Category: prayer

Free spirit


 

On freedom

We have a visceral awareness of how free we feel as we move through the world, even though freedom, like energy is not something we can see, taste or touch. How do our senses know when we’re free? It seems to run along a continuum, one that we define in relative terms. The playground is freer than the classroom, the picnic freer than the formal banquet. But at each end of the spectrum there are absolutes. On one end lie places we all agree are restrictive, like the tunnel of an MRI machine or a solitary-confinement cell. On the other are places that feel entirely unconstrained – fields and lakes, parks and beaches. As I thought about it, I realized that the most liberating places are, with few exceptions, found in nature.

 

A prayer

As the beautiful, dew-covered rose
      rises from amongst its thorns,
so may my heart be so full of love for you, my God,
      that I may rise above the storms and evils that assail me,
and stand fast in trust and freedom of spirit.
 
after Hadewijch of Brabant (first half of thirteenth century)
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #238
 

From the blog
Nature bringing joy
Ancient Irish Prayer
Restless heart
 

Lord of the captive and the free


 

 

An aboriginal activist sister said, “If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us walk together.“

A prayer

Lord of the captive and Lord of the free, fill our voices with songs that proclaim hope, joy and justice for all creation. Guide us this day to walk alongside the oppressed as fellow sojourners. Amen.

 
 
Both the quote and the prayer are from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and Enuma Okoro, p. 245.

From the blog
Theme: Ever sustaining  [prayer sheet]
Make us a chalice
No more tears
 

Rising … into freedom


Good Friday “cross talk” installation with addition of white marks to imply “things rising”

Prayer for all things rising

For all things rising
out of the hiddenness of shadows
out of the weight of despair
out of the brokenness of pain
out of the constrictions of compliance
out of the rigidity of stereotypes
out of the prison of prejudice;

for all things rising
into life, into hope
into healing, into power
into freedom, into justice;

we pray, O God,
for all things rising.

 
written by Jan Richardson, from paintedprayerbook.com

From the blog
Hear and answer
Interpreting the times
Theme: Change my heart, O God  [prayer sheet]
 

Practice Good Friday

 
For many years now it’s been my practice and privilege to lead the Good Friday service in our church in Rotterdam. The theme this year is Cross talk.

We will end the service as usual with a Tenebrae liturgy, recalling the 7 ‘words’ of Jesus from the cross. I’ve written a refrain to sing after each ‘word’, as a candle is snuffed out:

This is God’s Son, the chosen one
Listen to him, listen
He has the words of eternal life
Listen to him

A prayer

Oh God, we thank you for the gift of years; for the opportunity to see the pattern of our lives and to have experienced the deaths from which we have risen over and over again. As we continue our journey, give us lightness of step and lightness of heart that we may grace our world with a spirit of joy and gratitude. We ask this in the name of Jesus who has gone before and continues to walk the way with us.

The woman’s prayer companion, from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #984

From the blog
In the school of prayer with Terry Hinks
Asking and answers
Thank you. For life
 

Prayer as a practice


 

It will pass

from Prayer: Forty days of practice by Justin McRoberts and Scott Erickson
 

The young woman sat in a wooden chair across from her mentor and grieved, “I am so easily distracted. My mind buzzes with noise and I cannot pray. Please help me.”

Her mentor nodded slowly and smiled, saying, “It will pass. Keep practicing.”

One week later the young woman sat across from her mentor again. This time, sliding slightly lower into the chair, she stared at the empty table. “Nothing works. I sit in silence. I journal. I read the Scriptures. Still, my mind is too noisy. I cannot pray. Please help me.”

Her mentor nodded slowly and smiled, saying, “It will pass. Keep practicing.”

Many weeks went by, during which the young woman did not visit her mentor – until one day, she bounded into the room and stood at the table, beaming. “You were right! I kept practicing. I sat in silence. I journaled. I read the Scriptures. And eventually the busyness of my mind settled like dust and I could pray! I can pray!”

Her mentor rose from the table, set her hand on the young woman’s shoulder, and smiled. “It will pass,” she said. “Keep practicing.”

 

A poem

Let Your God Love You

Be silent.
Be still.
Alone.
Empty
Before your God.
Say nothing.
Ask nothing.
Be silent.
Be still.
Let your God look upon you.
That is all.
God knows.
God understands.
God loves you
With an enormous love,
And only wants
To look upon you
With that love.
Quiet.
Still.
Be.

Let your God —
Love you.

 
~ written by Edwina Gateley, posted on www.journeywithjesus.net

From the blog
In the quiet of God’s smile
3 Prayers while waiting
Thank you. For making me
 

Daily practice rewards


I encounter this willow tree regularly to and from Rotterdam Central Station.

 
Reflecting on the story of the Samaritan woman who meets Jesus while making her daily visit to the well (John 4:1-30, 39-42), Jan Richardson writes,

The encounter between Jesus and the unnamed woman offers something of an icon of the Lenten season and the invitation it extends to us. If we give ourselves to a daily practice, if we keep taking our vessel to the source even when we feel uninspired or the well seems empty or the journey is boring, if we walk with an openness to what might be waiting for us in the repetition and rhythm of our routines, we may suddenly find ourselves swimming in the grace and love of God that goes deeper than we ever imagined. …

Are your habits and practices drawing you closer to the sustenance you need or pulling you farther away from it? What are you thirsty for?

 
from www.paintedprayerbook.com

Opening prayer

O God, we gather at your waters,
as a hot and bothered crowd gathers on the beach
on a sweltering, summer day.
O God, we drink at your fountain,
as a parched dog laps at the fresh,
running water of a bush creek.
O God, we await your refreshment,
as a tired worker watches for the change of shift.
Quench our thirst, satisfy our longings.
May we be refreshed and restored in you;
and teach us where to find the bucket and how to carry it
so that we might draw that water for those who most need it.

