One Prayer a Day

Lent is Sacrifice; Lent is Spring

Lent is sacrifice, but Lent is spring.

So we do thank thee, Father in heaven, for reining the sun up this way again; for making these warming days as long as the starry nights with the growing moon.

Would our Lord have need of our colt today?

Before the very stones cry out, we wave branches and shout, "Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

But must our righteous King be crucified?

Must our viable seed be buried in the dark earth?

Thy will be done.

Amen.

(excerpt from the book, The Farmer Gives Thanks; photo by Katzenfee50 via pixabay.com)

No Smooth Path

Lord,

like all people,

I am born to trouble

as surely as

the sparks fly upward (Job 5:7).

Help me not to expect

a smooth path through life,

as though I deserve comfort,

even luxury.

Help me to greet adversity as opportunity,

and to trust you and glorify

whether my way is easy or hard,

stormy or smooth,

in Jesus' name, amen.

(photo by Sternenvogelreisen via pixabay.com)

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; photo illustration by 4317940 via pixabay.com)

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.

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)

Ready as the Robins

Make us as ready as the robins are.

For whenever the time may come, we want to turn over to you more than five barley loaves and two little fishes.

Make us strong but humble; just, but kind; and every day, rain or shine, smiling.

Amen.

(excerpt from the book, The Farmer Gives Thanks; photo by Fotoxcapture via pixabay.com)

If Ever

Spring!

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!

For blue of stream and blue of sky;
For pleasant shade of branches high;
For fragrant air and cooling breeze;
For beauty of the blooming trees,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!

(by Ralph Waldo Emerson; photo by ROverhate via pixabay.com)

Reason

On Aaron's Birthday

Oh, Lord, my God,
gone are the days
when my little boy
could climb into my lap
and melt my heart with a smile.
Gone are the nights
when I could read him a book
and smile with joy
at his plea for more.

But oh, what a son he still is today.
Oh, how you've blessed me,
not only with a boy,
but with such a son,
and such a husband,
and such a father,
and such a friend as he is.

And though I know it is selfish
to ask more when you have given so much already,
I ask.
Lord, I ask.

Please make his every dream
come true.
Please.

Continue making him like Enoch, who walked with you,

like Noah, who found grace in your sight,

like Abraham, who walked by faith,
like Joseph, a dreamer and doer,
like Moses, who walked on holy ground,
like his namesake Aaron, who led your people into your presence,
like Caleb and Joshua, who saw with eyes of faith,
like Elijah, who received food from your hand,
like Elisha, who was given a double portion,
like David, who danced before you, a man after your own heart,
like Jehoshaphat, who trusted in you,
like Hosea, who forgave largely,
like John, a beloved disciple,
like Barnabas, a mentor and encourager.
Make him more than anything, like Jesus, lover of souls.

Bless him, Lord, on his birthday,
and every day to come,
as you have so blessed me with him,
in Jesus' name, amen.

Breastplate

Today I put on
a terrible strength
invoking the Trinity
confessing the Three
with faith in the One
as I face my Maker.

Today I put on the power
of Christ's birth and baptism,
of his hanging and burial,
His resurrection, ascension,
and descent at the Judgement.

Today I put on the power
of the order of the Cherubim,
angels' obedience,
archangels' attendance,
in hope of ascending
to my reward;
patriarchs' prayers,
prophets' predictions,
apostles precepts,
confessors' testimony,
holy virgins' innocence
and the deeds of true men.

Today I put on
the power of Heaven,
the light of the Sun,
the radiance of the Moon,
the splendour of fire,
the fierceness of lightning,
the swiftness of wind,
the depth of the sea,
the firmness of earth
and the hardness of rock.

Today I put on
God's strenghth to steer me,
God's power to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye for my vision,
God's ear for my hearing,
God's word for my speech,
God's hand to protect me,
God's pathway before me,
God's shield for my shelter,
God's angels to guard me
from ambush of devils,
from vice's allurements,
from traps of the flesh,
from all who wish ill,
whether distant or close,
alone or in hosts.

I summon these powers today
to take my part against every implacable power
that attacks my body and soul,
the chants of false prophets,
dark laws of the pagans,
false heretics' laws,
entrapments of idols,
enchantments of women
or smiths or druids,
and all knowledge that poisons
man's body or soul.

Christ guard me today
from poison, from burning,
from drowning, from hurt,
that I have my reward.

Christ beside me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ within me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me.
Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie,
Christ where I sit,
Christ where I rise.
Christ in the hearts of all who think of me,
Christ in the mouths of all who speak to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

Today I put on
a terrible strength,
invoking the Trinity,
confessing the Three,
with faith in the One
as I face my Maker.

