Category: prayer

All my days and forever


Keeping a low profile: Dandelion verging on the tram rail  (Photo: Irene Bom)
 
 

Surely your goodness and love will follow me
      all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
      forever.

 

God, you are enough

Psalm 23 – a paraphrase

God,
You are enough for us;
      you give us rest in soft fields
            and beside whispering streams;
      you restore and renew us,
            and lead us into life-giving ways;

When death and evil come close to us,
      you carry us through,
            you protect and comfort us;
      when others seek to do us harm,
            your grace uplifts and provides for us
            in public view;
      you fill us with your strength
            and we enjoy overflowing abundance;

We have confidence that your goodness and compassion
            will fill our days,
      and we will stay immersed in your life and presence
            forever.
 
Amen.

 
~ written by John van de Laar, posted on sacradise.com
 

From the blog | More prayers by John van de Laar

In small ways
Theme: Still small voice  [prayer sheet]
Theme: Good shepherd  [prayer sheet]
 

Continue by grace


(Photo: Irene Bom)
 

A prayer

Gracious and Compassionate God,
As we journey through our time of Lent
Our time in deserts and low places
Our time on the mountains and high places
We continue to seek you.

We need you more than ever
in our busyness
our loneliness
our sadness
our depression
our anger
our happiness
our joy
our excitement

We need
your presence
your compassion
your grace
your comfort
your renewal
your healing
your peace
your joy
your love
your salvation

Lord, we are
reminded that
all this is embodied
in your son Jesus
in his life
his death
and his resurrection

and that all
this was freely given
that we may have
abundant life
eternal life
fullness of life
freed lives
loved lives
loving lives
grace giving lives

Come Lord
pour your mercy and grace and love and salvation over us
And for these gifts from you we are grateful.
Amen.

 
~ written by Rev. Abi,
posted on Rev. Abi’s Long and Winding Road blog.
 

From the blog
St Patrick’s Breastplate embodied
First steps
To keep our hearts in tune
 

3 More prayers for courage


 
 

Here are 3 brief prayers for courage to aid you in your prayers as you bring your hopes and fears before God.

Note: I’ve called this post 3 More prayers for courage as I already had a post entitled 3 Prayers for courage, posted in September 2020 when the theme of the month was “Threshold”.
 

#1

“Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’
After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.” (John 20:19-20)

Living God,
You appeared to your disciples in their hour of fear,
and offered them your peace to still their hearts.
May we open our arms
to be living hope in the world today,
bringing peace to those living in fear.
Give us courage to be bold in sharing what we believe;
may we hold firm to your promise of life and hope,
and strive for a new world,
free from poverty, injustice and conflict.

~ from the Monthly Prayers page of the Christian Aid website,
posted on re:worship
 

#2

Eternal God,
you call us to ventures
of which we cannot see the ending,
by paths as yet untrodden,
through perils unknown.
Give us faith
to go out with courage, not knowing
where we go but only that your hand
is leading us,
and your love supporting us.

~ written by Eric Milner White,
posted on Christine Jerrett’s blog
 

#3

(inspired by Luke 24:13-35)

O God, you come to us in unexpected places:
in isolation, behind closed doors;
on dusty roads, as we go from place to place;
in video chats with friends and telephone conversations with loved ones.
You come bringing us peace, where there is no peace.
You come bringing us hope when everything seems hopeless.
You come bringing us courage when we are afraid.
Come and be among us now, in every place where we are.
Open our eyes to see you, open our hearts to know you.
In the name of the Risen Christ we pray.
Amen

~ submitted by Ann Harbridge,
posted on re:worship
 

From the blog
Wilderness encouragement
3 Prayers for refugees
Theme: Still small voice  [prayer sheet]
 

For courage and grace


 

A bold prayer for this first week in Lent.

 

A prayer

Lord Jesus Christ,
who for our sake drew to yourself the world’s hate,
grant us the courage to be vulnerable,
grace to expose ourselves to the furies without
      and the furies within;
and in our frailty send your holy angels
      to minister to us.
 

~ written by Richard Harries
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #770
 

Evening prayer #4

 

A prayer to accompany you as day changes into night.

 

O God our Creator,
by whose mercy and might
the world turns safely into darkness
and returns again to light:
we give into your hands
our unfinished tasks,
our unsolved problems
and our unfulfilled hopes,
knowing that only those things which you bless
will prosper.

To your great love and protection
we commit each other,
and all for whom we have prayed,
knowing that you alone are our sure defender;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 
The Book of Common Worship, Church of South India (adapted)
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #672
 

More evening prayers
Evening prayer #1
Evening prayer #2
Evening prayer #3
 

Germinate and grow

 

Another New Year’s prayer, albeit a few days late, a prayer that beautifully connects to our current theme of the month: GROW.

 

New Year’s prayer

Lord, as this new year dawns,
welcome.

Welcome into our world
and into our lives.

Sow light in our hearts.
Let it germinate and grow
and bring forth fruit.
Birth in us something new.

