A Prayer For Saintly Grace

Almighty and Everlasting God,
who kindles the flame of your love in the hearts of the saints,
grant to us the same faith and power of love;
that, as we rejoice in their triumphs
we may profit by their examples, through Jesus Christ our Lord. -- Gothic missal

Thursday Prayer

Let my heart be the vessel of God's Love.

Let my thoughts be the blossom of God's Love.

Let my words be the expression of God's Love.

Let my actions be the fulfillment of God's Love.

willingness - david ridge

Tuesday Prayer

God of Grace,

of unexpected openings in the afternoon,
of green lights,
of kindness from strangers,
of home-created gifts in wrinkled wrapping paper,
of sunshine in autumn,
of soft words over telephone wires,
of reassurance typed on a keyboard somewhere out there
and received on a screen just right here,
of the laughter of old people,
of a yes when a no was expected,
of relief was pain was expected,
of love sustained over years and years and years in spite of it all.
God of all these things.

Thank you.

Suscipe

St. Ignatius Loyola, Spiritual Exercises

Let It Be....

flickrfoto


Although it will be morning when most of us read this prayer, I offer it anyway, as beautiful prayer of letting go and letting God....



Night Prayer (source The New Zealand Prayer Book)

Lord,
it is night.

The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.

The night is dark;
Let our fears of the darkness of the world and our own lives rest in you.

The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us,
and all who have no peace.

The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys,
new possibilities.

In your name we pray.
Amen.

Come I this Day

COME I THIS DAY
Come I this day to the Father,
Come I this day to the Son,
Come I to the Holy Spirit powerful;
Come I this day with God,
Come I this day with Christ,
Come I with the Spirit of kindly balm.

God, and Spirit, and Jesus,
From the crown of my head
To the soles of my feet;
Come I with my reputation,
Come I with my testimony,
Come I to you, Jesu;
Jesu, shelter me.

Source: Celtic Prayers

A Blogger's Prayer

From the Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many
voices: Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where
many listen and write what many read; that they may do their
part in making the heart of this people wise, its mind sound, and
its will righteous; to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday Prayer

Most loving God, your concern for the poor is unrelenting
- draw our concern into yours;
your compassion for the poor is limitless
- draw our compassion into yours;
as you long for justice, may we also strive for it.
Forgive our doubt, forgive our neglect.
Open our eyes to structures of oppression
and free us from apathy and indifference.
Give us courage to accept our responsibility,
wisdom to chart a sound course amid complexity,
perseverance to finish our work,
and the gift of your Spirit to do what alone we cannot do.
So may we serve to the honor and glory of your Name
and the wellbeing of your beloved people throughout the world.
Amen. By the Rt. Rev. Jeffery Rowthorn.

Tuesday Prayer

O! Thou God of all beings, of all worlds, and of all times,
We pray, that the little differences in our clothes,
in our inadequate languages,
in our ridiculous customs,
in our imperfect laws,
in our illogical opinions,
in our ranks and conditions which
are so disproportionately important to us
and so meaningless to you,
that these small variations
that distinguish those atoms that we call men,
one from another,
may not be signals of hatred and persecution!

prayer for tolerance - voltaire - 18th century

found at worldprayers.org

Trumpets of God

Listen now, O my anxious daughter....

Those who long to complete God's works must always bear in mind that they are fragile vessels, for they are only human. They must always bear in mind what they are and what they will be.....

They can only sing the mysteries of God like a trumpet, which only returns a sound but does not function unassisted, for it is Another who breathes into it that it might give forth a sound. But let them put on the breastplate of faith, those who are mild, gentle, poor, and afflicted, like the Lamb, and in character they are like guileless children....

O my daughter, may God make you a mirror of life. I too cower in the puniness of my mind, and am greatly wearied by anxiety and fear. Yet from time to time I resound a little, like the dim sound of a trumpet from the Living Light.

Hildegard of Bingen, Letter 55, to Elisabeth of Schoenau

Sunday Prayer

Holy and Gracious God, We give you thanks for this gift of life; for those we love and those love us, especially for the gift of your Son. We thank you for this new day, for the unchanging gift of your presence in the sunrise and the sunset, and all the hours in between. We thank you for those occasions when your presence is made known to us, and especially when we have the eyes to see you, the ears to hear, and a heart open enough to receive you. Help us to not be sidetracked by the distractions of this life. Help us to understand that all that we are and all that we have is of you.

