O God, or Father, in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus you have given us the remedy for sin. In Him you have opened to us the way to forgiveness for all our past sins, and you have given us the strength and the power to live in purity and in truth.
Help us to put away all evil things.
Silence the evil word;
Forbid the evil deed;
Break the evil habit;
Banish the evil thought;
Take away the evil desire and the evil ambition;
and make our lives to shine like lights
in this dark world.
Help us to live in purity.
Make our words so pure
that you may hear them;
Make our deeds so pure
that you may see them;
Make all our thoughts and desires so pure
that they may bear your scrutiny.
And so grant that we being pure in heart
may see you.
Help us to live in truth.
Grant
That we may never speak or act a lie;
That we may never be misled by false or mistaken beliefs;
That we may never evade the truth,
even when we don't want to see it.
Grant to us at all times
To seek and to find;
To know and to love;
To obey and to live
the truth.
This we ask for the sake of Him Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life, even for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
- Taken from Prayers for the Christian Year by William Barclay
5 comments:
ok - I could do with some serious prayer prayerpals.
I'm here at seminary. And wondering what on earth for!
and when someone yesterday talked about the worst thing we can do is NOT to get on with what God's called us to do - I just started to cry.
I am so frustrated. I believe I've been called by God. I've done the best I can do in my local church - and yet the leadership have - together - rejected me and pushed me out of ministry locally (and nationally within our denomination because of the way the UMC works) and the forgiveness I've extended isn't touching my heart but only an act of obedience to God. (It's where I am -and that's ok - but it's very uncomfortable)
I went elsewwhere to worhip on palm Sunday -and then on Easter Sunday (the only service our local church had - and it still makes me mad!) - DD and I got as far as the carpark. Her phone rang - no-one had told the Sunday school teacher that the service was a family worship one, so there was no need for SS - so DD wasn't needed - we just turned the car around and went home. And I was GLAD - not to have to worship in my local church
How bad is that?
On the good side I was really glad and blessed to able to be part of the Anglican Easter vigil -and while it's far from my normal style of worship - I could receive and be IN the worship in a way that is no longer (at the moment) possible in my local church.
I had a dream here last time in Tallinn - about God closing a door - because it was needed - but that I could hear His voice and see the windy way ahead. But right now I can't hear (or feel) clearly - and just don't know how to move forward - or even have the peace or strength to stand still.
It's horrible and I hate it. I'm frustrated - and sad - and angry at the leadership in my local church (all of which are ok because I'm not letting rip!) but I could really use a little direction from God right now. A burning bush or something :)
Thanks for listening. Goes without saying this is confidential - so please don't comment on my blog about it.
Email me if you would like to - but words of prophesy, encouragement, pull up your socks and don't give up are all welcome. Most of all prayer!
seethroughfaith AT gmail DOT com
Oh, Lorna, I'm so sorry to hear about the struggles in your desire to share your gifts as God has called you. I am impressed by your commitment to working through this and seeking greater holiness, with love for God, your sisters and brothers and yourself. I will definitely pray for you.
Your situation gives me perspective on my own prayer request, about which there is more detail at my blog at http://juniasdaughter.blogspot.com/2007/04/i-am-pleased-to-inform-you-part-two.html After much hard work and a long career drought I have been offered two good fellowships for next year. I am praying I can find a way to combine them, hopefully by doing one in the academic year and by convincing the one offered for spring semester to let me do that one in summer term instead. Please storm heaven with me for this to come about so I can enjoy both fruits of my labor--I will need every possible credit on my c.v. to keep making it in the professionally impacted academic world. There may also some possibility of commuting between them for spring term but that would be a lot trickier for both me and the family.
If I can't combine them, I need discernment of which to accept, ways to strive for at least some of the associated benefits of whichever one I decline, and smooth logistics and harmony for a big move for the family and/or a commute for me.
Thanks!
Prayers ascending for both of you, Lorna & Mother Laura!!!!
Many thanks! I spoke to the director of the spring term program and he is open in theory to either switching to summer or my commuting during the spring, but needs to consult the rest of the selection committee and hopes to tell me in a day or so. So I am focusing prayers on their open minds and hearts to what seems like the best win/win solution, trusting God to bring about the highest good of course....
praying for you both. much love.
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