water prayers...

Wherever the waters flow, they bring health.
-Ezekiel 47:9

God our Mother,
Living Water,
River of Mercy,
Source of Life,
in whom we live
and move
and have our being,
who quenches our thirst,
refreshes our weariness,
bathes
and washes
and cleanses
our wounds,
be for us always
a fountain of life,
and for all the world
a river of hope
springing up in the midst
of the deserts of despair.
-Miriam Therese Winter

Prayer for Lent 3A

Lord of earth, sky and sea,

You have created this beautiful world we live in.

And we thank you for it.

You entrusted us to be stewards of this place called earth

and we haven’t always done a very good job.

Forgive us we pray,.

Heal your land

Heal your waterways.

Heal your land.

Help us to be better caretakers.



Lord we pray for those who thirst for good clean water.

We pray for those who have no water at all.

We pray for those in Japan whose waters are now radioactive.

We pray for those who lives have been devastated by floods and tsunamis.

We pray for those who thirst for your living water.



Lord we pray for those who are unhappy today.

We pray for those who are suffering today.

We pray for those whose bodies are ravaged by pain.

We pray for those whose bodies are affected from illnesses.

We pray for those who hearts are broken.

We pray for those whose are affected with grief.



Lord you know how to reach out to the tender hearted and to those in need.

Help us as your representatives to do like wise.

Help us to not be afraid of persons who are different then ourselves.

Helps us to not be afraid to be in conversations with those who are different then ourselves.

Help us to share with others your good news because your love has been poured into our hearts through your Holy Spirit.

We pray all this and more that rests in our hearts and minds.

Amen

cross posted at revgalsblogpals

Picture found at New Life

Prayer for Those Who Wait

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

This morning I find myself waiting. I am not very patient, God. Waiting is hard. It seems I've spent half my life waiting, and I would have thought it would be easier by now. It isn't.

I look out the window to see beautiful snow blanketing the ground and sparkling in the sun. If it were January I'd be appreciating it. This morning it serves as one more reminder of waiting. I am waiting, with a deep longing that only those who live in cold climates can understand, for warmth, for color, for growth.

I am waiting for the weekend about to commence--a weekend in which I will face a deeply bittersweet set of circumstances. I want to hope for the best. Dare I? I will be happy if I make it through without crying--but surely there is more than that in this wait?

I am waiting to hear from the church who is considering calling me as their pastor. The process has been unreasonably long, and that is putting it kindly. It makes me wonder if I should just stop waiting and sell insurance.

And all of these "waits" seem to go on and on.

I am wondering, Jesus, in this waiting season leading to Holy Week and our celebrations on Easter Sunday morning, how was it for you to wait? To wait for Mary and Joseph to understand, to wait for the day when your siblings would know who you were, to wait for that crew of your friends called disciples to finally...get it. To wait, at the last meal you shared with them, for the one who would betray you to disappear into the night. To wait in the garden for the horror that was about to commence. To wait on the cross until, somehow, it was finished. To wait--where were you, really?--for resurrection and renewed life, validation, glorious hope and then a return to whence you came?

I am not patient, Jesus. This morning I ask for grace to wait in hope. I ask that for others who may pray along with me today, others who are in a long season of waiting, of wondering, of waning to hope but not being certain they can. Help us, Lord, in your mercy and by your grace, to wait.

Amen

If you' like, you can listen to a little gospel music this morning.

Thursday Prayer

Come into my heart,
Lord Jesus.
Pray in me and with me
that I may learn from you
how to pray.

~Mother Teresa

Lenten thoughts...

God plays upon the harp of the Spirit,
Sounding the strings strongest in love:
And to this mystical music
Humanity is beckoned to sing.
--Mechtild of Helfta, 13th century


When you plow, don't lose your track.
Can't plow straight and keep a-lookin' back.

If you want to get to heaven, I'll tell you how,
Keep your hand right on that plow.

Keep on plowin' and don't you tire.
Ev'ry row goes higher and higher.

If that plow stays in your hand,
Heads you straight for the promised land.

Keep your hand on that plow, hold on.
Hold on, hold on!
Keep  your hand on that plow, hold on.
-African American Spiritual


May we sing in quiet mystery as we continue through this journey of Lent. 
amen.

Prayer for Lent 2a

Second Sunday of Lent A

Prayers from our heart to the heart of God;

Merciful God, in this time of quiet and silence we come to you.
We come to like Nicodemus seeking answers to our questions.
We come to you not sure we understand what the bible teaches, what the Sunday School teachers teaches or what the preachers preaches.
We come to you seeking faith to accept your wonderful gift of love.
Fill our hearts with your love.
May your Holy Spirit blow through our lives and through our churches.

