Saturday prayer: meeting

With respect
And reverence
That the unknown
Between us
Might flower
Into discovery
And lead us
Beyond
The familiar field
Blind with the weed
Of weariness
And the old walls
Of habit.

~John O'Donahue, "on Meeting A Stranger" from to bless the space between us ~

A Prayer for the New Year

Bless us, O Lord, and bless the time and seasons yet to come. Teach us to number our days aright,that we may gain wisdom of heart. And fill this new year with your kindness so that we may be glad and rejoice all the days of our life. God of times and seasons, we know that our calendar is not like yours--yet it seems the new year, like a new born child, is placed in our hands as the old year passes away. The days and weeks to come are Your gift. May they carry your blessing. As a blessing, we welcome them. Our prayer as the year closes is that all that was good in it remain with us into the new year--and all that was harmful be left behind. Amen

Based partially on a prayer by Fr. Victor Hougland, CP

Blessing Our Cities on Christmas Eve

Another prayer for "Presence"...

I pray for Lutheran Chick's friends, for Questing Parson, for friends in California, for a dear retired missionary and former professor who just lost his wife. As I type this I am deeply mindful of many who are grieving, waiting by bedsides, without homes, worshipping in silent and hidden places, wondering about employment...and on it goes. In the long period of time when God was "silent" (about 400 years) until the Angel spoke to Mary, the longing for Messiah's coming must have been intense. Thinking of these things, we pray together for our cities, towns, homes, as well as the world.

Psalm 72:6-7 May God come down like rain upon the mown grass, like showers that water the earth, in these days may the rightwoud flourish and may there be an abundance of peace till the moon is no more...

Prince of Peace, as we finish preparing for Christmas Eve services and other gatherings, we are deeply aware of how much we need you. As we each seek to welcome the flame of your holy presence, may those who walk in darkness see a great Light. Bring your wisdom, plant your joy, infuse your jubilant loveliness, add your mighty righteousness. Live in us and move and speak and love through us so that Your presence will become true peace, peace that "passes understanding." Amen

Blessing Our Cities Presence in Worship

The true Light that gives light to all was coming into the world! John 1:9

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. Rev. 21:20-21

Hossanah! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! John 12:13

This is how some of the people welcomed you, Lord Jesus, recognizing You as the very one who comes in God's name. We pray that you will visit this citiy. How long till you return? We yearn for your coming. We anticipate that you will bring to completion all that the Almight God has purposed. Amen

Blessing Our Cities -- Presence

The last of the types of blessing prayer (which have included hope, peace, increase, family fulness, abundant life, provision and transformation) is for presence.

May the God of Heaven and Earth protect you as if holding you in cradling arms. May God's presence be real, and may provision and favor rest upon you as if you were seeing a loving face smiling into yours. May the Lord find you and draw you so that you encounter Christ in all of his relational splendor. May the Lord's love and power and beauty be real to you, lifting your life up into the life of God and giving you Heaven's peace. Then, full of new life, may you bless the people of your city in whatever way God grants to you this season. Amen

Blessing Our Cities--Transformation Part 2

Rev. 21:5 "Behold, I am making all things new..."

As we look out upon our cities and towns, those places where we live, work and minister, help us to dare to believe that You, transforming Lord, are making things new. Ultimately, all will be changed. Choose our cities for present-day displays of renewing grace. Take these very placs as they are today--the people, the sorrow, the splendors--and transform them so that the life of Heaven will be known on earth. You, God, are faithful. May the people of our cities have eyes to behold you and ears to hear you, and may this be especially true as Jesus' birth is proclaimed this Christmas season. May the people around us fix their hopes on you.

Blessing Our Cities--Transformation

Psalm 103:2-6 Bless the Lord...and forget none of God's benefits...

We bless the God who blesses our cities. And because of God's never-failing love, we bless the people of our cities. May memories be clear about all God has done.

...who forgives all your sins

Thank you, God, for forgiveness. Set us free from the effects of wrongs done long ago.

...who heals all your diseases

You, O Lord, are the Healer. Restore bodies, minds and spirits.

...who redeems your life from the pit.

Liberate us, O God, from all that restrains us from being free indeed. Release us, and those around us, from the darkness of despair and the fear of death.

...and crowns you with love and compassion.

God, help us to show your love in everyday acts of love and kindness. May our cities become know for compassion and friendship.

...who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's...

God, you are good and the giver of all good things. Thank you. May we fly into our destiny like eagles, unafraid because we know you are with us.

