Daily Prayer: August 2022

Pull away

There are times when we must simply pull away from the world and PRAY.

There are times that we must go into a quiet place, shut the door, and fall to our faces in DEEP and FERVENT prayer.

There are times that we need to get alone with Jesus and simply cry out to Him. Pouring out all that is within and then positioning ourselves to be able to hear…

PRAYER is the key to spiritual intimacy with the LORD.

Pull away… and PRAY.

Amen

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A Prayer for Reconciliation

Where there is separation,

there is pain.

And where there is pain, there is story.

And where there is story,

there is understanding

and misunderstanding,

listening

and not listening.

May we --

separated people, estranged strangers,

unfriended families, divided community

-- turn toward each other,

and turn toward our stories,

with understanding

and listening,

with argument and acceptance,

with challenge, change

and consolation.

Because if God is to be found,

God will be found in the space

between.

Amen

from Daily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community

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a call to inner peace

Loving God,

Please grant me peace of mind and calm my troubled heart.

My soul is like a turbulent sea.

I can't seem to find my balance so I stumble and worry constantly.

Give me the strength and clarity of mind to find my purpose.

Help me to walk the path you've laid out for me.

I trust your Love God, and know that you will heal this stress.

Just as the sun rises each day against the dark of night.

Please bring me clarity with the light of God.

In your name I pray,

Amen

- Author Unknown

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a call to new life

Creator God,

We are in awe of your creation.

Open our eyes that we might see ourselves as your creations.

Help us to yield ourselves to your Spirit.

We ask for a transformation from above.

Help us to answer your call to a new life based in your love.

In all ways, bless us to live as citizens of heaven.

Amen

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a call to mercy

Merciful Lord, it does not surprise me that you forget completely the sins of those who repent.

I am not surprised that you remain faithful to those who hate and revile you.

The mercy which pours forth from you fills the whole world.

It was by your mercy that we were created, and by your mercy that you redeemed us by sending your Son.

Your mercy is the light in which sinners find you and good people come back to you.

Your mercy is everywhere, even in the depths of hell where you offer to forgive the tortured souls.

Your justice is constantly tempered with mercy, so you refuse to punish us as we deserve.

O mad Lover!

It was not enough for you to take on our humanity; you had to die for us as well.

Amen.

- Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)

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a call to humility

Lord Jesus, when you walked the earth,

Your humility obscured your Kingship.
Your meekness confused the arrogant,

Hindering them from grasping your purpose,
Your nobleness attending to the destitute.

Teach me to model after your eminence,
To subject my human nature to humility.

Grant me with a natural inclination
To never view myself greater than anyone.

Banish all lingering sparks of self-importance
That could elevate me greater than you.

Let my heart always imitate your humility.

Amen

- Author Unknown

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a call to praise

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;

praise Him in the heights!

Praise Him, all His angels;

praise Him, all His hosts!

Praise Him, sun and moon,

praise Him, all you shining stars!

Praise Him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord!

For He commanded and they were created.

And He established them forever and ever;

He gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all deeps,

fire and hail, snow and mist,

stormy wind fulfilling His word!

Mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars!

Beasts and all livestock,

creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth!

Young men and maidens together,

old men and children!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for His name alone is exalted;

His majesty is above earth and heaven.

He has raised up a horn for His people,

praise for all His saints,

for the people of Israel who are near to Him.

Praise the Lord!

-Psalm 148

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I said to myself, “I will watch what I do
    and not sin in what I say.
I will hold my tongue
    when the ungodly are around me.”
But as I stood there in silence—
    not even speaking of good things—
    the turmoil within me grew worse.
The more I thought about it,
    the hotter I got,
    igniting a fire of words:
“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.
    Remind me that my days are numbered—
    how fleeting my life is.
You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.
    My entire lifetime is just a moment to you;
    at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude
We are merely moving shadows,
    and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.
We heap up wealth,
    not knowing who will spend it.
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?
    My only hope is in you.
Rescue me from my rebellion.
    Do not let fools mock me.
I am silent before you; I won’t say a word,
    for my punishment is from you.
But please stop striking me!
    I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.
When you discipline us for our sins,
    you consume like a moth what is precious to us.
    Each of us is but a breath. Interlude
Hear my prayer, O Lord!
    Listen to my cries for help!
    Don’t ignore my tears.
For I am your guest—
    a traveler passing through,
    as my ancestors were before me.
Leave me alone so I can smile again

Amen

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an uncomfortable blessing

May God bless you with discomfort…
Discomfort at easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships,
Discomfort, so that you will live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger…
Anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
Anger, so that you will work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless you with tears…
Tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, starvation and war,
Tears, so that you will reach out to comfort them
And turn their pain into joy.

And, may God bless you with foolishness…
Foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world,
Foolishness, so that you will do what others claim cannot be done.

