Flow
O God,
Thank you for how your grace, love, mercy, hope, joy, faith, and peace flow into me through your Spirit.
Forgive me for when I try to hoard them; remind me that your great gifts stagnate if I try to keep them dammed up within me.
Let me be a conduit for your gifts rather than merely a receptacle of them.
Form and shape me so that your great gifts will flow through me and out to other people.
I am grateful, though, that I can keep just enough for myself …
Amen.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
A Prayer for Thursday, October 30, 2014
Smallness
O God,
Make and keep me aware
that life is bigger than I am,
that the universe is bigger than I can grasp,
and
that reality is bigger than I can comprehend.
Use my awareness of my smallness
to keep me in my place.
Make and keep me aware that in spite of—
and perhaps because of—my smallness,
you love me and watch over me.
Thank you that in Jesus Christ you entered
into my place and into my smallness.
Use my awareness of your grace
to make me grateful that you are with me
right where I am and just as I am.
Amen.
O God,
Make and keep me aware
that life is bigger than I am,
that the universe is bigger than I can grasp,
and
that reality is bigger than I can comprehend.
Use my awareness of my smallness
to keep me in my place.
Make and keep me aware that in spite of—
and perhaps because of—my smallness,
you love me and watch over me.
Thank you that in Jesus Christ you entered
into my place and into my smallness.
Use my awareness of your grace
to make me grateful that you are with me
right where I am and just as I am.
Amen.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
A Prayer for Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Lessons
O God,
Thank you for the lessons that life teaches us; help us to learn them well.
Forgive us for when we fail to pay attention; thank you for second (and third and fourth) chances to learn.
Let our attitudes and our actions reflect the lessons we have learned; let our lives display the changes that have come to us because we have learned our lesson.
Help us in all things to learn more about what it means to be your children; help us to learn how better to live in light of your love, your grace, and your mercy.
Amen.
O God,
Thank you for the lessons that life teaches us; help us to learn them well.
Forgive us for when we fail to pay attention; thank you for second (and third and fourth) chances to learn.
Let our attitudes and our actions reflect the lessons we have learned; let our lives display the changes that have come to us because we have learned our lesson.
Help us in all things to learn more about what it means to be your children; help us to learn how better to live in light of your love, your grace, and your mercy.
Amen.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
A Prayer for Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Deserve
O God,
There are blessings
we wondered if we
would ever know because
we thought that we
didn’t deserve them.
We were right—
we didn’t deserve them.
We don’t deserve them.
And yet we are experiencing them.
It is all by your grace;
it is only by your grace.
It is from you that
all blessings flow.
We thank you!
We praise you!
Amen.
O God,
There are blessings
we wondered if we
would ever know because
we thought that we
didn’t deserve them.
We were right—
we didn’t deserve them.
We don’t deserve them.
And yet we are experiencing them.
It is all by your grace;
it is only by your grace.
It is from you that
all blessings flow.
We thank you!
We praise you!
Amen.
Monday, October 27, 2014
A Prayer for Monday, October 27, 2014
Reflect
O God,
Help us to reflect on our lives.
Help us to reflect
on the path that has brought us to this point,
on the decisions we have made that have made a difference,
on the guidance offered by your Spirit whether or not we realized it,
on the marvel that this life is,
on the significance of every moment,
on the importance of every relationship,
on the wonder of it all,
on your amazing grace and unbelievable mercy, and
on the ways we have known your presence in good and hard times.
Oh God, help us to reflect on our lives.
And having so reflected, we will
shake our heads in wonder,
lift our hearts in praise,
and
bow our heads in humility.
Amen.
O God,
Help us to reflect on our lives.
Help us to reflect
on the path that has brought us to this point,
on the decisions we have made that have made a difference,
on the guidance offered by your Spirit whether or not we realized it,
on the marvel that this life is,
on the significance of every moment,
on the importance of every relationship,
on the wonder of it all,
on your amazing grace and unbelievable mercy, and
on the ways we have known your presence in good and hard times.
Oh God, help us to reflect on our lives.
And having so reflected, we will
shake our heads in wonder,
lift our hearts in praise,
and
bow our heads in humility.
Amen.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
A Prayer for Sunday, October 26, 2014
The Lord’s Day
O God,
Thank you for each Sunday’s reminder
that through the resurrection of your Son Jesus
every day is filled with life and with meaning.
Amen.
O God,
Thank you for each Sunday’s reminder
that through the resurrection of your Son Jesus
every day is filled with life and with meaning.
Amen.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
A Prayer for Saturday, October 25, 2014
Love
O God,
We praise you because you are love.
Thank you that in your Son Jesus you made it perfectly clear what it means for you to be love; thank you that in him you showed us what it means for us to love like you love.
Take away our bent to sinning; take away our tendency to be self-centered and to be self-protecting.
Increase our desire and ability to be other-centered and to be self-giving.
Fill our lives with your kind of love so that we can live out our relationships in ways that show your kind of love.
Amen.
O God,
We praise you because you are love.
Thank you that in your Son Jesus you made it perfectly clear what it means for you to be love; thank you that in him you showed us what it means for us to love like you love.