The LORD works righteous and justice for all the oppressed.

God of justice and mercy, rise again and again with pure and righteous power to defeat every evil. We long for the day when true and lasting justice is established in the earth. May we, your sons and daughters, walk justly in the places you have called us. Amen

Blessing Our Cities -- Exaltation

I'm sorry for the delay. I had to leave the house early this morning and just returned.

Proverbs 11:11 Today's New International Version

Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

We pray that the noise of the wicked will be muffled. Their destructive words have already demolished the hopes of many. Amplify the voices of those who are living in an upright manner. Make their words of faith and wisdom become strength and honor to many others. May our cities and towns be exalted, and may God be honored. Amen

Blessing Our Cities # 16

Back to Psalm 36 again today...

Psalm 36:6-9 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

God,
You have made people thirsty for what animals never need. May a stream of your life-giving water flow through the community. May our churches provide an artesian well of life which showers forth spiritual light. May this fountain of light illuminate what is true and good and expose what is worthless. Amen

Blessing Our Cities # 15 Provision Prayer

I apologize for the late hour of this posting. Long and hectic day, and no computer nearby.

Psalm 36:6-7 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

God we ask that you will guard our cities from great harm. How grateful we are for the care you have for every living thing! Help us to value life in all its many forms and to see your creativity in the work of your loving hands. May we be as simple and pure hearted as children, taking refuge in you as a child might run to a loving parent for protection. May the people of our cities, towns and villages, those among whom we live and move, experience your kindness and truly know how precious it is to be beloved of God. Amen

Blessing Our Cities # 14

This is an excerpt from the first post (back in June) of the "Blessing Our Cities" prayers.

I'd like to use the Friday prayer as expressions of hope and blessing for the cities/towns in which we live and minister...prayers of blessing are usually expressions of God's intended goodness...Blessings bestow a future. Prayers of blessing are always prayers of hope. Join me as we pray blessing on our communities. If you have specific requests for your city or town, please let us know in the comments.

So far I have posted prayers for peace, increase, family fulness, and now abundant life. This is the second prayer for abundance, God style.

Let's return to Jeremiah 17:7-8 for a moment:

Blessed are the ones who trust in the Lord...For they will be like trees planted by the water with roots planted deep by a stream. They will not fear when the heat comes... leaves will be green and they will not be anxious in a year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit.

and The Epistle of James, chapter 1, verse 12:

Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test the will will recieve the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

Together, O Lord, we bless those who are tested in their love for You. Help them stand. Let them feel the great honor of both Your presence and Your reward. Give abundant life to those who love. We ask this for ourselves, for those in our areas of influence and ministry, and for others around the world who are suffering because they love you. Aman

Blessing Our Cities #13

This week we pray together for the blessings of abundant life.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (New Living Translation)

7 “But blessed are those who trust in the Lord
and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.
8 They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.

God of abundance, we pray together once again for the people of our cities, towns and villages, the people where we minister, live, work, and play. We ask for both ourselves and for those around us to experience more than mere existence. We pray for the joy that comes from continual fresh discovery of the reason you sent Jesus to this world, "...that they might have life, and have it abundantly." May we be alive with your kind of life, trusting, and resting in peace that comes from faith. And may that overflow to those around us. Amen

And now a little rocky Jesus music to help wake you up and start your day! Don't say I didn't warn you. I pray blessings of Life Abundant for you today!

Blessing Our Cities #12

As we continue to pray blessings for those places where we live, we turn our thoughts to families once again. Today, I invite you to look ahead to the future as we ask blessing of integrity for generations that will follow us.

A righteous person who walks in integrity, how blessed are his children after him! Proverbs 20:7

And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 16:16

May those who sit with us in church, who listen to our sermons, sing songs of worship, those who are influenced by our presence, our work, our ministries, our lives, be changed by the grace and abundant love of God. May they be people of integrity so that their children will be blessed in time to come. May the children remember us as people who loved, above all. May those we cannot yet see be blessed as well, the children and grandchildren who will be the church, the citizens. Embrace the children of our cities, Lord Jesus, and bless them as only you can do.
Amen

The following made me smile, especially the little girl on the right playing the conga drum. Hope these kids make you smile too!

Blessing Our Cities #11

Our Friday blessing prayers continue with prayers for families. Consider with me for a moment, how every family becomes part of a long, unfolding story. Pray for families with intensity. Our Father God--who is also El Shaddai, the many-breasted nourisher (a mother image if ever there was one!) must feel passionate about the families of this world. So must we!