Maker of Heaven and Earth, in this time of rejoicing and singing we come to you.
We come as David and the pilgrims seeking your help for all of us.
We come seeking your help in our time of need.
We come asking for your aid for those who are sick, wounded, chronically ill, and terminally ill.
We come looking for you to assist those in Japan who have lost so much and so many loved ones; who now may lose more to nuclear radiation.
We come praying for you justice for the poor, the homeless, the slaves, the children, and the helpless.
Fill their hearts with you love.


Covenant God, in this time of wonder and awe we stand still to listen to you.
We stand waiting for the word from you just as Abraham did so that we too can go where you lead us.
We stand waiting for your word of blessing for our lives when so many times we feel more stressed then blessed.
We stand waiting for your word of promises to us and to your church.
We stand waiting for your word of life for our dull and lifeless world.
We stand waiting for your word of grace in our lives.
We stand waiting for your word of creativity in our lives, our churches and our world.
And then Lord we are able to go forth with you leading our way.

cross post at revgalblogpals

Thursday Prayer

God of all times and places, we confess that we would rather join the crowds than stand alone. We prefer the popular point of view to a solitary witness for justice and truth. We like safety and security while shrinking from the risk of involvement. We'll sing "hosanna" when everyone else is doing so--but not when the hostile "Good Friday" forces may hear us. We do not like to admit our lukewarm response to you, but neither do we want to be considered fanatics.

We believe Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. We know that means us, not just other folk involved in obvious evils everyone knows about. We ask you to be patient with us, to help us understand our own guilt. Then pour out your forgiveness in such a way that we are forever transformed. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Wednesday Prayer

Oh God!

I need you!

I need to slow down
calm down
rest in your arms
God

I am too upset about too many things
and they are little things, God
compared with the things of this world

but they are my things, and so they matter to you.

God, help me.
God, help us all.

an early Tuesday prayer...

so....
today,
just prayers from you heart.

What do you pray for today?

What are the prayers you offer?  

Mine are:

for Japan.
for my congregation.
for discernment.
for all of YOU in your ministries and families and lives.

Hear, oh hear our prayer....

And God says,

"I am praying with you."

Amen.

Prayer for Lent 1a

Lord, we are heartbroken over the devastation in Japan, the lives lost,
This is not the first time recently that there have been earthquakes or flooding,
but it doesn’t keep our hearts from hurting.
It reminds us how quickly life can change and how short our time on earth is.
It reminds us that we live in a natural world.
It reminds us to call unto you Lord.

And so we call upon you for
hope and healing,
guidance and strength.
We pray that we be able to offer our hands and resources to help.

Lord you promise to those whom are faithful that when we pray;
At a time of anguish, you will hear us,
You will be our place of safety,
That you will care for us in a time of trouble,
And that you will be deliver us.
We claim those promises now.

Lord as we begin this time the Great Fast
We ask you to walk with us as we go through
Life’s trials and temptations.
During this time as we journey to the cross with Jesus,
Help us to keep the fast, help us to understand Jesus’ journey, and
Help us to remain faithful to you.

In the your son’s name, Amen


cross posted at revgalblogpals

A prayer of hope for Japan

O gracious God, who created this earth
who brought order out of chaos
who designed land and water
earth and sky and all creatures
be merciful in your grace once again
restoring order through the calamity
of the earthquake and tsunami that struck
disaster and took lives in Japan.

O gracious God, fill the hearts of those
who are unable to find their way home
who have lost food and house, family and friends,
fill their hearts with peace, despite all evidence
to the contrary. Fill broken spirits with grace through
the kindness of strangers, the love offerings of hand
and heart, through which you, O God, take action.

O gracious God, enable the people of the world
to take action, to find the lost, tend to the injured,
mourn the dead,. Help families and friends, neighbors
and co-workers as the shock wears off, help them
to find the help they need for food, water, housing, and
comfort. Help us know how to respond, effectively.

O gracious God, protect the people of Japan from
greater harm from radiation leaks and other post-earthquake
disasters. Still the troubled waters and shaking land and
trembling bodies. Still the traumatized spirits of human beings
and surround them with gentleness and kindness, provide for
their needs, help us, who live outside Japan, know how to help
those who live in Japan, that we can be the face of Christ, the
love of God poured out, in a time of brokenness and fear.

