Breton Fisherman’s Prayer
Dear God, be good to me;
The sea is so wide,
And my boat is so small.
I Look to Thee in Every Need
I look to Thee in every need, and never look in vain;
I feel Thy strong and tender love, and all is well again.
The thought of Thee is mightier far than sin and pain and sorrow are.
Discouraged in the work of life, disheartened by its load,
Shamed by its failures or its fears, I sink beside the road.
But let me only think of Thee and then new heart springs up in me.
Thy calmness bends serene above, my restlessness to still;
Around me flows Thy quickening life, to nerve my faltering will.
Thy presence fills my solitude, Thy providence turns all to good.
Enfolded deep in Thy dear love, held in Thy law, I stand;
Thy hand in all things I behold, and all things in Thy hand.
Thou leadest me by unsought ways, and turn my mourning into praise.
Samuel Longfellow | Source: Hymns of the Spirit (1864)
Prayer for Autumn Days
God of the seasons, there is a time for everything; there is a time for dying and a time for rising. We need courage to enter into the transformation process.
God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green, letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let go when we need to do so.
God of fallen leaves lying in colored patterns on the ground, our lives have their own patterns. As we see the patterns of our own growth, may we learn from them.
God of misty days and harvest moon nights, there is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. We always need to recognize your power-filled presence. May we gain strength from this.
God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain, many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender. We must wait for harvest in faith and hope. Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings.
God of geese going south for another season, your wisdom enables us to know what needs to be left behind and what needs to be carried into the future. We yearn for insight and vision.
God of flowers touched with frost and windows wearing white designs, may your love keep our hearts from growing cold in the empty seasons.
God of life, you believe in us, you enrich us, you entrust us with the freedom to choose life. For all this, we are grateful.
Author Unknown
I will be out of town for the next 2,3 days so I will be unable to post prayers. I will resume posting again on Sunday. Love to you all!
Your Love and Your Grace
Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my will; all that I have and possess. You have given them to me; to you, O Lord, I restore them. All things are yours: Dispose of them according to your will. Give me your love and your grace; for this is enough for me.
- St. Ignatius of Loyola
Prayer for Peace
O God, you will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are fixed on you; for in returning and rest we shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be our strength.
Isaiah 26:3; 30:15
Make Me Brave for Life
God, make me brave for life: oh, braver than this.
Let me straighten after pain, as a tree straightens after the rain,
Shining and lovely again.
God, make me brave for life; much braver than this.
As the blown grass lifts, let me rise
From sorrow with quiet eyes,
Knowing Thy way is wise.
God, make me brave, life brings
Such blinding things.
Help me to keep my sight;
Help me to see aright
That out of dark comes light.
Author Unknown
Much love to you all,
Sis Micah :neo:
To Manage Time Well
Father, I'm praying for my brethren here at Paradise Cafe, and others in my circle of family and friends to be good managers of time...
Help them learn from Mary and Martha that busyness can keep them from sitting at the feet of Jesus where they'll receive His teaching and enjoy His friendship. May they find the one thing that Jesus said is needed—unhurried time at His feet. Protect them from the busyness of Martha; may their lives not be driven by the urgent but by the important—and help them know the difference. May they remember that Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet. (Luke 10:38–42)
May they make that choice, too, learning to be still before You—to cease striving, to let be, to know that You are God. Otherwise, they may find themselves working and serving in their own strength instead of Yours, feeling weary and weighed down. (Psalm 46:10a; Philippians 4:13; Matthew 11:28)
Help them not to try stretching their days, rising early and staying up late to do the things they feel they need to do— for You grant sleep to those You love. (Psalm 127:2)
May they pause throughout the day, asking You to order their steps, being confident that You will.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Jim & Kaye Johns
source: "Prayers for the Moment: One-Minute Scripture Prayers" Copyright September 2006
I'm back from Carlsbad Caverns! If any of you have the chance to go, I highly recommend it! Although if you have weak knees, back or feet, take the elevator down. But if you can, walk down into the caverns- its so neat!
Much love,
Sis Micah:neo:
Prayer to the Voice in the Winds
O Great Spirit, whose Voice I hear in the Winds,
Hear me -- for I am small and weak:
I need Your Strength and Wisdom.
I seek Strength, O Great One, not to be superior to my Brothers --
But to conquer my greatest enemy: Myself.
I seek Wisdom: the Lessons You have hidden
In every Leaf and Rock so that I may learn
And carry these messages of Life and Hope to my People.
May my hands respect the many beautiful things You have made;
May my ears be sharp - to hear Your voice.
May I always walk in Your beauty;
And let my eyes behold the red and purple Sunset
So that when Life fades with the setting Sun,
My Spirit will come to You without shame.
Prayer to Live With Grace
May we discover through pain and torment,
the strength to live with grace and humor.
May we discover through doubt and anguish,
the strength to live with dignity and holiness.
