A new day, a new month, a new spring, a new year.
We have so much to be grateful for, so much to be thankful for- yet sometimes it is easy to forget this, especially in the long dark night of winter.  So today, thru the wind and the chill and the cold and the heaps of snow, a reminder of hope, a reminder of blessings yet to be realized.  We give thanks, not just for what we have now, but for that which we know we will be given in the future.
Prayer of Hope   Â
O Lord, in Whom is our hope, remove far from us, we pray Thee, empty hopes and presumptuous confidence. Make our hearts so right with Thy most holy and loving heart, that hoping in Thee we may do good; until that day when faith and hope shall be abolished by sight and possession, and love shall be all in all.
Christina G. Rossetti (1830-1895)Â Â
Therefore we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory
that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIVÂ Â
Thank You for This Earth   Â
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 thornbush 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.
Salutation to the Dawn   Â
Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:
The bliss of growth;
The glory of action;
The splendor of achievement;
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision;
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday
a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Attributed to Kalidasa
Prayer for Dreamers   Â
We pray for the dreamers of this life, O God,
for those persons who imagine new possibilities,
who long for what others cannot perceive,
who spin dreams of wonder and majesty in their minds.
Defend them from ridicule and harsh criticism,
from self-doubt and lack of faith in their dreams,
and from abandonment of this call to make things new.
Grant that from their dreams
may come forth blessings for humankind
to enrich the quality of life
and the wonderment of us all.
Amen.
Vienna Cobb Anderson  Â
Much love and hope to all,
Sis Micah :neo:
Today: Prayers for Justice! Inspired by this thread:
http://www.paradisecafediscussions.net/s...hp?tid=724
Prayer for a Better World
O God, the source of creation, ever-present in the changes of this world, be present with your people who cry to you for help. Empower us with vision and strength to enable the peoples of this earth to acquire the skills and resources necessary to a growing world. Enable those from countries with plenty to share their lives, funds, and resources with those in need. Embolden those with vision to proclaim new ways of creating communities of responsibility. Engage us in learning from one another and in valuing the unique gifts that you have given to the people of every land. Bless your people, O God, who cry to you. Amen.
Vienna Cobb Anderson
Prayer to Give Aid
May I become at all times, both now and forever
A protector for those without protection
A guide for those who have lost their way
A ship for those with oceans to cross
A bridge for those with rivers to cross
A sanctuary for those in danger
A lamp for those without light
A place of refuge for those who lack shelter
And a servant to all in need.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
Save the Afflicted
We beseech thee, Master, to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly;
raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly;
restore the wanderers of thy people;
feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners;
raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted.
Clement of Rome (1st Century)
Much love and justice to all of us "sighing and groaning over the despicable thing",
Your sister,
Micah :neo:
At the Start of Day
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalms 118: 24 NRSV
A Prayer of Gratitude
Father, into thy hands I give the heart
Which left thee but to learn how good thou art.
George Macdonald
For Stewardship of Creation
O merciful Creator, thy hand is open wide to satisfy the needs of every living creature: Make us, we beseech thee, ever thankful for thy loving providence; and grant that we, remembering the account that we must one day give, may be faithful stewards of thy good gifts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Source: Book of Common Prayer 1979
Much love and gratitude for all of you today!
I love and appreciate each and every one of you!
As does our heavenly Father, and our Lord, Jesus
Your sister,
Micah:neo:
A prayer for guidance:
Show Me the Course
Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbour, where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict. Show me the course I should take. Renew in me the gift of discernment, so that I can always see the right direction in which I should go. And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course, even when the sea is rough and the waves are high, knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name we shall find comfort and peace.
Basil of Caesarea (c. 329-379)
Or if that is too much of a mouthful.....;)
Breton Fisherman’s Prayer
Dear God, be good to me;
The sea is so wide,
And my boat is so small.
Much love to all on this beautiful day when Spring seems so near,
Your sister,
Micah :neo:
Save the Afflicted
We beseech thee, Master, to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly;
raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly;
restore the wanderers of thy people;
feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners;
raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted.