Tender love of God, be with those who weep this day, who are in the darkness of despair and all who cry out for justice, for hope. Help us, guide us, to an awareness of your open arms, and in that embrace may the suffering find solace and peace. We pray that your mercy will be our mercy. Help us to give as you give, with gratitude and joy, help us to love as you love, with a radical graciousness. Be with us this day, and every day, that we may be the face of Christ and the means through which your love is poured into the broken places of this world. Amen.

Drawing From the Well

Blessed are You, O Lord our God,
Wellspring of all that is.

You are the sea on which we float,
You are the wind that fills our sails,
You are the storm that buffets us,
You are the calm that brings us peace.

Open our ears to hear Your word,
Open our eyes to see Your beauty,
Open our hearts to be warmed by Your love.

Free us from our lonely prisons of fear and selfishness,
And make us over, day by day, into bearers of Your peace.

--Richard Rosenberg

For Thursday

Holy God, in the beginning was darkness, mystery, and you. By your own Word, you shattered the darkness with light. You set in the sky radiant beams of sunlight and punctured the night sky with sparkling jewels. You forever changed our darkness.

Holy God, though there are shadows and worries, you have placed your Word in us to be a lamp for our feet. You have given your Spirit like a bright guiding star. You fill us with your Love as glorious as the sun. You place your Truth like a crescent moon. Every darkness is overcome with Light. And every Light contains shafts of your Eternal Light.

PSALM 32 Beati, quorum. From the Book of Common Prayer

1 Blessed is the one whose unrighteousness is forgiven : and whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the one whom the Lord imputeth no sin : and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 For while I held my tongue : my bones consumed away through my daily complaining.
4 For thy hand is heavy upon me day and night : and my moisture is like the drought in summer.
5 I will acknowledge my sin unto thee : and mine unrighteousness have I not hid.
6 I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord : and so thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin.
7 For this shall every one that is godly make his prayer unto thee, in a time when thou mayest be
found : surely the great water-floods shall not come nigh him.
8 Thou art a place to hide me in, thou shalt preserve me from trouble : thou shalt compass me
about with songs of deliverance.
9 I will inform thee, and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go : and I will guide thee with
mine eye.
10 Be ye not like to horse and mule, which have no understanding : whose mouths must be held
with bit and bridle, else they will not obey thee.
11 Great plagues remain for the ungodly : but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord, mercy embraceth
him on every side.
12 Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord : and be joyful, all ye that are true of heart.

Tuesday Prayer

Everything is yours, God. Everything. Help us to remember.

Earth from the moon

The moon from Earth

La Fuente

How well I know the fountain that streams and flows,
Though it is night!

There the eternal fountain is hidden,
How well I know where she has her dwelling,
Though it is night!

I don’t know her origin, for she has none—
I know rather that every origin comes from her,
Though it is night.

I know that there could be nothing so beautiful,
And that the heavens and earth drink from her,
Though it is night.

I know well that she has no ground,
And that no one can ford her,
Though it is night.

Her clarity is never darkened,
And I know that all light comes from her,
Though it is night.

I know how copious are her streams,
That she waters heaven, hell, and earth,
Though it is night.

The stream that is born of this fountain,
Well I know that it is equally large and powerful,
Though it is night.

The stream that from these two proceeds,
I know was preceded by neither,
Though it is night.

This eternal fountain is hidden
In this living bread which gives us life,
Though it is night.

Here she is calling to all creatures,
And by this water are they satisfied, though in darkness,
For it is night.

This living fountain which I desire,
I see in this bread of life, though it is night.

St. John of the Cross
tr. Laura Grimes

Sunday Prayer

(Photo from the files of mompriest)

Collect for Purity (From the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, page 355)

"Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen."

Gracious God, in these anxious times, pour your love into our hearts, even when we are unable to fully open them to you. Reach into our desires and help direct them toward you, that we may ground our fears in your love, focus our anxiety through your compassion, rest our fears in your mercy. In so doing may we become your hands and heart in the world even when we have no idea how to do this. Guide us with your peace, your love, your grace, that we may do the same in the broken places of this world. Amen.