Take away our bent to sinning; take away our tendency to be self-centered and to be self-protecting.
Increase our desire and ability to be other-centered and to be self-giving.
Fill our lives with your kind of love so that we can live out our relationships in ways that show your kind of love.
Amen.
Friday, October 24, 2014
A Prayer for Friday, October 24, 2014
Grateful
O God,
We confess and affirm that we are not worthy of, entitled to, nor the source of the great blessings that come to us in this life.
We confess and affirm that the greatest blessings of this life are gifts that come to us only by your grace, through your love, and in your power.
Forgive us for when we take those great gifts for granted, for when we think of them as routine, or when we fail to trace them back to you.
We are grateful.
Help us to become more grateful.
Amen.
O God,
We confess and affirm that we are not worthy of, entitled to, nor the source of the great blessings that come to us in this life.
We confess and affirm that the greatest blessings of this life are gifts that come to us only by your grace, through your love, and in your power.
Forgive us for when we take those great gifts for granted, for when we think of them as routine, or when we fail to trace them back to you.
We are grateful.
Help us to become more grateful.
Amen.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
A Prayer for Thursday, October 23, 2014
Everything
O God,
Thank you for being with me in everything.
Help me always to remember that you are.
Thank you that somehow everything fits together.
Help me always to remember that it does.
Thank you that I can’t understand everything.
Help me always to remember that you do.
Thank you that I don’t have to fix everything.
Help me always to remember that you will.
Amen.
O God,
Thank you for being with me in everything.
Help me always to remember that you are.
Thank you that somehow everything fits together.
Help me always to remember that it does.
Thank you that I can’t understand everything.
Help me always to remember that you do.
Thank you that I don’t have to fix everything.
Help me always to remember that you will.
Amen.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
A Prayer for Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Knowledge
O God,
We never know what’s coming;
we never know what the day will bring;
we never know what’s going on inside us;
we never know what’s going on inside others; and
we never know what our place in the big picture is.
For all of our knowledge, there’s a lot
more that we don’t know than we do know.
Still, there are things that we need to know.
We need to know that you are there;
we need to know that you are always with us;
we need to know that you love us;
we need to know that we love you; and
we need to know that our lives mean something.
Thank you that our knowledge can grow every day and
thank you that we are spared the burden of knowing everything.
Give us humility to accept what we can’t know;
give us faith to accept what we must know.
Thank you for your grace that makes it possible for us to know
that which it would seem most impossible for us to know.
Thank you for your grace that makes it possible for us to know you.
Amen.
O God,
We never know what’s coming;
we never know what the day will bring;
we never know what’s going on inside us;
we never know what’s going on inside others; and
we never know what our place in the big picture is.
For all of our knowledge, there’s a lot
more that we don’t know than we do know.
Still, there are things that we need to know.
We need to know that you are there;
we need to know that you are always with us;
we need to know that you love us;
we need to know that we love you; and
we need to know that our lives mean something.
Thank you that our knowledge can grow every day and
thank you that we are spared the burden of knowing everything.
Give us humility to accept what we can’t know;
give us faith to accept what we must know.
Thank you for your grace that makes it possible for us to know
that which it would seem most impossible for us to know.
Thank you for your grace that makes it possible for us to know you.
Amen.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
A Prayer for Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Deny
O God,
Jesus tells me to deny myself. What does that mean? How do I do that?
After all, I can’t help but be me; me is who I am. I can’t believe that you would by your grace allow me to be born into this world as the genetic result of the unions of so many particular people before me and then tell me to deny that I am who I am. I can’t believe that you would by your grace cause me to be born into this particular historical period, into this particular social milieu, into my particular family, and with my particular gifts and then tell me to deny that I am who I am.
Yet there it is in your Book: Jesus says that I am to deny myself, to take up my cross, and to follow him.
How can I deny myself and still be myself?
Does it have to do with the limiting influence of all of the factors that go into making me who I am? As blessed as I am to have been born to the people to whom I was born, in the time that I was born, and in the setting in which I was born, those blessings also serve to limit my worldview and my perspective. My default setting is to see myself and to see the world as “my people” and as “my culture” do. Maybe to deny myself is to live beyond the limits that naturally characterize my life.
Does it have to do with my pride? It is a very short step from self-awareness to self-absorption; I am all too prone to think way more highly of myself than I ought to think and to value my life above the lives of all others. Since Jesus was determined to give himself away, even if it meant his death, maybe to deny myself means to value the lives of others at least as highly as I value my own—and maybe even to move toward valuing their lives more than I value mine.
Does it come down to learning to look to you for the ultimate meaning of my life? After all, my life is your gift and only you know what my life could and should mean if I would live it as fully as you intend for me to live it. Perhaps so long as I insist on living my life my way I choose to accept unnecessary limitations on it. Perhaps if I can somehow learn to see my life the way you see it and to let you take my life wherever you want it to go I will learn that the less I think about me and the less I act on my own behalf the more alive I will become.
O God, your Son Jesus tells me to deny myself; I want to obey. Please show me how …
Amen.
O God,
Jesus tells me to deny myself. What does that mean? How do I do that?
