Category: prayer

Unless the Lord stands watch


 
 

Unless the Lord builds the house,
      the builders labour in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
      the guards stand watch in vain.

The Mercy of Justice

Where are things heading, God of wisdom?
Unless you are a God of justice and judgement,
      the future of this arrogant world is dismal.
Unless you are a God of grace and mercy,
      our place in your future is hopeless.

With the anger of a temple cleansing,
      overthrow greed and scatter our indifference.
With the suffering of your crucified Son,
      forgive our sins and heal our diseases.
With the mercy of justice and the justice
      of your unique mercy, lead us on towards
      the consummation of your kingdom.

You alone are our help and hope.
You alone are our health and happiness.

Through Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Amen!
 
~ written by Bruce Prewer, and posted on www.bruceprewer.com

From the blog
Yield as sacrifice
Prayer poem: Not unless
On Writing Prayer-Poems
 

The Lord is near

Rejoice in the Lord always.
I will say it again: rejoice!
Let your gentleness be evident to all.
>>> The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.

 

A prayer

Lord Jesus,
by the loneliness of your suffering on the cross,
be near to all who are desolate, and in pain and sorrow;
let your presence transform their sorrow into comfort,
and their loneliness into fellowship with you;
for the sake of your tender mercy.

 
by George Appleton
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #435

From the blog
Circle me, Lord
The Holy Other
The Spirit does wonders
 

Planted near you


Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens, Western Cape, South Africa

Prayer

(inspired by Psalm 1)

Holy God,
we come before your throne
and admit that most of the time
we are too busy singing and praying and
feeling good and feeling bad and feeling so-so
to stop and listen for your tiny, little whispers.
In your word you paint for us a picture of full and abundant life,
life that can only be had by drinking your living water,
knowing you not as a title, but intimately, a mystery …

We pray that our lives would be planted near you –
that we would send our roots deep into your word and your life,
that we would draw nourishment from you,
and that with the life you give we would in turn
provide shelter and comfort and blessing
to whoever comes under our branches.

We pray that we would not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stand in the way of sinners,
nor abide in the house of the scornful,
but that our delight would be in you,
in your truth, in your grace,
now and forevermore.

 
~ posted on Jeff’s Blog (adapted)
 

From the blog
3 Prayers for a clean heart (includes a blessing from Jeff’s Blog)
To keep our hearts in tune
Bend down low
 

Be near, be close

Prayer

God, we praise you,
Father, all powerful,
Christ, Lord and Saviour,
Spirit of Love,
drawing us to share in your life and your love.
One God, three Persons,
be near to the people formed in your image,
close to the world your love brings to life.
We ask you this,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
one God, true and living,
for ever and ever.

 
~ The Liturgy of the Hours
from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin, #869

From the blog
3 Prayers to the Sacred Trinity
Too beautiful for war
Who do you work for?
 

Gathered from far

Call to Worship

inspired by Jeremiah 31:7-9

Sing aloud with gladness:
    God is gathering the people!
From the farthest parts of the earth we come:
    All who struggle; all who labor with new life!
Those who are weeping, God will console;
    Those who get lost find a clear path home.
Let us worship the God who gathers us!

Prayer of Invocation

Ever-calling God,
We give thanks that you have gathered us into your church
    and graced us with your faithful presence.
We ponder our history, ancient and still developing,
    and marvel at the many expressions of your church.
Grant us the vision to be a part of a new reformation for the Church
    that will bring ever more joy and justice to the world.
Continue to gather us, the diverse lot of us,
    into Jesus’ vision and dream
    that your faithful people may be one in you.
Amen

 
~ written by the Rev. Bonnie Tarwater, and posted on the United Church of Christ’s Worship Ways website.

From the blog
Seed
Do this remembering
Baby steps
 

This far, no further

Praying for Wisdom

based on Job 38

Lord, you laid the earth’s foundations;
    you placed its cornerstone;
while the morning stars sang together
    and all the angels shouted for joy,
you set limits for the sea and said,
     “This far and no further!”

You gave orders to the morning
    and showed the dawn its place;
you moulded the earth until it took shape.