May we discover through suffering and fear,
the strength to move toward healing.
May it come to pass that we be restored to health and to vigor.
May Life grant us wellness of body, spirit, and mind.
And if this cannot be so, may we find in this transformation and passage
moments of meaning, opportunities for love
and the deep and gracious calm that comes
when we allow ourselves to move on.
Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro
For Every Living Creature
May I be a protector to those without protection,
A leader for those who journey,
And a boat, a bridge, a passage
For those desiring the further shore.
May the pain of every living creature
Be completely cleared away.
May I be the doctor and the medicine
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world
Until everyone is healed.
Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support the life
Of all the boundless creatures.
And until they pass away from pain
May I also be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reach unto the ends of space.
- Author Unknown
Prayer for Bereaved Ones
God, you sacrificed your son so that we and our children would transcend physical death. We know that you grieved when he was crucified and that you grieve over all the atrocities done by men -- especially in your name.
You know and understand grief as you know and understand all. You know best how to comfort ones who grieve. Lift their hearts up to you and fill them with your peace.
Your understanding is beyond our human comprehension, but give them the knowledge and faith to endure even that which they can't understand. Let them be aware of you always God, and help them to remember that your Love is Life that can never really be taken away.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
On Smelling Flowers
Blessed are you, O G-d, our Lord, King of the Universe, who creates fragrant plants.
Jewish
The Fruits of the Earth
For seasonable weather, and for an abundance of the fruits of the earth, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy.
Source: Book of Common Prayer 1979
Prayer for Those Who Are Afraid
The unknown is terrifying,
responsibility is overwhelming,
the untapped anger cannot be borne.
Hear our cry, O God of love,
for all so trapped in fear.
Open our hearts to trust
your presence to guide us
in the unknown places;
teach us to know
you will support us in all
that we undertake;
free us to share with you
the rage within, knowing
you will never desert us.
Amen.
Source: Adapted from "Prayers of Our Hearts" © 1991 Vienna Cobb Anderson. Reprinted with the permission of the author.
Your Love and Your Grace
Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding and my will; all that I have and possess. You have given them to me; to you, O Lord, I restore them. All things are yours: Dispose of them according to your will. Give me your love and your grace; for this is enough for me.
St. Ignatius of Loyola
This is Sunday, a day traditionally set aside to worship God. But do we not worship every day? Do we not pray every day? Do we not give thanks every day? Do we not listen to the holy spirit as it directs our life, every day? Do we not read our holy Bible every day to get God's direction?
So what makes Sunday any different? Ponder on this today. Lets make Sunday the day when we concentrate on appreciating all the good things that Jehovah has given us.
Enjoy the great outdoors, and give thanks for the sunshine, the rain, the clouds, the cool breezes, the green grass, the autumn leaves, the food which fills us and pleases us, our fellow humans who constantly surprise us and teach us, and are taught by us.
Imagine how lonely life would be if it were just you by yourself, with no humans to interact with, no God to give thanks to, and nothing to give thanks for.
So make this Sunday, at least, a day when you truly pay attention to all that God gives us, and give thanks.
Again, give thanks.
Thank You for This Earth
O God,
We thank you for this earth, our home; for the wide sky and the blessed sun, for the ocean and streams, for the towering hills and the whispering wind, for the trees and green grass.
We thank you for our senses by which we hear the songs of birds, and see the splendor of fields of golden wheat, and taste autumn's fruit, rejoice in the feel of snow, and smell the breath of spring flowers.
Grant us a heart opened wide to all this beauty; and save us from being so blind that we pass unseeing when even the common thorn bush is aflame with your glory.
For each new dawn is filled with infinite possibilities for new beginnings and new discoveries. Life is constantly changing and renewing itself. In this new day of new beginnings with God, all things are possible. We are restored and renewed in a joyous awakening to the wonder that our lives are and, yet, can be.
Amen.
Source Unknown
Hi, sis Cali! :hibye: I'm a little out of the loop, these days. So, I'm just catching up with your wonderful October Prayer Thread. These are wonderful. Amen to every one; and to your commentary, too. Please keep up the encouragement you bring for all of the brothers and sisters.
your friend and brother, ... isomam
Hi, sis Cali! :hibye: I'm a little out of the loop, these days. So, I'm just catching up with your wonderful October Prayer Thread. These are wonderful. Amen to every one; and to your commentary, too. Please keep up the encouragement you bring for all of the brothers and sisters.
your friend and brother, ... isomam
Well, as is usually the case when you are doing something for others, I think I may get more out of it than others who read it do! I really enjoy doing this, and as long as it doesn't offend anyone, I will continue to do it!
Prayer for the Beginning of the Day
O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace, help me in all things to rely upon your holy will. In every hour of the day reveal your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that your will governs all. In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by you. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others. Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray. And you, yourself, pray in me. Amen.