After all, I can’t help but be me; me is who I am. I can’t believe that you would by your grace allow me to be born into this world as the genetic result of the unions of so many particular people before me and then tell me to deny that I am who I am. I can’t believe that you would by your grace cause me to be born into this particular historical period, into this particular social milieu, into my particular family, and with my particular gifts and then tell me to deny that I am who I am.
Yet there it is in your Book: Jesus says that I am to deny myself, to take up my cross, and to follow him.
How can I deny myself and still be myself?
Does it have to do with the limiting influence of all of the factors that go into making me who I am? As blessed as I am to have been born to the people to whom I was born, in the time that I was born, and in the setting in which I was born, those blessings also serve to limit my worldview and my perspective. My default setting is to see myself and to see the world as “my people” and as “my culture” do. Maybe to deny myself is to live beyond the limits that naturally characterize my life.
Does it have to do with my pride? It is a very short step from self-awareness to self-absorption; I am all too prone to think way more highly of myself than I ought to think and to value my life above the lives of all others. Since Jesus was determined to give himself away, even if it meant his death, maybe to deny myself means to value the lives of others at least as highly as I value my own—and maybe even to move toward valuing their lives more than I value mine.
Does it come down to learning to look to you for the ultimate meaning of my life? After all, my life is your gift and only you know what my life could and should mean if I would live it as fully as you intend for me to live it. Perhaps so long as I insist on living my life my way I choose to accept unnecessary limitations on it. Perhaps if I can somehow learn to see my life the way you see it and to let you take my life wherever you want it to go I will learn that the less I think about me and the less I act on my own behalf the more alive I will become.
O God, your Son Jesus tells me to deny myself; I want to obey. Please show me how …
Amen.
Monday, October 20, 2014
A Prayer for Monday, October 20, 2014
This
O God,
As we go through this week, help us
to live fully in this day,
to make the most of this moment,
to pay close attention to this task,
to listen carefully to this person, and
to experience gratefully this life.
Don’t let us become distracted
by all of the “thats”
that compete for our attention …
Amen.
O God,
As we go through this week, help us
to live fully in this day,
to make the most of this moment,
to pay close attention to this task,
to listen carefully to this person, and
to experience gratefully this life.
Don’t let us become distracted
by all of the “thats”
that compete for our attention …
Amen.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
A Prayer for Sunday, October 19, 2014
The Lord’s Day
O God,
“God is love,” your Book tells us.
Since you are love, let our worship of you today be motivated by our love for you that is our response to your love for us. Let your love for us, the reality and nature of which are seen most clearly in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, inspire us to praise you in worship today and to praise you through our service to others during the coming week.
We praise you today because the fact that you are love means that you love us.
We praise you today because the fact that you are love means that we can love you.
We praise you today because the fact that you are love means that we can love each other.
We praise you today because the fact that you are love means that we can love those who don’t love us.
We praise you today because the fact that you are love means that we can show our love for others in the way that you showed your love for us—by giving ourselves away in radically sacrificial ways.
Amen.
O God,
“God is love,” your Book tells us.
Since you are love, let our worship of you today be motivated by our love for you that is our response to your love for us. Let your love for us, the reality and nature of which are seen most clearly in the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, inspire us to praise you in worship today and to praise you through our service to others during the coming week.
We praise you today because the fact that you are love means that you love us.
We praise you today because the fact that you are love means that we can love you.
We praise you today because the fact that you are love means that we can love each other.
We praise you today because the fact that you are love means that we can love those who don’t love us.
We praise you today because the fact that you are love means that we can show our love for others in the way that you showed your love for us—by giving ourselves away in radically sacrificial ways.
Amen.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
A Prayer for Saturday, October 18, 2014
Connections
O God,
Frankly, the vast majority of the time life seems pretty random and chaotic.
Every once in a while, though, life happens in such a way that we catch a glimpse of how it might just all fit together after all. We glimpse connections between the various times of our lives, the various people of our lives, and the various events of our lives and we say, with great insight, “Huh! How about that!”
Thank you for those glimpses of those connections.
Help us to keep our eyes open for the connections and to believe that they exist even when we can’t see them.
Amen.
O God,
Frankly, the vast majority of the time life seems pretty random and chaotic.
Every once in a while, though, life happens in such a way that we catch a glimpse of how it might just all fit together after all. We glimpse connections between the various times of our lives, the various people of our lives, and the various events of our lives and we say, with great insight, “Huh! How about that!”
Thank you for those glimpses of those connections.
Help us to keep our eyes open for the connections and to believe that they exist even when we can’t see them.
Amen.
Friday, October 17, 2014
A Prayer for Friday, October 17, 2014
What?
O God,
What will happen today?
What will happen tomorrow?
What will happen a year from now?
What will happen ten years from now?
We wonder even though we know we can’t know; deliver us from the wastefulness of anxiety over things we cannot know much less do anything about.
Help us to remember that no matter what happens, you are with us and we are in you. Help us always to be growing in our awareness of your presence so that when hard times come we won’t forget that you are there.
Thank you for never leaving us to face our troubles alone …
Amen.
O God,
What will happen today?
What will happen tomorrow?
What will happen a year from now?
What will happen ten years from now?
