Prayer for Epiphany 8/Ordinary 8

Holy one,
You offer us your salvation for our world of darkness.
You offer us no more hunger or thirst for our barren land.
You offer us joy and compassion for our sadness and grief.

You offer us calm and quiet for our anxious souls.

Let us accept and receive what you offer us Lord.Let us put our trust in you.
Let us praise you in confidence for your wondrous acts of love.
Let us serve you in love.
Let us tell others of your salvation, and compassionfor their lives, their burdens their worries.

Let us show others the kind of Grace Giving God you are.

We pray for those who do hunger and thirst.
We pray for those whose lands are no longer any good for growing crops.
We pray for those whose lives are empty and barren.
We pray for those who are carrying loads of sadness and grief.We pray for those who lives are nothing but worry.
Lord fill your world with your care, grace and mercy

This is posted from the BE4 on the Carnival Inspiration

cross posted at revgalblogpals

An Evening Prayer

If I have wounded any soul today,
If I have caused one foot to go astray,
If I have walked in my own willful way,
Dear Lord, forgive!
If I have uttered idle words or vain,
If I have turned aside from want or pain,
Lest I myself shall suffer through the strain,
Dear Lord, forgive!
If I have been perverse or hard, or cold,
If I have longed for shelter in Thy fold,
When Thou hast given me some fort to hold,
Dear Lord, forgive!
Forgive the sins I have confessed to Thee;
Forgive the secret sins I do not see;
O guide me, love me and my keeper be,
Dear Lord,
Amen.

Maude Battersby

Thursday Thought

Love was the meaning.
Who showed it to you? Love.
What was shown to you? Love.
Why was it shown to you? For Love.
Keep yourself in that love and
You will learn more of it,
And you will never learn anything else--ever!

~~Julian of Norwich (Gerald May's translation)

Please pray for my family

--My dad and mom, George and Mary Jane Butler, at church on Feb. 6

Selfishly, I'm using today's space for my own prayer request.

My mom had been in the hospital from Sunday morning, due to a bad stomach bug and severe nausea. We were talking on the phone yesterday afternoon, she was alone and bored. She was having a lot of trouble with stuttering and stammering, which she sometimes does (this is very frustrating to her as a former speech pathologist!) Then suddenly she made a terrible noise and dropped the phone.

I called the hospital, got through to the nurses' station, and said, "get down there!" She had no pulse. They did CPR and got her back.

We don't know yet the cause of that episode; probably something to do with her heart. She is in ICU having tests. My younger sister is there. My next older sister is ready to go and help out.

And I: I am five hours away, and supposed to leave on the RevGals BE 4.0 on Saturday.

Please pray for my mom, my family, and their care of Mom. Please pray for the doctors and nurses.

Please pray for my discernment as to what is mine to do (stay or go?) I'm not making any decisions just yet.

thank you. Amen.

the world is full and aching....

Today....
let's unite our hearts and energy and love and compassion
with  the justice of Christ amd the hope of the Spirit....
as we pray for our world...
for Christ Church, New Zealand,
for Libya,
for Bahrain,
for..............................
..................................
.................................. (fill in the blanks....)

Our world is bursting from the core,
shuddering in pain,
and
pushing forth....

Hear, O Hear our Prayer.
Amen.

The Lord's Prayer

Are you finding yourself in need of some moments of peace and quiet? Feeling heavy-hearted, I found this to be what my heart needed.

Lord, we ask you, as we listen to the music of this familiar prayer, to bring peace to stessful minds and hearts, solace and comfort to those who are grieving, hope to those who are longing for encouragment. Holy is your name.

Wednesday Prayer

Blessed are you, Creator of heaven and earth,
--you made the world and offer it life.
Remember us as we begin our work,
--that we work in harmony with others.
May we do what is useful for our brothers and sisters,
--and together build a world that is pleasing to you.
To us and all whom we meet today,
--give your joy and peace.

A message ....

Let Your God Love You

Be silent.
Be still.
Alone.
Empty
Before your God.
Say nothing.
Ask nothing.
Be silent.
Be still.
Let your God look upon you.
That is all.
God knows.
God understands.
God loves you
With an enormous love,
And only wants
To look upon you
With that love.
Quiet.
Still.
Be.
Let your God--
Love you.

-Edwina Gateley

Sunday Prayer, Epiphany 6A

Loving God, we seek to follow your desire
And walk in your ways
To observe your commandment
Love God, love self, love others

Bless, O God, this land and
All the lands of the earth
Fill the minds and hearts
Of leaders with wisdom

As your servants may we labor
For Your purposes, building
Gardening, watering,
Reconciling, growing – peace

May we work together
Sister and brother, brother
And sister, as God’s field
God’s gift to you, to me

Loving God, we seek to follow your desire
And walk in your ways
To observe your commandments
Love God, love self, love others

Amen.