St. Philaret of Moscow
Much love to you all,
Your sister in Christ, by the Grace of God,
Micah :neo:
Prayer for Peace, Love, and Happiness
Let me be loved, let me be happy, let me be peaceful.
Let my friends be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let my perceived enemies be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let all beings be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let the whole world experience these things.
Deepak Chopra
This next prayer may offend some, but despite its origin, you can't deny the desire for comfort in the prayer.
Prayer for Calm and Comfort
With your soothing fingers,
wipe away the lines that worries have etched on our faces.
Surround us with calm,
let us rest in the glow of peace,
as if we were encircled with the Moon's own light.
Let our concerns and tensions drain away from us,
pouring as water into your Earth.
Ceisiwr Serith | Source: "A Book of Pagan Prayer" © 2002 Ceisiwr Serith.
For the next 10 days, I'm going to share a little something that came in the mail for me. 10 Ways to Pray.
Day One:
Pray for a deeper understanding of my value and worth before God.
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has crowned us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ; even as, in His love, He chose us as His own in Christ before the creation of the world, that we might be holy and without blemish in His presence." Eph. 1:3,4 Weymouth
Psalms 139:1-18 BBE:
"O Lord, you have knowledge of me, searching out all my secrets. You have knowledge when I am seated and when I get up, you see my thoughts from far away. You keep watch over my steps and my sleep, and have knowledge of all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue which is not clear to you, O Lord.
"I am shut in by you on every side, and you have put your hand on me. Such knowledge is a wonder greater than my powers; it is so high that I may not come near it. Where may I go from your spirit? how may I go in flight from you? If I go up to heaven, you are there: or if I make my bed in the underworld, you are there.
"If I take the wings of the morning, and go to the farthest parts of the sea; Even there will I be guided by your hand, and your right hand will keep me. If I say, Only let me be covered by the dark, and the light about me be night; Even the dark is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day: for dark and light are the same to you.
"My flesh was made by you, and my parts joined together in my mother's body. I will give you praise, for I am strangely and delicately formed; your works are great wonders, and of this my soul is fully conscious.
"My frame was not unseen by you when I was made secretly, and strangely formed in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book all my days were recorded, even those which were purposed before they had come into being.
"How dear are your thoughts to me, O God! how great is the number of them! If I made up their number, it would be more than the grains of sand; when I am awake, I am still with you."
Day Two
Pray for caring Christian friendships and involvement in Christian community.
"...and let us consider one another for provoking to love and good works; not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the custom is with some; but encouraging one another, and by so much the more as ye see the day drawing near.
For where we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains any sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and heat of fire about to devour the adversaries. Any one that has disregarded Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses:
of how much worse punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy who has trodden under foot the Son of God, and esteemed the blood of the covenant, whereby he has been sanctified, common, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10:24-29 Darby
As a former Witness, I hated hearing the above scripture at the meetings. After all, I was at the meeting. Shouldn't they be going to the houses of the people who weren't at the meeting, and reading it to them?
But notice the phrasing on this one part, the part most loathsome, in different translations:
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" KJV
"not forsaking our own assembling together" WEB
"not neglecting--as some habitually do--to meet together" Weymouth
"not forsaking our own assembling together" ASV
These examples, and much prayer and faith in Jesus Christ, showed me the true meaning of these scriptures, namely, that we GET TOGETHER!!!!
This wasn't talking about formal, static, arranged meetings where nobody could say anything and talk about anything. It wasn't mean to be something that people dreaded. It wasn't meant to be something where people couldn't express and discuss their own ideas. It wasn't meant to be something where all the answers are laid out for you, and woe be to you who deviate from the supplied questions and answers.
We were supposed to "encourage one another", "keep each other strong in the faith". This cannot be done in a formal, structured setting where the answers are all provided, and never questioned.
How can we encourage one another and keep each other strong in the faith if we don't KNOW our brothers and sisters? If we don't know what is discouraging them that they need encouraging? If we don't know their strengths and weaknesses so as to help keep them strong? How could we possibly keep someone strong, when we don't know what makes them strong? When we don't know what makes them weak?
I put it to you here, that the churches with Bingo and pancake breakfasts and rummage sales and counseling are fulfilling this scripture better than Jehovah's Witnesses do. They meet together, the talk to each other, they encourage one another, and they help each other out! That is true charity! Not knocking on somebody's door so early on their only day of rest they just want to shoot us!
Speaking of which, see this next scripture, and keep in mind who is our brother and our sister? Who is our neighbor? WWJD?
"As a bird that wanders from her nest,
So is a man who wanders from his home.
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart;
So does earnest counsel from a man’s friend.
Don’t forsake your friend and your father’s friend.
Don’t go to your brother’s house in the day of your disaster:
Better is a neighbor who is near than a distant brother.....
A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge;
But the simple pass on, and suffer for it.....
He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning,
It will be taken as a curse by him......
Iron sharpens iron;
So a man sharpens his friend’s countenance." Proverbs 27:8-17 WEB