(a prayer attributed to St. Patrick; photo by rgohery via pixabay.com)

I Ask

I ask, Lord, for daily bread,
but not for wealth, lest I forget the poor.
I ask for strength,
but not for power, lest I despise the meek.
I ask for wisdom,
but not for learning, lest I condemn the simple.
I ask for a clean name,
but not for fame, lest I condemn the lowly.
I ask for peace of mind,
but not for idle hours, lest I fail to hearken to the call of duty.

(a prayer of Inazo Nitobe; photo by CongerDesign via pixabay.com)

To Be a Blessing

O Man of Galilee

I Walk in Gift Today

These rude feet,

and this God's day,

this most resplendent hour!

Father of mercies,

give me eyes,

make me aware:

I walk in gift today.

(a prayer of Gerhard E. Frost, from his book, Blessed is the Ordinary, p. 65)

True Humanness

God forgive us
that we have imagined true humanness,
after the Enlightenment model,
to mean being successful,
having it all together,
knowing all the answers,
never making mistakes,
striding through the world as though we owned it

(a prayer of N. T. Wright, from The Challenge of Jesus, p. 193; photo by Amazos7 via pixabay.com).

Each Morning Broken

Lord! Make my heart your temple in which you live.
Grant that every impure thought,

every earthly desire might be like the idol Dagon--

each morning broken at the feet of the Ark of the Covenant.

Teach me to master flesh and blood

and let this mastery of myself be my bloody sacrifice

in order that I might be able to say with the Apostle:

"I die every day."
Amen.

(a prayer of Soren Kierkegaard, slightly revised; photo by pompi via pixabay.com)

A Writer's Education

Teach me your ways, Lord.

Teach me your Word.

Teach me your wit.

Teach me your winsomeness.

Teach me your wiles.

Teach me your will.

Teach me your wealth of creativity,

resources,

variety,

and beauty.

Teach me your wonders,

in Jesus' name, amen.

My Need

Come, My Light

Come, my Light,
and illumine my darkness.
Come, my Life,
and revive me from death.
Come, my Physician,
and heal my wounds.
Come, Flame of divine love,
and burn up the thorns of my sins,
kindling my heart
with the flame of thy love.

(a prayer of Dimitrii of Rostov; photo by kloxklox_com via pixabay.com)

Can't Even Walk

Remember Me

Lord, remember me.

I know you never forget,

and never need reminding.

But remember me, please, when you feel like blessing someone.

Remember me when you're handing out strength for the day,

rest for the night,

hope for tomorrow.

Remember me when I forget you are near.

Remember me when the crowd presses in on me.

Remember me when others find fault, and demand what I cannot give.

Remember when I'm stricken with fear,

and peace eludes me,

and I forget that you are in control.

Remember me, too, when cloudy skies clear,

and all seems well with the world.

Remember me, Lord.

Remember me,

in Jesus' name, amen.

Surround Me

My Psalm 117

Praise the LORD,

everybody everywhere!

Shout his praises

so he can hear you!

For his love is incredible,

astonishing,

awesome,

indescribable,

inexpressible,

immeasurable,

infinite, and

amazing,

and his faithfulness never ends.

Praise the LORD.

You Give Peace

Blessed

Let Salvation Spring Up

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

Prayer Before a Keynote

Lord, please speak through me.
If you don't speak,
it won't matter what I say.
But if you do speak,
it won't matter what I say.

Down the Unknown Corridor

Guide us, we pray, down the unknown corridor of this day and every day. Lead us, each one, to the one door of all the many doors that thou wouldst . . . open. Give us courage to speak there the word that thou wouldst have us speak of love and healing. Give us ears to hear thee speak at every turning of the way—to listen, to listen, to hear, and to obey, even when the heart within us faints. Help us to live this day as though it were the first of all our days or the last of all our days. Amen.

(a prayer by Frederick Buechner, from his book, The Hungering Dark)

Into a Unity of Love

O God the Father, Origin of divinity,
good beyond all that is good,
fair beyond all that is fair,
in whom is calmness, peace, and concord;
make up the dissensions
which divide us from each other,
and bring us back into a unity of love,
which may bear some likeness

to your divine nature.

And as you are above all things,
make us one by the unanimity of a good mind,
that through the embrace of charity
and the bonds of affection,
we may be spiritually one,
as well in ourselves as in each other;
through that peace of yours
that makes all things peaceful,
and through the grace, mercy, and tenderness
of your Son, Jesus Christ, amen.

(a prayer of Dionysius the Great; photo by pasja100 via pixabay.com)

On a Day of Travel

Father God,

please grant me and the lovely Robin

safe and successful travel today.

Make smooth paths

(and flight schedules) for our feet.

Grant safe and timely travel to the airport.

Help us to make our flights

and safely reach our destination.

Protect us from coach cabin and airport terminal infections.

Guide our steps,

guard our thoughts,

and give us sweet communion with you and

pleasant interactions with others.

