Prayer for Proper 8B/Ordinary 13B/Pentecost 5

God of freedom,

As we celebrate the freedoms of our countries,

May we not forget the many who sacrificed to make that possible.

And may we not forget that there are many living in places where freedom is lacking, so

We pray for justice and liberation for them.

We are also grateful for the freedom you give us in Jesus.

We are aware that many do not know that freedom

so we pray that we are not afraid to tell others of your wonderful freedom for all.

Come, O gracious God, who led your children Israel from slavery,

keep us free from all that might hold us in bondage.

We pray for all those who are vulnerable and in need,

 that you would strengthen them and hear their cries for help.

We pray for the sick and the suffering,

And Lord there are so many in our community, our families, and friends.

We Pray for your healing to come their way.

We pray for the poor and burdened, that they may find relief and be set free from their poverty.

We pray for those suffering in this heat, those that work outdoors in this heat keep them safe.

We pray for those who are dying and for those who have had a recent death in their lives. Bring solace to their grief and pain.

We pray for ourselves as we seek to follow you and love you.

We pray for our families, Lord it can be so difficult to be a loving family these days.

We pray for our friends, and companions that we support and love each other as we walk this journey of life and faith. Amen

cross posted at revgalblogpals

Help Me to Forgive

My Lord, help me forgive when everything inside me tells me not to. Help me let go when my heart is so wounded that I feel it’s breaking. Open my eyes to things that can heal me, things that can comfort me and make me stronger. Hold my hand and let me cry on Your shoulder. Take me to places I’ve never been, let me stand on the highest mountain, so I can see how foolish I am for clinging to my anger. Show me a glimpse of Your greatness, so that I can make it my treasure when everything else seems to crumble around me.


Teach me to make the best of all the painful circumstances in my life and help me love the people who hurt me as You love us all, although we hurt You by our words, thoughts and actions. Give me the wisdom to see beyond this moment, to understand and accept the deepest motivations that make people hurt other people. Give me the inner strength to heal and not to break, to comfort and not to destroy, to repay good for evil and love for hatred.

And last, but not least, make my faith stronger, so that I can cope with moments like this in the future. Turn every experience into a magic well, from which I can always draw drops of strength and wisdom. Teach me the alchemy of love, which changes dust and mud into gold and makes everything worthwhile. For You are the only help I’ve got and in You I put all my trust now and forever.

AMEN
 
From Eliza at Eliza's Prayer Box

Thursday Prayer

O Lord my God,
Teach my heart this day where and how to see you,
Where and how to find you.

You have made me and remade me,
And you have bestowed on me
All the good things I possess,
And still I do not know you.

I have not yet done that
For which I was made.

Teach me to seek you,
For I cannot seek you
Unless you teach me,
Or find you
Unless you show yourself to me.

Let me seek you in my desire,
Let me desire you in my seeking.
Let me find you by loving you,
Let me love you when I find you. 

St. Anselm

With thanks to Blue Eyed Ennis.

The Slow Work of God

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.  We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.  We would like to skip the intermediate stages.  We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.  And yet, it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability - and that it may take a very long time.  Above all, trust in the slow work of God, our loving vine-dresser.

- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Monday Prayer: God's Grandeur

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.

It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;

And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;

There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

And though the last lights off the black West went

Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs --

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Sunday Prayer: Proper 7B

(a prayer for the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, adapted)

I ask your prayers for God's people throughout the world;
for this gathering; and for all ministers and people.
Pray for the Church.

Silence

I ask your prayers for peace; for goodwill among nations;
and for the well-being of all people.
Pray for justice and peace.

Silence
I ask your prayers for the poor, the sick, the hungry, the
oppressed, and those in prison.
Pray for those in any need or trouble.

Silence
I ask your prayers for all who seek God, or a deeper knowledge of her.
Pray that they may find and be found by him.

Silence

I ask your prayers for the departed [especially ].
Pray for those who have died.

Silence

For whom else shall we pray (add petitions).

We give thanks for all the blessings of this life: (list blessings).

I ask your thanksgiving for (prayer for all the blessings of this life –birthdays, anniversaries, etc).

Silence

Praise God for those in every generation in whom Christ has been honored
[especially whom we remember today].
Pray that we may have grace to glorify Christ in our own day.

Amen.

saturday: thorns to berries

Help me to please You
in humility of spirit,
in brotherly and sisterly love,
in pure simplicity,
in humble shyness,
in the protection of my senses,
in appreciation of life,
in alacritous obedience,
in sweet patience,
in spiritual discipline,
in a chosen poverty,
in holy tolerance,
in maturity of conduct,
in cheerfulness of spirit,
in all truth,
in good conscience,
in steadiness of faith,
in godly perseverance,
in strength of hope,
in the wholeness of loving,
and in the joyful harmony of Your kindness,
so the prickly thorn bush of my heart will be changed into a paradise of good acts and a red raspberry bush of total spiritual excellence, as if it were a field full of everything peaceful, holy, loving, and kind, all blessed by God!