- Clement of Rome (1st Century)
:neo:
Prayer for Inner Peace and Calm
Dear Lord and Father of mankind,
Forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind,
In purer lives Thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.
Drop Thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.
Breathe through the heats of our desire
Thy coolness and Thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire;
Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire,
O still, small voice of calm.
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892)
A prayer for peace and calm serenity.
Much love to you all,
Sis Micah :neo:
This may be entitled "Prayer for Students" but it applies to all of us, whether formal, academic students or not. For it is a prayer for wisdom, which only comes from our Father in heaven, our Great God Jehovah.
Prayer for Students
Father of Light and Wisdom,
thank you for giving me
a mind that can know
and a heart that can love.
Help me to keep learning every day of my life--
no matter what the subject may be.
Let me be convinced that all knowledge leads to you
and let me know how to find you and love you
in all the things you have made.
Encourage me when the studies are difficult
and when I am tempted to give up
Enlighten me when my brain is slow
and help me to grasp the truth held out to me.
Grant me the grace to put my knowledge to use
in building the kingdom of God on earth
so that I may ensure the kingdom of God in my heart.
Amen.
Christian
source: The Rock of Inspiration
May the Lord God Jehovah and our Lord Jesus Christ grant each and every one of you peace and the wisdom from above.
With love,
Sis Micah:neo:
I ran across this prayer, and it immediately reminded me of a brother here on our board.
So, digital punk.....This one's for you!!! :D
I Am a Point of Light
I am a point of light within a greater Light.
I am a strand of loving energy within the stream of Love divine.
I am a point of sacrificial fire focused within the fiery Will of God.
And thus I stand.
I am a way by which men may achieve.
I am a source of strength, enabling them to stand.
I am a beam of light, shining upon their way.
And thus I stand.
And standing thus, revolve.
And tread this way the ways of men,
And know the ways of God.
And thus I stand.
Much love and light to all seeking their way thru this dark world,
Your sister,
Micah :neo:
A couple of prayers inspired by this thread:
http://www.paradisecafediscussions.net/s...hp?tid=806
Prayer to Give Aid
May I become at all times, both now and forever
A protector for those without protection
A guide for those who have lost their way
A ship for those with oceans to cross
A bridge for those with rivers to cross
A sanctuary for those in danger
A lamp for those without light
A place of refuge for those who lack shelter
And a servant to all in need.
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama
Save the Afflicted
We beseech thee, Master, to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us; have mercy on the lowly;
raise up the fallen; appear to the needy; heal the ungodly;
restore the wanderers of thy people;
feed the hungry; ransom our prisoners;
raise up the sick; comfort the faint-hearted.
Clement of Rome (1st Century)
May we all strive to act in accord with our prayers- to actually protect those who need it, to help all mankind, to have mercy, to comfort those who are aching, to do all the things we are asking Jehovah to do, and to help us to do---may we
do it.
Much love and sympathy,
Sis Micah :neo:
Prayer for Protection
O God, you are my Lord. There is none worthy of worship except You. I rely upon You, and You are the Great Lord of the Throne. Whatever God wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not happen. There is no power or strength except by God. I know that God is able to do anything, and that God knows all. O God I seek refuge in You from the evil in myself and every creature that You have given power over us. Verily my Lord is on the straight path.
- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
:neo:
Today's prayer is inspired by this thread:
http://www.paradisecafediscussions.net/s...8#pid10178
I Cannot Do This Alone   Â
O God, early in the morning I cry to you.
Help me to pray
And to concentrate my thoughts on you:
I cannot do this alone.
In me there is darkness,
But with you there is light;
I am lonely, but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
I do not understand your ways,
But you know the way for me…
Restore me to liberty,
And enable me to live now
That I may answer before you and before me.
Lord, whatever this day may bring,
Your name be praised.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
There is no judgement where there is love.  There is no fear where there is love.  There are no goodbyes, where there is love.