Make us alert to any opportunity to be the means of blessing

to our fellow travelers,

or those who serve them,

in Jesus' name, amen.

Mercy on Me

Hiding Place

Happy in You

I beg of You, my God,
let me know You and love You
so that I may be happy in You.
And though I cannot do this fully in this life,
yet let me improve from day to day
till I may do so to the full.
Let me know You more and more in this life,
that I may know You perfectly in heaven.
Let me know You more and more here,
so that I may love you perfectly there,
so that my joy may be great in itself here,
and complete in heaven with You.
O Truthful God, let me receive the happiness of heaven
which You promise so that my joy may be full.
In the meantime,
let my mind think of it,
let my tongue talk of it,
let my heart long for it,
let my mouth speak of it,
let my soul hunger after it,
let my flesh thirst after it,
let my whole being desire it,
until such time as I may enter through death into the joy of my Lord,
there to continue forever, world without end.
Amen.

(a prayer of St. Augustine; photo via pixabay.com)

On Mia's Birthday

Lord, watch over my sweet, wonderful granddaughter, Mia,
As her days increase;
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.
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.

Anywhere

If you, Lord, go with me,
I’ll go anywhere!
’Tis heaven to me,
Where’er I may be,
If you are there!
I count it a privilege here
Your cross to bear;
If you, Lord, go with me,
I’ll go anywhere!

(slightly revised from the hymn, "It May be in the Valley, Where Countless Dangers Hide," by C. Austin Miles)

Marvelous

How marvelous are your works, O Lord!

You Open Your Hand

We Submit Our Ashen Way to You

On this Wednesday, we submit our ashen way to you —
you Easter parade of newness.
Before the sun sets, take our Wednesday and Easter us,
Easter us to joy and energy and courage and freedom;
Easter us that we may be fearless for your truth.
Come here and Easter our Wednesday with
mercy and justice and peace and generosity.

We pray as we wait for the Risen One who comes soon.

(excerpted from Prayers for a Privileged People by Walter Brueggemann; photo by Amplitudy via pixabay.com)

In a Dry and Thirsty Land

More than Can Be Numbered

Valentine

Like summer snow
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)

Ave Verum Corpus

English translation:

Hail, true body,

Born of the virgin Mary;

Who has truly suffered, slaughtered

On the Cross for humanity.

Whose side was pierced,

Pouring out water and blood.

Be a foretaste for us

During our ordeal of death.

O sweet, o holy,

O Jesus Son of Mary,

Have mercy on me. Amen.

My Feeble Shoots

Thou who didst hang upon a barren tree,

My God, for me;

Though I till now be barren, now at length,

Lord, give me strength

To bring forth fruit to Thee.

Thou who didst bear for me the crown of thorn,

Spitting and scorn;

Though I till now have put forth thorns, yet now

Strengthen me Thou

That better fruit be borne.

Thou Rose of Sharon, Cedar of broad roots

Vine of sweet fruits,

Thou Lily of the vale with fadeless leaf,

Of thousands Chief,

Feed Thou My feeble shoots.

(a prayer of Christina Rossetti; photo by MarillaLina via pixabay.com)

On Nina's Birthday

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.

Bless her today on her birthday

and every day that is to come,

in Jesus' name, amen.

I Fly to You

Jesus, lover of my soul,
I fly to you,
I lay my head on your chest,
my Friend,
my Brother,
my Lord and my God,
my Savior,
my Stronghold.
Amen.

(photo by Free-Photos via pixabay.com)

Your Ways are Equal

Lord, your ways are equal (Ezekiel 18:25),
and my ways are unequal.
And you are without equal,
unexcelled,
incomprehensible,
incomparable,
and I praise you also for that.

In your mercy and kindness, Lord,
consider me.
Show me your ways, that I might know you.
Teach me,
guide me,
uphold me,
protect me,
and enlarge my capacity for you
and for doing your will,
in Jesus' name, amen.

(photo by Moshehar via pixabay.com)

Lowest Place

Give me the lowest place: not that I dare
Ask for that lowest place, but Thou hast died
That I might live and share
Thy glory by Thy side.

Give me the lowest place: or if for me
That lowest place too high, make one more low
Where I may sit and see
My God and love Thee so.

(a prayer by Christina Rossetti)

Lord of the Starfields

Full of Beauty, Delight, and Joy

O my God, if your creations are so full of beauty, delight and joy, how infinitely more full of beauty, delight and joy are you yourself, Creator of all!

(a prayer of Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, slightly revised; photo by timokefoto via pixabay.com)

Grace

Gracious God and Father of all humanity,

thank you for granting me the grace

to show grace. Amen.

(photo by lauraelatimer via pixabay.com)

Like a 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)

To Walk Lovingly with My Great Redeemer

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)