We wonder even though we know we can’t know; deliver us from the wastefulness of anxiety over things we cannot know much less do anything about.
Help us to remember that no matter what happens, you are with us and we are in you. Help us always to be growing in our awareness of your presence so that when hard times come we won’t forget that you are there.
Thank you for never leaving us to face our troubles alone …
Amen.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
A Prayer for Thursday, October 16, 2014
Helpless
O God,
I don’t have enough faith, I don’t have enough love, and I don’t have enough hope to expect that my prayer will be in any way effective. I simply don’t have in me what I need to come before you with the expectation that you will hear my prayer.
I am helpless before the big problems, before the ultimate questions, and before the great unknowns; I cannot help myself and I do not deserve your help.
It is the truth; help me to acknowledge and accept it.
Having acknowledged and accepted my helplessness, I come to you. I come to you because I have nowhere else to go. I come to you because no one else can help me. I come to you because it is not what is in me but rather what is in you that causes you to hear and answer my prayer. I come to you because it is not for my sake but for Jesus’ sake that you hear and answer me.
I am helpless.
Please help me.
Thank you …
Amen.
(Note: this prayer is inspired by the book Prayer by O. Hallesby)
O God,
I don’t have enough faith, I don’t have enough love, and I don’t have enough hope to expect that my prayer will be in any way effective. I simply don’t have in me what I need to come before you with the expectation that you will hear my prayer.
I am helpless before the big problems, before the ultimate questions, and before the great unknowns; I cannot help myself and I do not deserve your help.
It is the truth; help me to acknowledge and accept it.
Having acknowledged and accepted my helplessness, I come to you. I come to you because I have nowhere else to go. I come to you because no one else can help me. I come to you because it is not what is in me but rather what is in you that causes you to hear and answer my prayer. I come to you because it is not for my sake but for Jesus’ sake that you hear and answer me.
I am helpless.
Please help me.
Thank you …
Amen.
(Note: this prayer is inspired by the book Prayer by O. Hallesby)
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
A Prayer for Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Self-Examination
O God,
There are ways that we can examine ourselves for physical problems and perhaps detect them early so that something can be done about them before they become too advanced. Make us wise enough to take advantage of such opportunities for self-examination.
There are also ways that we can examine ourselves for the sake of our spiritual health. Make us wise enough to be diligent in such spiritual self-examination.
Help us to examine ourselves for the presence of love, mercy, grace, faith, hope, peace, understanding, selflessness, and sacrifice so that we can nurture them and encourage their growth.
Help us to examine ourselves for the presence of pride, envy, fear, anger, prejudice, selfishness, despair, unforgiveness, and apathy so that we can take steps to eliminate them.
Remind us that our standard for self-examination is Jesus Christ; guide us by your Spirit to read and to understand what your Book teaches us about him and about us. Make us constantly aware of your constant presence with us through your Spirit and help us to listen to your whispers and to be sensitive to your nudges as we try to find our way.
Help us to examine ourselves so that we can build on what is helpful and root out what is harmful so that we can better love you with all that we are and better love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Amen.
O God,
There are ways that we can examine ourselves for physical problems and perhaps detect them early so that something can be done about them before they become too advanced. Make us wise enough to take advantage of such opportunities for self-examination.
There are also ways that we can examine ourselves for the sake of our spiritual health. Make us wise enough to be diligent in such spiritual self-examination.
Help us to examine ourselves for the presence of love, mercy, grace, faith, hope, peace, understanding, selflessness, and sacrifice so that we can nurture them and encourage their growth.
Help us to examine ourselves for the presence of pride, envy, fear, anger, prejudice, selfishness, despair, unforgiveness, and apathy so that we can take steps to eliminate them.
Remind us that our standard for self-examination is Jesus Christ; guide us by your Spirit to read and to understand what your Book teaches us about him and about us. Make us constantly aware of your constant presence with us through your Spirit and help us to listen to your whispers and to be sensitive to your nudges as we try to find our way.
Help us to examine ourselves so that we can build on what is helpful and root out what is harmful so that we can better love you with all that we are and better love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Amen.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
A Prayer for Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Eyes
O God,
Help us to keep our eyes on you; help us
to look to you in awe and wonder,
to look to you for grace and mercy,
and
to look to you for guidance and help.
Help us to keep our eyes on ourselves; help us
to look for our weaknesses so we can strengthen them,
to look for our strengths so we can build on them,
and
to look at our relationship with you so we can grow in it.
Help us to keep our eyes on others; help us
to look for ways they bless us,
to look for ways we can bless them,
and
to look for ways we can bless the world together.
Amen.
O God,
Help us to keep our eyes on you; help us
to look to you in awe and wonder,
to look to you for grace and mercy,
and
to look to you for guidance and help.
Help us to keep our eyes on ourselves; help us
to look for our weaknesses so we can strengthen them,
to look for our strengths so we can build on them,
and
to look at our relationship with you so we can grow in it.
Help us to keep our eyes on others; help us
to look for ways they bless us,
to look for ways we can bless them,
and
to look for ways we can bless the world together.
Amen.