~ written by Anita Monro and posted on re:Worship

From the blog
The wells of salvation
Settle yourself into the quiet
In the school of prayer with Angela Ashwin
 

Daily practice

 
In the book, Basic Christian: The Inside Story of John Stott, Anglican cleric John Stott shared this prayer. It was his practice to pray it every morning.

 
Good morning heavenly Father,
good morning Lord Jesus,
good morning Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father, I worship you as the creator and sustainer of the universe.
Lord Jesus, I worship you, Saviour and Lord of the world.
Holy Spirit, I worship you, sanctifier of the people of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father,
I pray that I may live this day in your presence
and please you more and more.

Lord Jesus,
I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.

Holy Spirit,
I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself
and cause your fruit to ripen in my life:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
three persons in one God,
have mercy upon me.
Amen.
 

~ posted on re:Worship

From the blog
Walking the labyrinth
The empty cup
In the school of prayer with Brother Lawrence
 

Path to wholeness

Prayer

inspired by Matthew 11:28-30

In times of weakness and hour of need,
yours is the strength by which we carry on,
the shoulder we rest our head upon.
When our load is heavy and too much to bear,
yours are the arms stretched out to help us
the grace that we depend on.
In times of weakness and hour of need,
your voice is heard,
‘Come… find rest.’
This is grace divine,
the path we tread to wholeness
of body and spirit,
the path that leads to you,
and for which we offer our offering of praise.

~ written by John Birch, and posted on Faith and Worship. http://www.faithandworship.com/

From the blog
In the school of prayer with Tish Harrison Warren
Inspired by trees
“A Good Night’s Sleep” inspirations
 

Thank you. For work


View of the sunrise on my commute to work

 
REFLECTION
The kingdom of heaven came near to Peter and Andrew at their place of work, fishing in the Sea of Galilee (Matt 4:18-20).  Pray for the kingdom of heaven to come near to us at our place of work too.

Litany of Labor

Let us pray to the Lord of all creation,
from whom comes life and work and purpose.

Almighty God,
when you formed us lovingly out of the dust of the earth,
you breathed into us the breath of life
and gave us work and purpose for living.
You placed Adam in the garden of Eden to till and keep it.
Through our work, you made us co-creators with you,
shaping the world in which we live.
You gave dignity to our labor by sending your Son to labor with us.
By our labor, you enrich the world.
By our labor, we enjoy the fruits of creation.
By our labor, we find direction and purpose.
By our labor, our families are made secure.

For providing varieties of work and for blessing us by our labor:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who plow the field and those who make the plow;
for farmers and farm workers, for steelworkers and machinists;
for those who work with their hands and those who move the earth:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who tend the sick and those who seek new cures;
for doctors and nurses, for scientists and technicians;
for those who keep notes and those who transcribe:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who think and those who create;
for inventors and explorers, for artists and musicians;
for those who write books and those who entertain:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who work in offices and those who work in warehouses;
for secretaries and receptionists, for stockers and bookkeepers;
for those who market products and for those who move them:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who inspire our minds and those who motivate us;
for teachers and preachers, for public servants and religious servants;
those who help the poor and those who work with our children:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those whose labor is tidiness and cleanliness;
for janitors and sanitary workers, for drycleaners and maids;
for those who produce cleaning products and those who use them:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

For those who sail the waves and those who fly the skies;
for captains and attendants, for astronauts and deep sea divers;
for those who chart and those who navigate:
We give you thanks, O Lord.

You bless us all with skills and gifts for labor.
You provide us opportunities to use them,
for the benefit of others as well as ourselves.

Guard and protect those who labor in the world.
Bless the work of our hands, O Lord.

Look kindly upon the unemployed and the disabled.
Give health to the sick, hope to the bereaved.

Keep us from laboring only for greed.
Make us loving and responsible in all that we do.

Creator Lord, you are the source of all wisdom and purpose,
you are the blessing of those who labor.
Be with us in our labor to guide and govern our world.
Give all men and women work that enhances human dignity
and bonds us to one another.
Give us pride in our work,
a fair return for our labor,
and joy in knowing that our work finds its source in you;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

— written by Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and posted on Liturgy by TLW.
 

From the blog
Circle me, Lord
Work as an offering
In the school of prayer with Brother Lawrence
 

(You) unite us. Thank you


 

To mark this year’s Annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 18 to 25 January 2026, a prayer dating back to the third century.

Prayer

Lord, we pray for the unity of your Church.
Help us to see ourselves as rays from the one sun,
branches of a single tree,
and streams flowing from one river.
May we remain united to you and to each other,
because you are our common source of life;
and may we send out your light
and pour forth your flowing streams over all the earth,
drawing our inspiration and joy from you.

 
inspired by St Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200-258)
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #527

From the blog
3 Prayers for Christian unity
Theme: Called into community   [prayer sheet]
Plant us, root us, grow us