~Catherine the Great, Spiritual Exercises~

Oh the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

I began my day listening to this song and praying for those of you who will visit this blog today.  It might be a good way to end the day as well.  May you be filled with a fresh awareness of God's love.

That kind of love is Amazing Love . . .

A deep, deep love . . .

A river-wide, ocean of love . . .

A purifying flame of love . . .

A holy cross of suffering love . . .

Thursday Prayer

give me a candle of the spirit, o god

as i go down into the deep of my own being

show me the hidden things -

take me down to the spring of my life

and tell me my nature and my name

give me freedom to grow

so that i may become my true self

the fulfillment of the seed

which you planted in me at my making

out of the deep

i cry unto thee, o god

amen

(a prayer by George Appleton)

1902-1993 Anglican Bishop

Mercy, Justice, Freedom and Kindness

Lord, wherever there is mercy, justice, freedom, and kindness, we know your good news is echoing in human history.  Give us ears to recognize the sound of glad feet coming and grant us grace to join you wherever you are moving.  Amen. 

from Common Prayer - Claiborne, Wilson-Hartgrove, Okoro

A Prayer for a Hot Summer's Day

One Hot Summer Day

Look outside
It's a gorgeous day,
I think all the children
Should go out and play.

The sun is shining
It's so hot outside,
The metal monkey bars are burning
And so is the enormous slide.

From that stroll we just went on
I'm exhausted, I must go rest,
For those very tired feet of mine
I am sure that will be the best.

Now that the day is over the children still ask,
"Can we play with just one more toy?"
"Tomorrow is another day", I tell them
"Another day to enjoy."

Author: Unknown

Gracious God, on this hot summer day (at least it's hot and summer where I am in the northern hemisphere,  the United States) - bless us with wisdom to use the resources of this earth with care and integrity. May we be mindful of our carbon footprint, the waste we leave behind. May we be mindful of our actions, and strive for clean water, clean earth, clean air, that all the children of the earth can live safely, and in good health. May we rejoice at, and with, the beauty of this earth, our island home, this earth - your body, where you God have made manifest your most wild dreams and creativity. Amen.  

Monday Prayer: Feeling Torn

God of all space and time,

You are able to be in all places and at all times.

Sometimes, I think You forget that I am not.

I feel the tug of the work to which You have called me.

I yearn for more time in the relationships in which You have involved me.

I crave rest. I long for You.

Help me to be at peace with where I am from moment to moment.

Guide me through the Spirit to see the "extra" time in my day.

Slow my feet and speed my comprehension... that I might be more aware of the ways You are moving.

Help me to become receptive to the gift of Your peace.

I know, dear God, that is a horribly passive prayer.

But passivity is my prayer to You.

You are the actor, the First Mover, the Giver, and the Invitation.

Help me to respond, even with stillness.

Amen.

Sunday Prayer: God in Unexpected Ways

(God manifests in small and unexpected ways...one must be attentive to the potential of God)

Holy God, bless our lives, sanctify us,

and in your way, grant us our hearts desire.

Anoint us with your grace, that what we desire is also what you desire.

Help us to understand that our hearts true desire is the love of you.

May the love of Christ urge us on, may we walk by faith.

Thank you God, for all our blessings.

Holy God, bless those who govern –

Bless the leaders of nations, countries, towns, and cities.

And those who lead in all manner – social, political, and religious –

Bless us all. Fill the hearts of all with your wisdom.

Guide us in the way of justice and integrity for all.

Guide us to walk by faith.

Holy God, tend to those who suffer in mind, body, and spirit.

Tend to the tired, the dying, the poor and the hungry.

Help us to follow the love of Christ, a love which urges us on.

Help us to seek and serve Christ in others, bringing forth a new creation.

Holy God, we ask all this in the name of Christ, our redeemer.

Holy God, we ask all this by the Holy Spirit who activates your love in us -

manifesting in small and unexpected ways -  the greatness of You.

May your love may take root in our lives, and we may walk by faith.

Amen.

Lord, what do you expect of me?

"We ask you, Lord:

What do you expect of me?

And the Holy Spirit answers:

I pray in you

Dare to give your life

Dare to go that far."

~~Brother Roger of Taize

Tuesday's prayer

in this day,
may I be peace,
may I give peace,
may I find peace,
may I employ peace,
deep in my body,
drenched in my breathing.
amen.