Monday, October 13, 2014
A Prayer for Monday, October 13, 2014
Destinations
O God,
This week we will have places we need to go and things we need to do. So we will get in our cars and we will take the roads that lead us to our destinations where we can accomplish our tasks. Such an approach is good and necessary; we want to get to our destination via the best and quickest route so as to make the best use of our time and of our fuel.
Help us to realize, though, that the road that leads to our destination can also eventually lead us to any number of other destinations; if we choose to stay on it and take the other roads to which it leads us and if we are willing to invest enough time and fuel, we can go just about anywhere.
Sometimes we need to be narrowly focused on a single destination.
But sometimes we need to be open to some of the other possible destinations to which we could head; the possibilities are innumerable.
So give us a narrow focus when we need it but give us a broad view when that would be better.
We probably think we know where we are headed this week.
But maybe this is the week that wants to take us somewhere that we’ve never even thought about going. If so, give us the vision and courage we need to go where the road leads us …
Amen.
O God,
This week we will have places we need to go and things we need to do. So we will get in our cars and we will take the roads that lead us to our destinations where we can accomplish our tasks. Such an approach is good and necessary; we want to get to our destination via the best and quickest route so as to make the best use of our time and of our fuel.
Help us to realize, though, that the road that leads to our destination can also eventually lead us to any number of other destinations; if we choose to stay on it and take the other roads to which it leads us and if we are willing to invest enough time and fuel, we can go just about anywhere.
Sometimes we need to be narrowly focused on a single destination.
But sometimes we need to be open to some of the other possible destinations to which we could head; the possibilities are innumerable.
So give us a narrow focus when we need it but give us a broad view when that would be better.
We probably think we know where we are headed this week.
But maybe this is the week that wants to take us somewhere that we’ve never even thought about going. If so, give us the vision and courage we need to go where the road leads us …
Amen.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
A Prayer for Sunday, October 12, 2014
The Lord’s Day
O God,
On the one hand, we want to ask you to help us to leave aside all of our cares and concerns and all of our worldly interests so that we can give our full attention today to our adoration and worship of you.
On the other hand, our concerns and interests are part of who we are. So how can we come before you and not bring all of it with us?
So God, help us to come before you today as fully aware as we can be of who we are and of what is going into making us who we are. Show us what burdens we bear unnecessarily and unhealthily and then by your grace help us to lay them down. Also show us what burdens we need to bear to be true to our standing as your children who are called to be concerned about and to take steps to help overcome the problems and pains that beset the people around us—and especially that beset those who have difficulty helping themselves.
Remind us that it is not our role to carry the weight of the world upon our shoulders but that it is an abdication of our role not to carry what is ours to carry and to help others carry what they are having trouble bearing.
We praise you today because you do carry the weight of the world—indeed, the weight of all that is—upon your mighty shoulders. We also praise you because you show us what we need to carry and because you give us the grace and strength to bear it.
Amen.
O God,
On the one hand, we want to ask you to help us to leave aside all of our cares and concerns and all of our worldly interests so that we can give our full attention today to our adoration and worship of you.
On the other hand, our concerns and interests are part of who we are. So how can we come before you and not bring all of it with us?
So God, help us to come before you today as fully aware as we can be of who we are and of what is going into making us who we are. Show us what burdens we bear unnecessarily and unhealthily and then by your grace help us to lay them down. Also show us what burdens we need to bear to be true to our standing as your children who are called to be concerned about and to take steps to help overcome the problems and pains that beset the people around us—and especially that beset those who have difficulty helping themselves.
Remind us that it is not our role to carry the weight of the world upon our shoulders but that it is an abdication of our role not to carry what is ours to carry and to help others carry what they are having trouble bearing.
We praise you today because you do carry the weight of the world—indeed, the weight of all that is—upon your mighty shoulders. We also praise you because you show us what we need to carry and because you give us the grace and strength to bear it.
Amen.
Saturday, October 11, 2014
A Prayer for Saturday, October 11, 2014
Helpless
O God,
Thank you for the ability to do what we can to help ourselves.
Help us to remember, though, that ultimately we are helpless. Remind us that when it comes to ultimate things we are totally dependent on you. Remind us that even when it comes to temporal things, we have no ability to help ourselves unless you give it to us.
There come times in this life when we need the help that you offer to us through others; give us grace to accept it and to appreciate it.
There also come times when we need to offer help to others; give us love to offer it and give them grace to accept it.
Help us all to remember that we are all helpless. Help us all to rely on you with great trust. Help us to help each other with great love.
Amen.
O God,
Thank you for the ability to do what we can to help ourselves.
Help us to remember, though, that ultimately we are helpless. Remind us that when it comes to ultimate things we are totally dependent on you. Remind us that even when it comes to temporal things, we have no ability to help ourselves unless you give it to us.
There come times in this life when we need the help that you offer to us through others; give us grace to accept it and to appreciate it.
There also come times when we need to offer help to others; give us love to offer it and give them grace to accept it.
Help us all to remember that we are all helpless. Help us all to rely on you with great trust. Help us to help each other with great love.
Amen.
Friday, October 10, 2014
A Prayer for Friday, October 10, 2014
Perspective
O God,
Give us a balanced perspective on life.
