Bless, O God,
bless my weather-beaten soul.
For My Children and Grandchildren
My Heart
Lord, you have my heart.
Please be careful with it.
Amen.
(photo: detail of photo illustration by @kellysikkema via unsplash.com)
The Three That Seek My Heart
Bless to me, O God,
Each thing mine eye sees;
Bless to me, O God,
Each sound mine ear hears;
Bless to me, O God,
Each odor that goes to my nostrils;
Bless to me, O God,
Each taste that goes to my lips,
Each note that goes to my song,
Each ray that guides my way,
Each thing I pursue,
Each lure that tempts my will,
The zeal that seeks my living soul,
The Three that seek my heart,
The zeal that seeks my living soul,
The Three that seek my heart.
(a prayer from the Carmina Gadelica, III, a compendium of Celtic Christian prayers and songs; photo by @lundbergj via unsplash.com)
Glory in the Gray
Sun behind all suns...
Soul behind all souls...
show to us in everything we touch
and in everyone we meet
the continued assurance of thy presence round us,
lest ever we should think thee absent.
In all created things thou art there.
In every friend we have
the sunshine of thy presence is shown forth.
In every enemy that seems to cross our path,
thou art there within the cloud to challenge us to love.
Show to us the glory in the grey.
Awake for us thy presence in the very storm
till all our joys are seen as thee
and all our trivial tasks emerge as priestly sacraments
in the universal temple of thy love.
(George MacLeod, The Whole Earth Shall Cry Glory, pp. 13-14; photo by Jacek Dylag via unsplash.com)
For an Exact Faith
to be in all things strong, prudent and just
with a wise restraint at need.
Grant me an exact faith,
unshakeable trust in thee,
and perfect charity.
Fill me with the spirit of intelligence and wisdom.
Let me be always thoughtful for others and courageous,
with loyalty and reverence.
O Light, perfect and eternal, enlighten me.
(a prayer of Alcuin of York; photo by @jacksharp_photography via unsplash.com)
Everything to Me
Pardoner of my sins, and friend indeed,
Keeper of the garden of my heart,
Jesus, thou art everything to me.
Jesus, thou art everything to me,
Jesus, thou art everything to me,
All my lasting joys are found in thee;
Jesus, thou art everything to me.
What to me are all the joys of earth?
What to me is every sight I see,
Save the sight of thee, O Friend of mine?
Jesus, thou art everything to me.
Here I lay me at thy bleeding feet,
Deepest homage now I give to thee;
Hear thy whispered love within my soul;
Jesus, thou art everything to me.
(a prayer by Edward Henry Joy (verses), Arthur Smith Arnott (chorus), The Salvation Army Song Book; photo by FuuJ via unsplash.com)
Unnecessary Things
O God, teach me how to dispense with unnecessary things.
(a prayer of Toyohiko Kagawa)
In Restful Sincerity of Heart
I desire that I may feel no sense of possessing anything outside of you.
I want constantly to be aware of your overshadowing Presence and to hear your speaking Voice.
I long to live in restful sincerity of heart.
I want to live so fully in the Spirit that all my thought may be as sweet incense ascending to you and every act of my life may be an act of worship.
Therefore I pray in the words of your great servant of old, “I beseech Thee so for to cleanse the intent of mine heart with the unspeakable gift of Thy grace, that I may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee.”
And all this I confidently believe you will grant me through the merits of Jesus Christ your Son. Amen.
(a prayer by A.W Tozer in The Pursuit of God, updated slightly; photo via pixabay.com)
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