Monday Prayer: Love that Will Not Let Us Go

O Love that wilt not let me go
I rest my weary soul in thee:
I give thee back the live I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to to thee:
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
that in thy sunshine's blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee:
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee:
I lay in dust life's glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.



- George Matheson








1000 World Prayers, John Hunt Publishing Inc, 2003. p. 68f

Sunday Prayer

Gracious God, source of life, divine creator of all, may we know your spirit and abide by your desire.

May we not succumb to that which seeks to distract us from You. May we have the same spirit of faith that our ancestors speak of, and yet a faith renewed and enlivened for the times we live.

We ask your mercy for all who suffer in mind, body, or spirit, especially for:

We ask for your grace, may it descend upon us, and help us tend to the injustices of the world. With your Spirit guiding us, may we mend the brokenness, especially the ways in which we contribute to them. We pray especially for those embattled in war or violence of any kind, and especially for those who:

We pray that we participate, as your hands and heart in the restoring all people to the dignity with which you created us. May we do this your sake, so that your grace, may extend to more and more people, as you work in and through us. May our thanksgivings and gratitude increase. We pray in gratitude for:

And, when we lose heart, when it seems as if our very nature is wasting away, may we be reminded of your love, and thus renewed day by day.

May we always give glory to you, O God. Amen.

Thursday Prayer

"O God, when I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work,
help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home,
help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering,
help me to destroy my complacency;
bestir my compassion,
and be concerned enough to help,
By word and deed,
those who cry out for what we take for granted.
Amen."

 (Samuel F Pugh)

Wednesday Prayer: Teach us to Forgive

Holocaust survivor Corrie Ten Boom wrote, 

"Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate.  It is a power that breaks the chains of forgiveness and the shackles of selfishness."  

Holy God, teach us to forgive.  

source:  Common Prayer. Claiborne, Wilson-Hartgrove, Okoro

Tuesday Prayer....

Oh dear One, who is many and mystery...
Life is full of contradictions and misunderstandings and heart wrenching situations.
Sometimes,
They happen around us...
Sometimes
They happen TO us...
Sometimes
They happen because of us...
Sometimes,
everything is out of control,
and we have no idea,
and yet, still,
We are caught in the web of everything beyond and above us.

So,
in these confusing times and places and  moments,
We pray
for Your guidance,
Your Heart,
Your Love...
to take us where we need to be.
Amen.

Monday Prayer: In the Season of Weddings

Oh, Lord of love and unions,

In this season of ceremony and commitment,
We pray for those who are joining their lives together.
Guide them in their decision-making, in their promises, in their futures.
Grant understanding, discernment, and trust to these newly forming couples.

We pray for officiants, planners, attendants, and friends,
Bring them peace and patience.
Deliver inspiration and a sense of humor.

We pray for those who mourn relationships gone by,
For whom this is a tough time of memories,
Who struggle with the words of rituals and the promises made before and broken.

Be with all in this season of change, growth, development.
Grant us the grace to see your presence in all circumstances.
Bring us ever more fully into the people you have made us to be.

Amen.

Sunday Prayer: Trinity Sunday

Gracious God, we give you thanks this night/day for the gifts of life. We thank you for being the foundation that supports our roots, for anchoring us richly, for nourishing us through the rocky days, the stormy nights, the wind, rain, and cold. During times when it seems all but impossible to stay grounded, you hold onto us. We thank you for being there even when we are certain that we are all alone, abandoned to harsh elements.

God of life, we thank you for all the blessings of our lives. For various communities that support, sustain, and manifests images of You, of love and compassion and hope, through pain and hurt feelings, sorrow and loss. For our friends and family, may we also celebrate in times of joy!

Compassionate One, we ask that you be with those tonight who need you most. Those who are struggling with their last breath, those who are taking their first breath, those who need release and the chance to take a deep cleansing breath. Those who are being birthed into life, into new life, and into the next realm. Bring them your peace.

God of grace, lead us into your truth, your ways. Help us, each and everyone, in all walks of life, to hold before us a vision of your love. Help us, all, to love as you love, generously, all. Give us your eyes, your heart, help us to be your hands, help us to mend the broken places.

Merciful God, forgive us when we fail, pick us up when we fall, sustain us when we doubt, guide us when we fear, embrace us when we cry, and laugh with us when we have joy. Then help us to do the same with those we meet, those we know, those we encounter day and night, even those whose lives we do not know. Help us to see deeply into the pain we cause - knowingly or not -help us to exhale your mercy that others may inhale your love.

In all these ways helps us to know you as a God of relationship, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Mother of all creation.

Amen.