On the one hand, help us to pay close attention to our lives. Help us to be fully present in each moment that we experience and with each person that we encounter. Help us to give our time and energy to things that matter and then to give those things the attention that they deserve. Whatever we have to do, let us do it well.
On the other hand, help us to remember that our lives are lived in a big world filled with people and with their problems. As we struggle with our relationships, help us to remember that nations and groups are at war. As we struggle with our illnesses, help us to remember that some areas are dealing with epidemics. As we struggle to make ends meet, help us to remember that there are people living in abject poverty. As we try to decide what to have for dinner, help us to remember the people who don’t know if they’ll have anything for dinner.
Remind us that while our lives are important they are just one piece of what is going on in this big world. Let us value our lives appropriately without valuing them too highly. Let us give our lives appropriate attention without treating them as if they are more important than the lives of others. Let us deal with our problems without assigning them cosmic significance.
O God, give us a balanced perspective on life and a balanced approach to living it.
Amen.
O God,
Give us a balanced perspective on life.
On the one hand, help us to pay close attention to our lives. Help us to be fully present in each moment that we experience and with each person that we encounter. Help us to give our time and energy to things that matter and then to give those things the attention that they deserve. Whatever we have to do, let us do it well.
On the other hand, help us to remember that our lives are lived in a big world filled with people and with their problems. As we struggle with our relationships, help us to remember that nations and groups are at war. As we struggle with our illnesses, help us to remember that some areas are dealing with epidemics. As we struggle to make ends meet, help us to remember that there are people living in abject poverty. As we try to decide what to have for dinner, help us to remember the people who don’t know if they’ll have anything for dinner.
Remind us that while our lives are important they are just one piece of what is going on in this big world. Let us value our lives appropriately without valuing them too highly. Let us give our lives appropriate attention without treating them as if they are more important than the lives of others. Let us deal with our problems without assigning them cosmic significance.
O God, give us a balanced perspective on life and a balanced approach to living it.
Amen.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
A Prayer for Thursday, October 9, 2014
Accomplishments
O God,
Thank you for what we have
been able to accomplish
to this point in our lives.
Help us to stay productive and
to continue to have accomplishments
for the rest of our days.
Let us do well.
As we do well, let us do good;
let our efforts be directed toward
building up and not tearing down and
let our accomplishments be contributions
to the betterment of people’s lives and
to the progress of society.
Let our accomplishments be such
that other people are as glad as we are
that we accomplished them.
Amen.
O God,
Thank you for what we have
been able to accomplish
to this point in our lives.
Help us to stay productive and
to continue to have accomplishments
for the rest of our days.
Let us do well.
As we do well, let us do good;
let our efforts be directed toward
building up and not tearing down and
let our accomplishments be contributions
to the betterment of people’s lives and
to the progress of society.
Let our accomplishments be such
that other people are as glad as we are
that we accomplished them.
Amen.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
A Prayer for Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Eclipse
O God,
This morning’s lunar eclipse set me to thinking about the ways we experience your light in our darkness.
Knowing that the moon produces no light of its own but rather reflects the light of the sun, we thank you for those people and for those events that reflect your light; thank you for all of the means that you in your grace use to let us see your light even in the darkest nights that our souls encounter.
Sometimes, though, just as the earth passes between the sun and the moon to block the sun’s light so that the moon does not reflect it as fully, the problems and stresses of life on earth can make it difficult for us to perceive your light. And sometimes you may choose to withhold some of your light from us for our own good and for the sake of our own growth.
An eclipse prevents us from seeing the light as fully as we would have without the eclipse; sometimes we are unable, for whatever reason, to see your light in the darkness as much as we would like to see it.
Give us grace and faith to appreciate what light we have in either situation; give us grace and faith to praise you for the light and to praise you in the darkness.
After all, as beautiful as the light is, the darkness, in its way, has its own awesome and terrible beauty.
And if we’ll look hard enough, we’ll still see the light, at least around the edges …
Amen.
O God,
This morning’s lunar eclipse set me to thinking about the ways we experience your light in our darkness.
Knowing that the moon produces no light of its own but rather reflects the light of the sun, we thank you for those people and for those events that reflect your light; thank you for all of the means that you in your grace use to let us see your light even in the darkest nights that our souls encounter.
Sometimes, though, just as the earth passes between the sun and the moon to block the sun’s light so that the moon does not reflect it as fully, the problems and stresses of life on earth can make it difficult for us to perceive your light. And sometimes you may choose to withhold some of your light from us for our own good and for the sake of our own growth.
An eclipse prevents us from seeing the light as fully as we would have without the eclipse; sometimes we are unable, for whatever reason, to see your light in the darkness as much as we would like to see it.
Give us grace and faith to appreciate what light we have in either situation; give us grace and faith to praise you for the light and to praise you in the darkness.
After all, as beautiful as the light is, the darkness, in its way, has its own awesome and terrible beauty.
And if we’ll look hard enough, we’ll still see the light, at least around the edges …
Amen.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
A Prayer for Tuesday, October 7, 2014
As
O God,
As you are fully present with me,
let me be fully present with others.
As you show mercy to me,
let me show mercy to others.
As you forgive me,
let me forgive others.