Crossposted on RevGalBlogPals and SeekingAuthenticVoice

Psalm 51:12-13

Thursday Prayer

Eternal One,

Silence

from whom my words come;

Questioner

from whom my questions arise;

Lover

of whom all my loves are hints;

Disturber

in whom alone I find my rest;

Mystery

in whose depths I find healing and myself;

enfold me now in your presence;

restore to me your peace;

renew me through your power;

and ground me in your grace.

Thanks to Ellie at The Anchorhold.

Cold

God, The arctic blast is back here.

Through my undeserved privilege,

I have a job that allows me to stay home on this freezing and snowy day.

I have a pot of tea, two dogs, a cat, and a loving spouse in the next room.

God, be with those who have not these things

who are cold, hungry, worried, jobless, alone.

just a morning prayer....

This week our delightful seminary intern shared his spiritual story after worship, which we do once a month.  He is a mystic, no doubt.  
At age 13 he began to meditate, and became a seriously practising Buddhist for many years.   He talked about how meditation grounded him, every day--to this day.  So today, let's take some time to meditate.  Do this breathing slowly and take your time....

Breathing in, I am aware of my body...
Breathing out, I breathe out your Spirit...

Breathing in, I breathe in silence
Breathing out, I breathe out calm...

Breathing in, I breathe in peace...
Breathing out, I breathe out You...

Breathing in, I breathe in grace...
Breathing out, I breathe out love....
Amen.
(pray this prayer several times in a row.....)

Love, peace, and breath to you.

Sunday Prayer: Epiphany 5A

God of righteousness -, enfold the suffering
in clouds of mercy.
Reach into the tragedies of this earth,
Especially the chaos and despair in (Egypt)
Help us Be Salt, enhancing your love
your compassion in all creation

Guide the leaders of nations – in grace
Teach us, your people to be Your heart,
your love abundant.
Like a mountain of love reaching to the heavens
A gift of the Holy Spirit given, that we may be
A place of refuge in the dust, hope in darkness
In your light may we see, may we be light

Merciful God, be with us all, - this day
The sick and the dying, the worn, and fearful
And all who suffer.
A fountain of mercy pouring forth
You who lift us up, known before birth
By the Spirit of God,
Salt of the Earth,
Light to the world.


Gracious and Holy One, we give thanks
For all the blessings of this life
Miracles of grace
Of birth, of air and water
Of food, song and prayer,
of peace
Enlighten us, salt from salt,
bread of life
cup of your delight.

Amen.

crossposted on RevGalBlogPals and SeekingAuthenticVoice

A Prayer for the Super Bowl Players

In Wisconsin, where I live, the news is all about the Packers and the Steelers. When the radio alarm went off this a.m. I noted that our usual Milwaukee news was being broadcast from Dallas and was all about football. Here is a prayer from an anonymous football fan in honor of the big weekend.

Dear Lord all I ask is that our team play up to the level of their greatness. If they do that they have already have victory in Your eyes. Let them know that by believing in You they are believing in themselves. God, release them from their worries fears and doubts so that they may concentrate on this important game. Make them fearless. Make them mistake free. Let them know your plan so that they may know theirs better. Guide them, protect them and let them know Your victory is a hard fought struggle--one filled with comebacks and blow outs. One filled with injury and wide open possibilities. One filled with heartache and triumph. But never does it exist without struggle, without fight, without Your eternal love that keeps us running in pain, running to the end of ones breath, running and never ever giving up-- even when the goal is in sight, and its has been scored. Running until we celebrate life's greatest victory in Your smile and the hugs of our "teammates." In You we are all victorious. Lord, protect the players of both sides, give the fans a day of fun and good cheer without any taint of violence. May all come to know what winning and playing the game of life means. Lord I humbly ask that You make them forever winners--the real kind. Amen.

Thursday Prayer

God of light, please keep us all warm and safe during this cold February weather. Let those who need warmth, food, and work find something to keep their bodies warm and their bellies full. Please be with all those who must go out in the cold, especially those driving. Guide and keep Your people, O God, this winter and always. Amen.

Cold

Oh God

It's cold in my house

and I have a warm bed to get into

Please, God

Warm those who don't

a prayer for...all of us

oh God help us...
the children, the children locked in terror and silence,
fearful of mommy or daddy or both,
where we can't tell anyone of the hell we live in...
save us, God, have mercy....

oh God help us,
as we protest, as we shout loud for change,
just so that we can have food on our tables,
clothing for our babies,
just a little bit better of a life...
God, grant us justice...grant us peace.

oh God help us,
as we mourn quietly,
another day of struggle,
just to get out of bed,
just to get through the next hour,
as we deal with whatever it is that we are living now--
cancer. depression. loss.  transition.  curve balls.
oh God.  oh Holy One.  we just pray for your Grace.

and your Hope.
and your Life.

amen