Daily Prayer

a prayer to celebrate those who have gone before us

O God of Mercy,

We hold before you those whose memory we cherish.

As we remember, help us to celebrate their lives with our own.

Bless us to allow their lives to teach us and open our eyes.

As we remember, fill our hearts with gratitude for our predecessors.

Grant us grace to live lives that honor those who have gone before us.

Amen.

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A prayer to bless God in hard times

Lord of my life,

I bless your beautiful name.

Even when the storms of life are raging.

Even when the path ahead feels impossibly dark.

I know that you are good and you are with me.

You are my refuge and my strength, my help in hard times.

Thank you for loving me and always walking with me.

In Jesus' strong name I pray.

Amen.

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A Prayer for Protection at Night

Be pleased, O Lord, to take me, with my father and mother, brothers and sisters, my friends and relations, and my enemies, into your almighty protection this night. Refresh me with such comfortable rest that I may rise more fit for your service. Let me lie down with holy thoughts of you, and when I awake let me be still present with you. (John Wesley)

Source: Ritzema, Elliot, ed. 2012. 400 Prayers for Preachers. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

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a prayer about power

An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest.Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.” (Luke 9:46-48)

Jesus of the Way,

When your friends argued about power and prestige you stood someone unnoticed by them and spoke of welcome. You spoke of humility.

You spoke of the value one has that is not based on power, but merely because of their humanity.

When we are tempted to believe power is what will bring forth your kingdom, teach us that power for us is not a goal for your kingdom.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done.

Amen.

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a prayer for guidance

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a prayer for mental health

Heavenly Father,

You know the depths of my mind and understand my struggles.

I feel overwhelmed with a mixture of sadness and fear.

I bring these burdens to you, trusting that you care for me.

Fill my heart with your peace, washing away the heaviness.

Give me the courage to face each day as you quiet the storms in my mind.

And restore my soul with your healing power.

Amen

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Trusting the Inner Voice

From: The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom

Conversion is certainly not something you can bring about yourself. It is not a question of willpower. You have to trust the inner voice that shows the way. You know that inner voice. You turn to it often. But after you have heard with clarity what you are asked to do, you start raising questions, fabricating objections, and seeking everyone else's opinion. Thus you become entangled in countless, often contradictory thoughts, feelings, and ideas and lose touch with the God in you… Only by attending constantly to the inner voice, can you be converted to a new life of freedom and joy.

Reflection Question: When you sense God's inner voice guiding you, what keeps you from trusting it—and what might help you follow it with freedom and joy?

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Lord, please help me learn to listen and discern your voice.
Help me learn to trust and obey your voice.
Help me so that I experience the freedom and joy that comes with listening and obeying you.

In Jesus' Name
AMEN

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Cry out!

Do you ever feel like this deep down in your spirit?

How long, O LORD???

Do you ever pray and wonder if the LORD is listening? Does He hear?

Does He care about the anguish in your soul? The heartache? The pain?

One thing I have learned in my Christian walk is that He does listen and He does hear. He does care about our brokenness. Our deepest hurt. Our confusion.

Never give up. Never quit praying. Never stop crying out to God.

He loves us with an everlasting and incomprehensible love. A love we can trust. A love we can depend on.

We may not always be able to see that He is working, but we can know deep down into the depths of our being that He is.

Because His Word tells us this truth.

"In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me." (Psalm 120:1) CSB

Hang on to the promises of His Word. Hang on to His love.

And cry out to Jesus.

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In Appreciation of Mom

Years ago, I saw a picture in my mind. I first saw an image of a very beautiful yellow flower. As I looked the vision seemed to pan out and I saw a golden haired young woman kneeling before the planting. She was crying as she toiled - working the soil with her hands. I then began receiving a few words which I wrote down. Here they are:

The Cultivator

I saw her bowed down before a glorious planting of flowers,

Hands in the soil, tenderly working the roots with water and her hands,

Her flowers are beautiful, her plantings prosperous,

All she plants does very well and nothing withers in the sun,

The Lord has given her favor because she is faithful and a lover of God,

Stooped down, she has taken the position of serving and intercession,

With humility of heart and conviction of soul she is a mighty force,

She is The Cultivator. She is Mom!

These words are so appropriate for today, Mother's Day. If you are a mom then please take these words of encouragement to heart. Your children appreciate the tears, the words and the deeds that you have cultivated into their lives. Amen.

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a prayer for inner peace

Dear Lord,

Quiet my anxious thoughts and soothe my troubled heart.

Heal the wounds I carry within and replace fear with calm.

Fill me with peace, and help me rest in knowing you are with me.

I release all my cares to you trusting in your grace.

In Jesus' name, I pray.

Amen.

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Speak Gently in My Silence

Dear Lord,

Speak gently in my silence.

When the loud outer noises of my surroundings and the loud inner noises of my fears keep pulling me away from you, help me to trust that you are still there, even when I am

unable to hear you.

Give me ears to listen to your small, soft voice saying: “Come to me, you who are overburdened, and I will give you rest ….. for I am gentle and humble of heart.”

Let that loving voice be my guide.

Amen.

Henri Nouwen

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Trust

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD.

And whose trust is the LORD.

For he will be like a tree planted by the water

That extends its roots by a stream,

And does not fear when the heat comes;

But its leaves will be green,

And it will not be anxious in a

year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7,8

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a prayer for perfectionists

Matchless God,

You are the only being who makes no mistakes and never miscalculates. And yet, when I make mistake and miscalculate I wear myself out, beating myself up, and am angry for my imperfection.

Sometimes I forget that you are God and I am not. I seek perfection to convince myself all is right with the broken world, and also to please you, forgetting you rejoice over me with singing. (Zeph 3:17)

This search for perfection in unattainable and yet I purse it as a desire to claim power over my own life. I prefer self-reliance over surrender to your will.

The fear that drives my desire for perfection will never defeat the power of your love, care, and faithfulness. You promise peace and a plan for my life and yet still I doubt, taking the reigns myself.

May I long for and desire - more than perfectionism - is to rest in your perfect care, your perfect love, your perfect plan, and your perfect will for my life.

Thank you, Father, for being the author and perfecter of my faith. (Hebrews 12:2) Because of your perfect work on the cross, I no longer need to seek perfection, beat myself up for my imperfection, and wear myself out trying to please you.

Give me intention and purpose, without the desire for perfection, so that I may trust in your, the only true matchless and perfect One.

Amen.

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A prayer of repentance and mercy

Open to me the gates of repentance, O Giver of Life,

For my spirit rises early to pray towards Thy holy temple,

Bearing the temple of my body all defiled;

But in Thy compassion, purify me by the loving kindness of Thy mercy.

Lead me on the paths of salvation, O Mother of God,

For I have profaned my soul with shameful sins,

and have wasted my life in laziness.

But by your intercessions, deliver me from all impurity.

When I think of the many evil things I have done, wretch that I am,

I tremble at the fearful day of judgement.

But trusting in Thy loving kindness, like David I cry to Thee:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy.

Source: From the "troparia" (Eastern Orthodox liturgy) quoted by Schmemann, Alexander. 1969. Great Lent. New York: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press.

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Luke 18:9–14 (ESV)

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

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