As you are gracious to me,
let me be gracious to others.
As you help me,
let me help others.
As you encourage me,
let me encourage others.
As you comfort me,
let me comfort others.
As you challenge me,
let me challenge others.
As you are patient with me,
let me patient with others.
As you love me,
let me love others.
Amen.
O God,
As you are fully present with me,
let me be fully present with others.
As you show mercy to me,
let me show mercy to others.
As you forgive me,
let me forgive others.
As you are gracious to me,
let me be gracious to others.
As you help me,
let me help others.
As you encourage me,
let me encourage others.
As you comfort me,
let me comfort others.
As you challenge me,
let me challenge others.
As you are patient with me,
let me patient with others.
As you love me,
let me love others.
Amen.
Monday, October 6, 2014
A Prayer for Monday, October 6, 2014
Seconds
O God,
Help us to remember that
every second that passes
is a second that we’ll
never have back.
Don’t let that remembering be
a source of anxiety for us;
rather, let us celebrate
every second of this life
as the great gift that it is.
Do help us make good and appropriate
use of every second that we have.
When we are working, let us work well;
when we are resting, let us rest well;
when we are worshiping, let us worship well;
when we are serving, let us serve well.
Let every second of our lives
be filled with an awareness of
your love and grace;
let every second of our lives
be lived in
your love and grace;
let every second of our lives
be an expression of
your love and grace.
Amen.
O God,
Help us to remember that
every second that passes
is a second that we’ll
never have back.
Don’t let that remembering be
a source of anxiety for us;
rather, let us celebrate
every second of this life
as the great gift that it is.
Do help us make good and appropriate
use of every second that we have.
When we are working, let us work well;
when we are resting, let us rest well;
when we are worshiping, let us worship well;
when we are serving, let us serve well.
Let every second of our lives
be filled with an awareness of
your love and grace;
let every second of our lives
be lived in
your love and grace;
let every second of our lives
be an expression of
your love and grace.
Amen.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
A Prayer for Sunday, October 5, 2014
The Lord’s Day
O God,
As we worship you today,
bring us by your Spirit
into closer fellowship
with our local congregation,
with all of your followers
all over the world, and
with all those who
worship you in heaven.
Give us an awareness of
the great fellowship of which
we are a part and
with whom we are
in communion as
we worship and serve you.
Amen.
O God,
As we worship you today,
bring us by your Spirit
into closer fellowship
with our local congregation,
with all of your followers
all over the world, and
with all those who
worship you in heaven.
Give us an awareness of
the great fellowship of which
we are a part and
with whom we are
in communion as
we worship and serve you.
Amen.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
A Prayer for Saturday, October 4, 2014
7,000,000,000
O God,
As you well know, there are over seven billion people on this planet. In fact, you know every one of them and you love every one of them; we stand in awe of your knowledge and of your love.
We cannot know and love seven billion people or seven million people or seven thousand people. Perhaps we can know seven hundred people but we can’t really love that many—not if love means knowing them intimately, being committed to them unconditionally, and sacrificing ourselves for them consistently.
Seventy or seventeen may be more realistic numbers for us.
Or maybe just seven. Maybe the best we can do is to give ourselves fully to just a few people.
But are we even doing that?
Perhaps we should just start with one and go from there.
Give us relationships characterized by depth of commitment and by abundance of sacrifice. Help us to know and to love other people as they are and not as we wish or imagine them to be.
Make us willing to do the hard work of loving a few people well.
And insofar as have the opportunity and ability to show love to a large number of people by participating in a movement or by helping with a cause, let us be inspired by the highest quality of love possible on such a broad scale. Never let us forget that it is people—people that you love—with whom we are dealing.
Amen.
O God,
As you well know, there are over seven billion people on this planet. In fact, you know every one of them and you love every one of them; we stand in awe of your knowledge and of your love.
We cannot know and love seven billion people or seven million people or seven thousand people. Perhaps we can know seven hundred people but we can’t really love that many—not if love means knowing them intimately, being committed to them unconditionally, and sacrificing ourselves for them consistently.
Seventy or seventeen may be more realistic numbers for us.
Or maybe just seven. Maybe the best we can do is to give ourselves fully to just a few people.
But are we even doing that?
Perhaps we should just start with one and go from there.
Give us relationships characterized by depth of commitment and by abundance of sacrifice. Help us to know and to love other people as they are and not as we wish or imagine them to be.
Make us willing to do the hard work of loving a few people well.
And insofar as have the opportunity and ability to show love to a large number of people by participating in a movement or by helping with a cause, let us be inspired by the highest quality of love possible on such a broad scale. Never let us forget that it is people—people that you love—with whom we are dealing.
Amen.
Friday, October 3, 2014
A Prayer for Friday, October 3, 2014
Ebola
O God,
Our world community is dealing with an outbreak of the deadly virus that we call Ebola.
Lead us to repent of our sins that have contributed to the spread of this disease and to the deaths of so many people. We have over the decades allowed pride, hatred, and apathy to lead to wars with their attendant breakdowns in society so that some West African nations lack the health care services to deal adequately with the Ebola outbreak. We have over the centuries followed policies and engaged in practices in Africa that have contributed to the ongoing disruption of societies there and that have led to our failure to understand the societal context within which this disease has broken out and must be dealt with.