Let your peace take root.
Nurture it,
encourage it to flourish.

Let your love blossom
with the fragrance
of patience and compassion.

Let it strengthen
forgiveness and understanding.

Let your life emerge
in us, through us, around us,
bringing newness to all it touches.

 
~ written by Christine Sine, and posted on godspacelight.com.
 

 
From the blog
3 prayers for the New Year
3 Prayers for endings and beginnings
Big strong tree
 

3 prayers for the New Year


ending well …  (Artwork: Irene Bom)
 

Because prayer matters, from one year to the next …

 

#1

O Christ,
tirelessly you seek out those who are looking for you
and who think that you are far away;
teach us, at every moment,
to place our spirits in your hands.
While we are still looking for you,
already you have found us.
However poor our prayer,
you hear us far more than we can imagine or believe.

Brother Roger of Taizé
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #13
 

#2

God, bless our year
giving us
time for the task
peace for the pathway
wisdom for the work
friends for the fireside
love to the last.

The Mother’s Union Anthology of Public Prayers
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #752
 

#3

O Lord, as the years change, may we find rest in your eternal changelessness. Help us to meet this new year bravely, in the faith that, while life changes all around us, you are always the same, guiding us with your wisdom and protecting us with your love; through our Saviour Jesus Christ.

William Temple (1881-1944)
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #749
 

Credits

“If you want to start well, it is deeply connected to ending well.”
from Creative Pep Talk podcast (episode #345), hosted by Andy J. Miller (alias Andy J. Pizza).
 

All my longings


 

All my longings lie open before you, Lord:
      my sighing is not hidden from you.

 

A prayer

My God,
I pray that I may so know you and love you
that I may rejoice in you.
And if I may not do so fully in this life,
let me go steadily on
to the day when I come to fullness of life.
Meanwhile let my mind meditate on your eternal goodness,
let my tongue speak of it,
let my heart live it,
let my soul hunger for it,
and my whole being desire it,
until I enter into your joy.
 
by St Anselm (1033-1109)
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #85
 

From the blog
United by love
Not deserted
Holy moment beneath the stars
 

Longing for his appearing

 

This past Sunday I got to preach on the topic of “Longing” as part of our Advent series, Waiting, longing, hoping and praying for the Day of the Lord.

May God increase your longing for Jesus’ return as we move through Advent and on to another Covid-coloured Christmas. According to Paul, there is a crown of righteousness awaiting “all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

 

Prayer

In the promise which is everywhere about us
Hold us, God

In the longing for a new world and new living
Cradle us, God

In the need to see advent’s revelation in our world
Direct us, God

In the silence of memories that haunt us
Comfort us, God

In the hunger for justice that aches in us
Feed us, God

In the yearning for love in each of our days
Reassure us, God

In the setting out of truth in our political world
Aid us, God

In the call for peace in our crazy world
Hear us, God

In the search for healing in our broken world
Find us, God

In the gathering round the table
Gather with us, God

In the breaking of bread and spilling of wine
Share with us, God

In the community of faith
Reveal yourself, God

 
— from the archives of the Church of Scotland’s Starters for Sunday website, posted on re:worship.
 

 
Resound Worship Podcast: One of my songs got mentioned

For a sample and review of the theme song I wrote for our Advent series, Waiting, longing, hoping and praying for the Day of the Lord, check out the Resound Worship Podcast, episode 91 (from 40:35 to 45:30).
 

Considering considerate


 

James tells us the wisdom from heaven is – amongst other things – considerate (James 3:17).

 
Here’s a quote from a recent sermon I preached entitled Be wise in God’s eyes that references this verse:
 

What does genuine wisdom look like? James spells it out for us in v. 17: ‘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.’

True wisdom, the wisdom that comes from heaven looks like Jesus: Pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

The more we let Jesus shape our lives, the wiser we will be. Pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

 

A prayer

Lord, help me to understand what it truly means to be considerate of others and put their needs above my own. May I recognize the little things I do that reveal I am thinking more of myself than of others. Help me to see the blessing that comes from putting others first.

May I see that everything I think doesn’t need to be said. May I understand that an affirmative smile is better than speaking my mind. Please give me insight into where others need to be lifted up and encouraged in you.

Putting others first means that I listen to others and hear what they say even if I don’t agree with them. If you would have me speak truth then enable me to do it with gentleness and compassion, not with antagonism and force. In all things, remind me to examine myself first to see if there is any wrong way in me.

Lord, teach me to keep my words few and my heart full of you. May my mind be aligned with your mind and may I see into the souls of others and know what you know. May I recognize that all people need you and may the words I speak to them reveal a little of who you are and all that you have done for us.

Lord, at the heart of putting others first is the dying to self. It isn’t important what I want and think. What is important is what you want and that should be at the forefront of my mind. Lord may my thoughts and words be considerate of others and pleasing to you. May I learn to speak as you speak and love as you love. May all that I do be done in your name and bring glory to you.

Amen

 
~ written by Marty Elwell, posted on www.ultimateoutcomes.org