With much love and understanding for Sis FlowerChild(aka Sandi) as she makes her way in the world, on her own personal journey of spiritual catharsis, we should all remember that we too are all on a journey, and lets all keep in our prayers those who have gone ahead of us, those who have not yet caught up to us, and those who are right here by our side.
Your sister,
Micah :neo:
Prayer When Words Won't Come
O My Father, I have moments of deep unrest -- moments when I know not what to ask by reason of the very excess of my wants. I have in these hours no words for Thee, no conscious prayers for Thee. My cry seems purely worldly; I want only the wings of a dove that I may flee away. Yet all the time Thou has accepted my unrest as a prayer. Thou has interpreted its cry for a dove's wings as a cry for Thee, Thou has received the nameless longings of my heart as the intercessions of Thy Spirit. They are not yet the intercessions of my spirit; I know not what to ask. But Thou knowest what I ask, O my God. Thou knowest the name of that need which lies beneath my speechless groan. Thou knowest that, because I am made in Thine image, I can find rest only in what gives rest to Thee; therefore Thou hast counted my unrest unto me for righteousness, and has called my groaning Thy Spirit's prayer. Amen.
- Rev. George Matheson (1842-1906)
I doubt many on this board need this prayer often, as we all seem to be quite conversational, demonstrative, effusive, enlightening, expansive, forthcoming, frank, garrulous, loquacious, open, outgoing, talkative, unreserved, and articulate.
However, there are times when even we need to have the spirit speak for us...."In like manner the spirit also joins in with help for our weakness; for the [problem of] what we should pray for as we need to we do not know, but the spirit itself pleads for us with groanings unuttered. Yet he who searches the hearts knows what the meaning of the spirit is, becasue it is pleading in accord with God for holy ones." Romans 8:26,27
May you continue to be holy, my bretheren. "...do you also become holy yourselves...because it is written: 'You must be holy, because I am holy.'" 1 Pet. 1:15,16
Much love to all my fellows groaning,
Sis Micah :neo:
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We gather today, Lord of abundant life, as grateful children. Delighted and humbled by our bounty, we celebrate gifts of food and shelter, of colors that dance at dawn and dusk; we relish the scent of cooking foods, of burning leaves and summer's wet grass, of snowflake, of animal fur. We marvel at the intricacy of spiders' webs and fish bones, newborn babies and lines etched on faces of grandparents come for a visit today. All gifts from Your hand. When our meal is completed, leftovers stashed, and naps taken, we will leave replete, energized, and eager to go generously into the world and share our good fortune.
Rev. Lynn James
Much love to all, and to everything.
Sis Micah :neo:
My mother just received a telephone call, while I was here online, that her mother in Las Vegas is dying. I ask for your prayers on her behalf. And here are a few prayers you might offer up for her.
Prayer for Those Who Mourn
Bless those who mourn, eternal God,
with the comfort of your love
that they may face each new day with hope
and the certainty that nothing can destroy
the good that has been given. May their memories become joyful,
their days enriched with friendship,
and their lives encircled by your love.
Amen.
Vienna Cobb Anderson
Guide Me Through These Dark Days
O Lord, I am torn up with grief.
I know you are there, but I cannot see past
my sorrow and tears.
Be with me, Lord, and do not take
my unhappiness to heart.
Rather, work within me to guide me through
these dark days
and bring your light to my life,
so that I may see your goodness, even in my mourning.
Maureen Pratt
Prayer for Those Who Mourn
Almighty God, Father of all mercies and giver of all comfort: Deal graciously, we pray thee, with those who mourn, that casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Source: Book of Common Prayer 1979
Much love to you all, as I know in my heart, as my eyes see with faith, you will all be there for her, in her time of need.
Your sister, Micah:neo:
My mother just received a telephone call, while I was here online, that her mother in Las Vegas is dying.  I ask for your prayers on her behalf. Â
My grandmother died yesterday, never having woken up from the surgery that removed half her colon, due to a tumor.
I'm sorry, but I can't post any prayers today. You'll all understand, I'm sure.
Love to you all,
Sis Micah