A Pure Heart

This is cross posted over at my blog, The Owl's Song, where I am posting a prayer focus for each day during Lent.

Psalm 24:3-4 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.

Today, Lord, we are seeking you as we ask for pure hearts. You have called us to come to you in your courts of splendor--as if we hold in our hands engraved invitations. We check the date again. You want us to come now, while we live on this earth so that we might begin to taste the love of Heaven. We may fear the motives deep within us, but Your love is greater than our sin. If you have called us, surely you will cleanse us. We have reason to doubt our hearts, but we refuse to doubt your heart. You have promised that as we confess our sin you will forgive us. In the joy of that promise, we boldly come to you!

We pray today for truth to prevail and for those things that are false to be revealed for what they are--in our homes, communities, countries and around the world. We pray for those with selfish agendas to be less powerful, and that those with intentions to bless and bring good--those with clean hands and pure hearts-- will be strengthened. Amen

Today: Seek God for Ethnic Communities
Pray that God will bring racial harmony, that longstanding offenses may be healed, that Christians show honor to others and act in accordance with God's heart for reconcilliation and peace. Pray that the beauty of distinctive languages and cultures will be evident in our churches and our communities.

Self-Surrender

To worship God means to forget the self; an extremely difficult, though possible, act. What takes place in a moment of prayer may be described as a shift of the center of living--from self-consciousness to self-surrender.

By Abraham Joshua Heschel

Source: The Insecurity of Freedom

Tuesday Prayer

So, my apologies for missing last week--I forgot to pre-post, and then I unplugged for the BE 4, which was fabulous.

It was also filled with fabulous prayers--we sang prayers of the people twice--with a chorus. One was by Marty Haugen, and one was from the UCC new Prayer and Praise songbook.  The UCC one, penned by Richard Bruxvoort (sp?), is meaningful to me, especially at this time in my life.  So here is the chorus, which I had hoped would be on You Tube, but it's not.  It is actually a phrase from Ephesians 3:20:

"More than we can ask, more than we can ask,
More than we can ask or imagine...."

So, in your prayers today, remember, the Love of God is always more than you can ask or imagine,
so ask, and imagine beyond everything.....

Ah...Holy One,
In the craziness of our worlds,
in the busy-ness of our daily life,
In the mix of world crises, revolutions, civil wars,
and unspeakable horrors....
all we can do sometimes is just stop...
for a second or minute or hour if we are lucky...
and if we think too hard,
we know that it is more than we can ask or imagine
to pray for our healing,
for the healing of the world,
for the healing of hearts and minds and bodies...
and yet,
You are You...
and we are your beloved,
and all we really know what to do is to pray for that which seems beyond us...
More than we can ask,
More than we can imagine...
we know this prayer rests in your Heart and your Imagination.
Hear, oh hear, our prayer.
Amen.

Sunday Prayer

Oh Lord hear our prayers
Prayers for hope for those who feel hopeless
Prayers for healing for those who need healing
Prayers for jobs for those who are jobless
Prayers for community for those who feel lonely
Prayers for peace for those whose lives are filled with conflict.
Prayers for understanding for those seeking to be understood.
Prayers for comfort those who grieve.
Prayers for food for those who hunger.
Prayers for shelter for those who are homeless.
Prayers for clean water for those whose waters are contaminated
Prayers for rain for those who live in drought.
Prayers for a time of drying for those who are facing too much rain.
Prayers for freedom for those who live under dictatorships.
Prayers for wisdom for our leaders.
Prayers for Spiritual growth and health for our churches.
Prayers for your Kingdom to reign here on earth.
Amen

In My Silence

Sometimes we are silent because we are still and listening, and sometimes we are silent because we just don't know how to pray, or because those "innner noises" are so loud we wonder if God is still with us. Today's prayer is from Henri Nouwen.

Dear God,
Speak gently in my silence.
When the loud outer noises of my surroundings
and the loud inner noises of my fears
keep pulling me away from you,
help me to trust that you are still there
even when I am unable to hear you.
Give me ears to listen to your small, soft voice saying:
"Come to me, you who are overburdened,
and I will give you rest...
for I am gentle and humble of heart."
Let that loving voice be my guide.
Amen.

Thursday Prayer

Open wide the window of our spirits, O Lord,
and fill us full of light.
Open wide the door of our hearts,
that we may receive and entertain thee with all our powers
of adoration and love.
Amen.

~~Christina G. Rossetti