A FRANCISCAN PRAYER

A FRANCISCAN PRAYER:

Man God bless you with discomfort

at easy answers,

half-truths,

and superficial relationships

so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger

at injustice,

oppression,

and exploitation of people,

so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears,

to shed for those who suffer

pain, rejection, hunger, and war,

so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness

to believe that you can make a difference in the world,

so that you can do what others claim cannot be done,

to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen.

A Prayer Following the Murder of George Floyd

Lord,
may I kneel with,
pray with,
cry with
those who are
hurting,
fearful,
dying,
unheard,
oppressed,
broken.
May I be a
bringer of peace,
a vessel of hope,
a light to those in darkness,
an encouragement to the downtrodden.
Though I may not understand the plight of others,
grant me the eyes of compassion to see the pain of others.
In my comfort, may I not plug my ears to injustice.
May my anger be just, and not self-righteous.
May I never think my rights are more important than what is right.
Break my heart with the things that break Yours.
May I be a person of mercy, grace, and forgiveness.
May I be more like Jesus.
Amen ~ ~ ~ sw

Post Election Prayer

Lord,
May we accept the results of this election with grace, 
       and may we, the Church of the Living God, 
       remember that we are the light of the world.
May we be the fragrance of Christ,
       and bring a message of hope to the world
       regardless of what lies ahead. Amen.

I Don't Feel Like Praying

 God,

I don't feel like praying today.

My spirit feels flat,

my mind dull and slow.

My prayers seem empty,

there is no sense of presence or power.

Logic tells me this time is wasted.

reason suggests I cut it short

and get on with some productive activity.

A sinisterly familiar voice suggests

that only legalism could hold me here

when it's obvious it isn't working,

at least not today.

I'm tempted to leave,

I'll admit that,

but I don't.

Instead I offer you

the gift of my time and presence.

If all I have today is motion without meaning,

then I'll give you my motion,

my empty efforts,

believing that in Your own way

You will turn these listless attempts at prayer

into true intercession.

Amen.

by Richard Exley

SLEEPING PRAYER

I am placing my soul and my body
On Thy sanctuary this night, O God, 
On Thy sanctuary, O Jesus Christ, 
On Thy sanctuary, O Spirit of perfect truth,
The Three who would defend my cause,
Nor turn Their backs upon me. 

Thou, Father, who art kind and just, 
Thou, Son, who didst overcome death,
Thou, Holy Spirit of power, 
Be keeping me this night from harm; 
The Three who would justify me 
Keeping me this night and always. 
- From the Carmina Gadelica

Prayer in Times of Conflict

O God, you have bound us together in a common life. Help us, in the midst of our struggles for justice and truth, to confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and to work together with mutual forbearance and respect; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ ~ ~ from The Book of Common Prayer

Azariah's Prayer of Repentance

The following prayer of repentance is found in an apocryphal portion of the book of Daniel 3:25, 34-45. It is included in "Catholic versions" of the Bible. It is said to be the prayer Azariah (his Hebrew name, Abednego was his Babylonian name) prayed while in the fiery furnace. It is a beautiful prayer for the Lenten season.

²⁵ Then Azariah stood still in the fire and prayed aloud:
34  For your name’s sake do not give us up forever,
    and do not annul your covenant.
³⁵ Do not withdraw your mercy from us,
    for the sake of Abraham your beloved
    and for the sake of your servant Isaac
    and Israel your holy one,
³⁶ to whom you promised
    to multiply their descendants like the stars of heaven
    and like the sand on the shore of the sea.
³⁷ For we, O Lord, have become fewer than any other nation,
    and are brought low this day in all the world because of our     sins.
³⁸ In our day we have no ruler, or prophet, or leader,
    no burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense,
    no place to make an offering before you and to find mercy.
³⁹ Yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be    accepted,
⁴⁰  as though it were with burnt offerings of rams and bulls,
    or with tens of thousands of fat lambs;
    such may our sacrifice be in your sight today,
    and may we unreservedly follow you,
    for no shame will come to those who trust in you.
⁴¹ And now with all our heart we follow you;
    we fear you and seek your presence.
⁴² Do not put us to shame,
    but deal with us in your patience
    and in your abundant mercy.
⁴³ Deliver us in accordance with your marvelous works,
    and bring glory to your name, O Lord.
44Let all who do harm to your servants be put to shame;
    let them be disgraced and deprived of all power,
    and let their strength be broken.
⁴⁵ Let them know that you alone are the Lord God,
    glorious over the whole world.”
~ ~ ~ Taken from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

Prayer for Watchfulness

Keep us, O Lord,
while we tarry on this earth,
in a serious seeking after you,
and in an affectionate walking with you,
every day of our lives;
that when you come,
we may be found not hiding our talent,
nor serving the flesh,
nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
but waiting and longing for our Lord,
our glorious God forever. Amen.
~ ~ ~ Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

A Prayer of Ambrose of Milan

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore thee,
a heart to delight in thee,
to follow and to enjoy thee,
for Christ's sake.
 ~ ~ ~ Ambrose of Milan (340-397 a.d.)

PRAYER FOR THE HUMAN FAMILY

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion  to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
                     ~ ~  ~ Book of Common Prayer

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit,

that my thoughts may all be holy.

Act in me O Holy Spirit, 

that my work, too, may be holy.

Draw my heart O Holy Spirit,

that I love but what is holy.

Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, 

to defend all that is holy.

Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, 

that I always may be holy. Amen.

 

~ ~ ~ St. Augustine (Algeria/354-430)

Prayer Against the Fear of the Unknown

O Lord, we beseech thee to deliver us from the fear of the unknown future; from fear of failure; from fear of poverty; from fear of bereavement;

from fear of loneliness; 

from fear of sickness and pain; 

from fear of age; 

from fear of death.

Help us, O Father, by thy grace to love and fear thee only, fill our hearts with cheerful courage and loving trust in thee; through our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.

~ ~ ~ Akanu Ibaim (Nigeria/1906-1995)

Saint Patrick's Prayer

May the Strength of God pilot us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us.
Against the snares of the evil ones.
Against temptations of the world.
 
May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!
May Thy Salvation, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen.

What is Prayer?

The Purpose of Prayer

I took the liberty and combined four consecutive tweets (from Twitter) from Brian Zahnd on the subject of prayer. It reads as follows:

“We are endlessly tempted to place prayer in the uniquely modern category of self-help. But true prayer is no such thing. Prayer is not a ‘technique‘ for making our lives ‘better‘ as understood by the assumed cultural values of consumerist America. As long as we control the agenda, prayer will be seen as a means of manipulating omnipotence—which is a fair description of idolatry. The primary purpose of prayer is not to get God to do what we think God ought to do, but to be properly formed.” ~ ~ ~ Brian Zahnd

A Prayer from Saint Augustine

Breathe in me O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.
~ ~ ~ Saint Augustine

THURSDAY, FIFTH WEEK OF LENT - 2013

Scripture:

Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.   Psalm 105:4,5

Reflection:

When we pray, we go to the Source of our strength. God is our help, our hope, our joy, our rock, our everything. During this Lenten season I hope you have found this to be true in your life. Think back over the weeks, months, and years, and remember his marvelous works in your life and in the lives of your loved ones and friends. Maybe that marvelous work was forgiveness or reassurance of his love. Perhaps it was a healing, physical or otherwise. A new job, a restored relationship, an extra dose of grace during a difficult time, and an endless list of other things that can be called marvelous works. When we pray, we seek his strength, but we are to also seek him; we are to seek his face. If we can get just a glimpse of him, that is the most marvelous and wonderful thing of all.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we need your strength at all times. In your mercy, you grant us strength when we but humble ourselves and pray. May we never wait until we are depleted of strength before we seek you, but may we seek you always that we might remain strong. As a lamp needs a power source to shine, remind us often that you are the our source of power. Remind us that it is through prayer that we stay connected to you. We thank you for your marvelous works, your glorious wonders, and your life-changing words in our lives. Amen.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT - 2013

Scripture:

And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Luke 18:13

Reflection:

Humility in prayer catches God's ear quicker than great volume in prayer. No, there is nothing wrong with praying loudly, but God is not deaf. He hears the heart's silent cry whether it is vocalized or not. Recognizing that prayers are answered because of his mercy and not because of our goodness is a mark of humility that attracts God's attention. We don't need a certain formula or a special wording for our prayers. But we do need the humble recognition that we are dependent on his mercy when we pray.

Prayer:

Merciful Father, we ask that you would grant us a spirit of humility. When we approach your throne, may we never draw near with a sense of entitlement nor with prayers that sound more like demands rather than requests. May we always be mindful that it is only because of your mercy and never because of our merits that you hear us when we pray. As your servants we ask this. Amen.

THURSDAY, THIRD WEEK OF LENT - 2013

Scripture:

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Reflection:

Rejoice. Pray. Give thanks. Action words for sure, but take it even deeper and think of these as "attitude words." May these outward actions flow from an attitude within. May we rejoice because we are filled with sincere joy. May we always be aware of God's presence in a way that enables our hearts to be continually prayerful, even though the responsibilities and routines of life prevents us from verbalizing those prayers. May we truly have hearts that are so thankful that our gratitude is expressed in our countenance and evident to those we meet. Don't think of these as merely nice sentiments, but as "the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, may these be our attitudes within. The world around us needs to see joyful, prayerful, thankful Christians. Fill us with your joy, give us a constant, prayerful awareness of your presence, and make us truly grateful. This is your will for your children in Christ. May we never seek to find contentment in anything less. With joy-filled hearts we ask this. Amen.

THURSDAY, FIRST WEEK OF LENT - 2013

Scripture:

"Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." Matthew 6:8

Reflection:

God is all-knowing. His omniscience is one of the qualities that makes God...God. He knows what is in our hearts even before those things become our desires. He knows our struggles before we wrestle with them. He know our prayers before we even thought of praying them. If this is true, why even pray?

Prayer isn't for God's benefit - to inform him about our needs and the needs of others. Prayer is for our benefit. Prayer reminds us of our total dependence on God. It keeps us in touch with our Heavenly Father. He doesn't need to hear from us, but we need to hear from him. We need to be in his presence, listening, longing for more of him in our lives. We need to grow and spiritual growth takes place only in his presence. Prayer brings us to that place of his presence.

Prayer:
Lord, you are omniscient; you know the end from the beginning. We pray because we need you. We pray because we need to hear from you. We pray because we have a hunger and thirst that only you can satisfy. We pray that you might direct us, not that we might direct you. May we never forget these simple truths as we pray to you, the all-knowing God. Grant us humble hearts as we pray. Amen.