Psalm 128:1-4 Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways. You will eat the fruit of your labor, blessing and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a freuitvine within your house. Your sons will be like olive shoots around your table. This is a man blessed of the Lord!

We pray for families without children, particularly for those to whom this is a grief. Provide ways for them to bless others and to be blessed in the process. May they have a positive impact on the children around them even while their hearts may long for one of their own. Satisfy families with justice in their labors. Provide employment or other provision for those who need it. May there be abundance with contentment. May the husband count his wife as a blessing, and may he honor her with his words and actions. We also pray earnestly for families with children. May love flourish, and may the children be treasured more than any other wealth, protected, and nourished with food, love, kindness and respect. Amen

Blessing Our Cities #10

Continuing our "blessing" prayers, this is the fourth (and last) prayer for "increase."

...May the Lord give you increase,

you and your children.

May you be blessed of the LORD,

Maker of Heaven and Earth.

Psalm 115:12-15

Create in us, O Lord, new hearts and right spirits as those of a child. For it is through the eyes and spirit of a child that we truly enter into the kingdom of Heaven as Jesus said, “Let the children come to Me, for this is what the kingdom of heaven is like.” May the children who are added to the families in our villages, towns and cities be regarded as blessings from you, O Lord. We ask that you, Creator God, Mother and Father and sustainer of life, shape this generation. May we learn to honor, value, respect, teach, train, and love the children of our own families and also those who are part of our lives.

Amen

Blessing Our Cities #9

Psalm 115:12-15 The Lord has been mindful of us; God will bless...


Lord God, You have long been aware of this place I live, and these people, and these present days. What wisdom and love are in your heart? What goodness do you intend, if your will is done? What wonders will you do to prove your love to the one who fears, or weeps, or doubts?


....God will bless...those who fear the Lord, the small together with the great.


You do not restrict your blessing to just "special" people. Just as eagerly, you bless any who regard you with awe for who you are. And, even more, you pour blessing on those who do not even know who you are. You have blessed those high and mighty, and you will also bless the forgotten and the small. No one escapes the scope of potential blessing in Your heart. We look to you, asking blessing for the ones who seem overlooked. We seek your blessing on those who honor you, and we pray that as you bless those who do not, they will seek you and find you.


May the Lord give you increase, you and your children. May you be blessed of the Lord, Maker of Heaven and earth.

Amen

Blessing Our Cities # 8

We continue our prayers for "increase" --the kind of fullness that God loves to bring, fullness of godly character and fulfillment of God's intentions for us and those places where we live and serve.

Today's prayer may cause certain individuals to come to mind, people who need physical strength, emotional health and hope restored. You might want to spend a little time naming those people specifically to the Lord of all good things.

"...I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 1:2

Lord God who brings every perfect gift, today we agree together for the people of our cities, towns and churches to have prosperity in body and soul. In Your Holy Name, we bless them with the prosperity that Christ Himself gives. May their bodies be strangthened and guarded from disease. May their minds be renewed, protected from lies and from fear. May their souls be encouraged, restored and forgiven from sin. May their hopes be renewed and lifted again to you, God. Amen

Blessing Our Cities #7

Continuing our prayers for the blessings of increase, today we ask abundance without grief.

"It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow to it." Proverbs 10:22

God of All,
Many have become rich but find themselves ruined emotionally, physically or spiritually. May these instead find that you impart righteous character with financial abundance. May the ones who seek your wisdom about how to use financial resources find that they are as joyous as they are generous. May they share their prosperity with many others, and may your Kingdom increase. Amen

Blessing Our Cities # 6

So far, we have been praying for the blessings of peace. Today we begin prayers for "increase," blessings that focus on fullness. God loves to bring increase that results in a fulness of God's character and intentions in us.

Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth...Genesis 9:1

Creator God, in prayer we we bring your first blessing to our towns and cities. May they be filled with those people who will bless and be a blessing. As these people increase in number, may they grow as well with mature wisdom, righteous, mercy toward others, and overflowing joy. Amen

Blessing Our Cities #5

They have healed the brokenness of my people superficially, saying ""Peace, peace" but there is no peace. Jeremiah 6:14

We do not declare peace in a superficial way. We pray for the healing that Christ Himself can bring. We pray that minds and hearts and lives may be mended, that homes may be restored. And thus, may they come to know a lasting, living peace. Amen