While we cannot undo the past, lead our nation and the nations of the world to do all that we can to make restitution for the ways in which we have contributed to Africa’s problems; help us to develop and to follow policies that will respect the people of Africa and that will contribute to an appropriate progress that is found and furthered by the people themselves.
In the meantime, help us to do everything that we can do to deal with the immediate crisis.
Thank you for those courageous medical professionals who are working at the front lines to help those who are sick and to try to stem the spread of the disease. Protect those who are putting their lives on the line to help those who are suffering. Inspire others to hear and to answer the call to go.
Thank you for the researchers who are working to find cures for and vaccines against Ebola and other deadly diseases. Lead them down the right paths and bless their efforts with discovery.
We have one confirmed case of Ebola here in the United States and we cannot help but be concerned because of it. Thank you for the systems and structures we have that make it unlikely that we will experience an epidemic. Help our leaders to take the right steps to increase our protection.
But Lord, please don’t let us succumb to fear; don’t let us be motivated by our fears to be less than you make it possible for us to be in our attitudes and in our actions. Let our faith override our fears; let our compassion override our anxieties; let our concern for all override our concern for us.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
And make us instruments of your peace …
Amen.
O God,
Our world community is dealing with an outbreak of the deadly virus that we call Ebola.
Lead us to repent of our sins that have contributed to the spread of this disease and to the deaths of so many people. We have over the decades allowed pride, hatred, and apathy to lead to wars with their attendant breakdowns in society so that some West African nations lack the health care services to deal adequately with the Ebola outbreak. We have over the centuries followed policies and engaged in practices in Africa that have contributed to the ongoing disruption of societies there and that have led to our failure to understand the societal context within which this disease has broken out and must be dealt with.
While we cannot undo the past, lead our nation and the nations of the world to do all that we can to make restitution for the ways in which we have contributed to Africa’s problems; help us to develop and to follow policies that will respect the people of Africa and that will contribute to an appropriate progress that is found and furthered by the people themselves.
In the meantime, help us to do everything that we can do to deal with the immediate crisis.
Thank you for those courageous medical professionals who are working at the front lines to help those who are sick and to try to stem the spread of the disease. Protect those who are putting their lives on the line to help those who are suffering. Inspire others to hear and to answer the call to go.
Thank you for the researchers who are working to find cures for and vaccines against Ebola and other deadly diseases. Lead them down the right paths and bless their efforts with discovery.
We have one confirmed case of Ebola here in the United States and we cannot help but be concerned because of it. Thank you for the systems and structures we have that make it unlikely that we will experience an epidemic. Help our leaders to take the right steps to increase our protection.
But Lord, please don’t let us succumb to fear; don’t let us be motivated by our fears to be less than you make it possible for us to be in our attitudes and in our actions. Let our faith override our fears; let our compassion override our anxieties; let our concern for all override our concern for us.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
And make us instruments of your peace …
Amen.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
A Prayer for Thursday, October 2, 2014
Settle
O God,
When we pray the prayer that
your Son taught us to pray, we pray
“Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.”
Help us accurately to imagine how
your will is done in heaven and
what it would mean for your will
to be perfectly done here and now.
Help us accurately to imagine
what life would look like if
your kingdom was as fully present
here as it is in heaven.
Then, at least so far as it
pertains to your Church,
help us not to settle
for less than that …
Amen.
O God,
When we pray the prayer that
your Son taught us to pray, we pray
“Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.”
Help us accurately to imagine how
your will is done in heaven and
what it would mean for your will
to be perfectly done here and now.
Help us accurately to imagine
what life would look like if
your kingdom was as fully present
here as it is in heaven.
Then, at least so far as it
pertains to your Church,
help us not to settle
for less than that …
Amen.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
A Prayer for Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Knowledge
O God,
There is so much that we do not know; no matter how much reading, studying, observing, listening, and living we do, there will always be more that we don’t know than that we do know. Keep us aware of that truth and use it to keep us appropriately humble.
And yet there is still so much that we do know; there are facts and realities of which we are very well aware and there are situations and problems about which there are things we can do. Keep us aware of those truths and use them to keep us appropriately responsible.
Protect us from the pride that causes us to act like we know more than we know.
Protect us from the sloth that keeps us from acting on what we do know.
Protect us from the willful ignorance that keeps us from growing in what we know.
And in all things help us to keep growing in our knowledge of how best to love you and of how best to love each other.
Amen.
O God,
There is so much that we do not know; no matter how much reading, studying, observing, listening, and living we do, there will always be more that we don’t know than that we do know. Keep us aware of that truth and use it to keep us appropriately humble.
And yet there is still so much that we do know; there are facts and realities of which we are very well aware and there are situations and problems about which there are things we can do. Keep us aware of those truths and use them to keep us appropriately responsible.
Protect us from the pride that causes us to act like we know more than we know.
Protect us from the sloth that keeps us from acting on what we do know.
Protect us from the willful ignorance that keeps us from growing in what we know.
And in all things help us to keep growing in our knowledge of how best to love you and of how best to love each other.
Amen.
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