that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” I won’t be wise unless I put you first in my life above all else.
Remind me that true wisdom is practical and down-to-earth. It includes acts as well as facts—putting what I know into action. As I read your Word, let it provide me more than mere information; let it lead to transformation. Like clay in the hands of the potter, shape me into something useful and beautiful.
Remind me that wisdom is your gift—something I must seek regularly in prayer. Thank you for the promise of your Word that assures me, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask god, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
Remind me that “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).
Please grant me wisdom, Father. This is my prayer in the name of Christ, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). Amen.
(from the newly released book, Monday Morning Proverbs, by David Faust. Used with permission)
Advent Prayer
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)
Here is Your Cradle
Lord, I know the Christmas story,I’ve heard it many times:
how humbly you began your life
in human flesh like mine,
how lowly was your family
how rude your stable bed,
how beasts of burden gathered round
your small straw-haloed head;
And Joseph must have gazed on proudly
and stroked your wispy hair,
as angels broke the news nearby
while dancing in the air.
And Mary sang you lullabies
and kept you safe and warm
til shepherds came and bowed before
your ancient infant form;
I know the story, Lord, and yet
I know you’ve heard it, too.
I know you won’t be satisfied until
it becomes my story, too.
And so I’m glad it shows me there’s
no place too rude for you;
It’s not much I have to give
But all I have will have to do:
Here is your cradle,
here is your manger,
here is your bed of straw.
Make me your cradle,
My heart your manger,
My life your bed of straw.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)