Saturday: God seeking us

Life seeking spirit,

Most loving creator,
I come to you today being humbled thinking I was seeking you,
You have always been seeking me,
The Spirit is with me,
Yet I feel I am seeking it.
Holy God,
Let me realize this day that you have been found,
Not while I was seeking you,
But while you were seeking me,
I opened and you came out,
I felt and you held,
I learned as you taught.
May I always seek what you will have me learn,
That redemption starts with you and ends with a newness.
Like this day.
Amen
Life is a blessing.

-Rev. Steven Masters

A Prayer For Those Who Serve

Gracious God, whose Son came not to be served, but to serve: This day before the feast day of St. Philip, we pray for all those who serve you in ministries that feed and clothe the poor, empower and advocate for the powerless, comfort the sick and grieving, administer other works of the Church that act as your hands and heart in the world and assist priests and pastors in their duties. Give your servants compassion, enthusiasm, insight and wisdom, that their work may glorify you as it helps others. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Thursday Prayer

God bless to us our bread,

and give food to all those who are hungry,

and hunger for justice to those who are fed.

God bless to us our bread.

During these economically turbulent times, let us turn to the Lord for guidance and support to move as a Nation towards stability and prosperity.

Lord, our Father, may Your everlasting strength and resolve help solidify and bring together Your Nation of devoted followers to work towards uplifting the economy. We pray for You to forgive foreclosures, for the Nation’s dollar to be strong in value once again, and for the government to make wise and Godly decisions with the country’s national resources. Let us pray to You, oh Lord, to provide relief to those impoverished and in dire need; and for those of us with wealth and abundance to increase our charity and support as we were taught through Your divine teachings.
Amen


From Circleofprayer.org

Tuesday Prayer

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
Father in heaven,
We thank thee.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday Prayer

In the spirit of love and truth,
we ask you, Higher Power,
To guide us as we share our experience, strength, and hope.
We open our hearts to the light of wisdom,
The warmth of love, and to the joy of acceptance.

Opening prayer, Codependents Anonymous

Sunday Prayer

Holy and Gracious God, We give you thanks for this precious gift of life, especially the gift of your son. We give thanks that you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we can imagine. We are humbled by your graciousness, which at times gives more than we deserve. Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, that we might be held in its embrace. Forgive us those things we do that tear at the fabric of your love, whether they are things we do knowingly or things done unknowingly. Guide us into new light, new ways, new hope, for with you all hearts are opened, all desires, known, and no secrets are hid. Help us to love you, our God, our hope, our true desire, with all our heart and all our mind and all our strength. Help us to love our selves as well, and then to love our neighors as you love us. For in your love we will find the way and the truth and the life. Amen.

Saturday: Prayer for Peace

-- found at Prayer for Peace.

St. Francis' Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light,
Where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much
seek to be consoled as to console,
not so much to be understood as to understand,
not so much to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
it is in dying that we awake to eternal life.


- St. Francis of Assisi

(Artwork: Peace on Earth by Renie Britenbucher)

Thursday Prayer

WELCOMING PRAYER

1. Become aware that you are upset

2. Locate where this feeling is in your body and sink into it

3. Say to the Spirit:

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome

I let go of my desire for security

I let go of my desire for affection

I let go of my desire for control

I let go of my desire to change the

present situation

I accept the situation exactly as it is.

St Thomas Aquinas: Prayer for Guidance

O creator past all telling,
you have appointed from the treasures of your wisdom
the hierarchies of angels,
disposing them in wondrous order
above the bright heavens,
and have so beautifully set out all parts of the universe.

You we call the true fount of wisdom
and the noble origin of all things.
Be pleased to shed
on the darkness of mind in which I was born,
The twofold beam of your light
and warmth to dispel my ignorance and sin.

You make eloquent the tongues of children.
Then instruct my speech
and touch my lips with graciousness.
Make me keen to understand, quick to learn,
able to remember;
make me delicate to interpret and ready to speak.

Guide my going in and going forward,
lead home my going forth.
You are true God and true human,
and live for ever and ever.

--St Thomas Aquinas, 1225-74