You alone know the springs of the sea;
    you alone comprehend the vastness of the universe;
    you alone know the laws of heaven:

Lord, give wisdom to our hearts
    and understanding to our minds.
Amen.

 
~ written by Michael Perry, and posted on re:worship

From the blog
Song in the night
In the school of prayer with Eddie Askew
Continually curious
 

Flower where you are

Opening Prayer

“Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness….” Psalm 29:2

 
O God,
whose holiness is not limited to
      grand cathedrals or saintly persons,
      spectacular mountains or mountain-moving leaders;
O God,
whose holiness is often discovered in simple everyday places
      and simple everyday folk,
plant Your holiness in this place,
      in us now.
Grow us this hour,
      that we might flower,
      right where we are,
      with the beauty of Your holiness.
Through Jesus we pray.
Amen.

 
~ posted on My Redeemer Lives website.

Note: Next month’s theme is “Response”. Week by week I will be posting a litany based on the lectionary psalm and a sung response I’ve written specially for services in my church in Rotterdam in the month of August. The psalms are Psalm 17, 105, 133 and 124.
 
Get in touch if you’d like to use the litanies too. I can provide recordings and basic notation (melody line and chords).
 

Ever blooming

 

Kindness, peace, love —
may they never stop blooming
in you and from you.
Jude 1:2,  VOICE

 
 

Opening prayer

God of small seeds and mighty plants, you take our meager lives and with your love cause them to produce acts of loving kindness for you in this world. You hear our cries and find us when we are lost and wandering in fear. You bring us home with you so that we may be made whole, rejoicing in your goodness. Help us to joyfully serve you all our days, knowing that you are always watching over us. Prepare our hearts to receive your word and our spirits to respond in eagerness to serve you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN

 
~ written by Nancy Townley, posted on www.ministrymatters.com
 

From the blog
Theme: He heals the brokenhearted  [prayer sheet]
The Gift #12 : Recreator
Walk the walk
 

Asking One, ask us

A prayer of adoration and confession

inspired by Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 11:1-13

Seeking One,
you are the beginning and the end of our search.
Finding One,
you are the alpha and omega of all discovery.
Asking One,
you are the voice and the silence of our exploration.
Giving One,
you are the fullness and the emptiness of all yearning.
Persistent One,
you never abandon your search for us,
nor tire of our repetitive to-ings and fro-ings.
Receiving One,
you endlessly welcome us home,
and spread before us a feast
in the face of our constant requests for mere morsels of bread.

Search us, O God,
and find within us the secrets we hide.
Ask us, O God,
and receive from within us the pain we bear.
Keep knocking at the door of our lives
until we open our wills to your purpose,
our lives to your life, and our yearning to your hope.

When we forget to seek you and discover that we have lost our place:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

When we ask once and leave it at that:
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

When we draw back from knocking, lest we disturb you:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Strengthen our courage; bolster our endurance;
spur us onward in your way in our world
through the power of the Holy Spirit
and the name of Christ.
Amen.

 
~ written by Anita Monro and posted on re:worship

From the blog
When hot and bothered
Good grief
In the school of prayer with the Celtic Saints
 

Jesus, pray for us

Prayer of Petition

(inspired by John 17)

Jesus,
just as you prayed for your disciples so long ago
Pray for us,
Pray for our wellbeing,
Pray for our protection.
Pray for your joy to be made complete in us.
Pray for our spiritual growth.
Pray for your truth to be made complete in us.

Jesus,
we often do not know how to pray,
So pray for us,
Pray with us,
That we may be one with you,
One with each other, and
One in ministry to the world.

Jesus,
Pray for your weak ones,
Your strong ones,
Your ones who are ill,
Your ones near death,
Your ones who breeze through life,
Your ones who struggle in life.

Jesus,
We join you in these prayers for all your people,
Amen.

 
— written by Rev. Abi and posted on re:worship (adapted)
 

From the blog
In the school of prayer with Michael Mayne
In the school of prayer with Eddie Askew
In the school of prayer with Terry Hinks