Change Archives - Prayer matters

Change … like little children

‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’

During a two-week stay at Dutch L’Abri last autumn, the subject of what it means to be like children came up in a lecture entitled, Hoping for the best but expecting the worst: Do you really want to live forever?

Here are some pointers our speaker, Arthur Metz, noted about children in his talk:

they are trusting because they don’t have many other options
they don’t overthink or become overly critical
they are in tune with the natural world
they don’t pretend to have all the answers and they’re curious – hence they keep asking ‘why? why?’
they trust their parents, even when the answer is ‘no’
they are good at living in the present, without major concern for the future or the past

A few days after the lecture, as I reflected on Matthew 19:13-15 and why Jesus was such a magnet for children, I was inspired to write verse 1 of this little song. Jesus’ invitation in Matt 11:28-30 was a perfect match and inspired verse 2.

I hope the song ministers to you, as it does to me.

JESUS, WE COME AS LITTLE CHILDREN
by Irene Bom

Verse 1
Jesus, we come as little children
We see in you the Father’s heart
You make the time
You make us welcome
You draw us close
into your loving arms

Verse 2
Jesus, we come bringing our burdens
We find in you the rest we need
Humble in heart
Ever so gentle
You bind our wounds
and bless us with your peace

For more songs written at L’Abri in autumn 2021, click here.

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

Theme: Change my heart, O God

PDF version

“In contemplative prayer the saint (who knows himself to be a sinner, for none of us is whole, healed, and holy twenty-four hours a day) turns inward in what is called ‘the prayer of the heart,’ not to find self, but to lose self in order to be found.”

(Madeleine L’Engle)

This prayer sheet is inspired by the February 2022 theme of the month: Change.

In these prayers we ask God to transform our hearts so we may live in the truth he desires and faithfully pray for our hurting world.

For personal use or to share.

Continue reading “Theme: Change my heart, O God”

Change from the inside out

Prayer of Confession

(based on Romans 12:1-8)

Merciful God,
we confess how easy it is for us to begin to adopt
the attitudes and actions of the world around us;
to let our lives be shaped by contemporary culture
rather than by Your call.

Lord, in Your mercy,
hear and forgive.

We confess how often we think of our own interests first—
more concerned with our own status and well-being
than with the well-being of others.

Lord, in Your mercy,
hear and forgive.

We confess that we have not always treated one another
as valued members of Your Body, the Church;
that we have allowed intolerance and resentment to tear us apart.

Lord, in Your mercy,
hear and forgive.

We confess that we do not always acknowledge You as Lord,
trusting in our own abilities and following our own goals
rather than submitting ourselves to Your will and Your call.

Lord, in Your mercy,
hear and forgive.

Through the power of Your Holy Spirit, transform us.
Change us from the inside out,
so that our words and our lives would bring honour and glory to You,
our Saviour and Lord.
Amen.

~ from re:worship

From the blog
We bring our stories
Full of air
Waters of baptism