Amen

-A Fransciscan Blessing

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to be a vessel of love

Today, O God of all days, give me an experience of your heart.

Draw me deep into your very being,
into the core of your love for me, others, and the world.

Give me a glimpse of others the way you see them.

Help me to see the ways that you love them, forgive them and delight in them as they give glory to you through their very existence.

Help me to discern out of that open place of deep affection
so that I too might be a useful vessel of your love in the world.

Amen

- Author Unknown

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finding the riches of inclusion

Ever present God, you called us to be in relationship with one another and promised to dwell wherever two or three are gathered.

In our community, we are many different people; we come from many different places, have many different cultures.

Open our hearts that we may be bold in finding the riches of inclusion and the treasures of diversity among us.

We pray in faith.

Amen

- Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

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calm my troubled heart

Loving God,

Please grant me peace of mind and calm my troubled heart.

My soul is like a turbulent sea.

I can't seem to find my balance so I stumble and worry constantly.

Give me the strength and clarity of mind to find my purpose.

Help me to walk the path you've laid out for me.

I trust your Love God, and know that you will heal this stress.

Just as the sun rises each day against the dark of night.

Please bring me clarity with the light of God.

In your name I pray,

Amen

- Author Unknown

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teach me to grow old gracefully

Dearest Lord, teach me to grow old gracefully.

Help me to see that my community does me no wrong when gradually it takes from me my duties; when it no longer seems to seek my views. Rid me of my pride in all the "wisdom" I have learned. Rid me of the illusion that I am indispensable.

Help me in this gradual detachment from earthly things to grasp the meaning of your law of time. Teach me, in this turnover of work and workers, to discern a striking expression of life's constant renewal under the impulse of your providence.

And please, Lord, let me still be useful, contributing to the world of my optimism, adding my prayers to the joyful fervor and courage of those who now take their turn at the helm.

Let my lifestyle now become one of humble and serene contact with the world in change, shedding no tears for the past; making of my human sufferings a fit of reparation to all my brothers.

Let my leaving the field of action be simple and natural - like a glowing, cheerful sunset.

Lord forgive me if only now in my tranquility I begin to know how much you love me, how much you've helped me.

And now, finally, may I have a clear, deep understanding of the joyful destiny you have prepared for me, guiding my every step from the first day of my life. Lord, teach me to grow old.

Amen

- Author Unknown

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He is GOD

LORD,

You are the EVERLASTING GOD. The CREATOR of heaven and earth.

I am so thankful that YOU never grow tired. Never grow weary.

I’m thankful that YOU continually RENEW my STRENGTH with YOUR POWER!

Help me to always remember who YOU are! The KING of kings. The LORD of lords…..

Amen

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a prayer for a new life

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unconditional love.

Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean.

Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Help me to find my joy again that I might rejoice in you.

I invite you into my life - come into my heart Lord Jesus.

Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a loyal spirit within me.

Transform me as I surrender to your Holy Spirit.

Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.

Help me to be the person that you want me to be.

Amen

- excerpts from Psalm 51

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for hope in the midst of uncertainty

Our Father and our God,

We confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future.

In the midst of life’s uncertainties in the days ahead,
assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.

In the midst of life’s inevitable disappointments and heartaches,
help us to turn to You for the stability and comfort we will need.

In the midst of life’s temptations and the pull of our stubborn self-will,
help us not to lose our way but to have the courage to do what is right in Your sight, regardless of the cost.

And in the midst of our daily preoccupations and pursuits,
open our eyes to the sorrows and injustices of our hurting world, and help us to respond with compassion and sacrifice to those who are friendless and in need.

May our constant prayer be that of the ancient Psalmist:
“Teach me, O Lord, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end”.

Amen

-from a prayer by Billy Graham

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help me to rest

God of Goodness,

I come into your presence so aware of my human frailty
and yet overwhelmed by your love for me.

I thank you that there is no human experience that I might
walk through where your love cannot reach me.

If I climb the highest mountain you are there
and yet if I find myself in the darkest valley of my life, you are there.

Teach me today to love you more.

Help me to rest in that love that asks nothing more
than the simple trusting heart of a child.

Amen

- Author Unknown

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guide us with your grace

I pray you'll be our eyes and watch us where we go.

And help us to be wise in times when we don't know.

Let this be our prayer as we go our way.
Lead us to a place.
Guide us with your grace.
To a place where we'll be safe.
I pray we'll find your light.

And hold it in our hearts when stars go out each night.

Let this be our prayer when shadows fill our day.
Lead us to a place.
Guide us with your grace.
Give us faith so we'll be safe.
We ask that life be kind as you watch us from above.

We hope each soul will find another soul to love.

Let this be our prayer.
Just like every child needs to find a place.
Guide us with your grace.
Give us faith so we'll be safe.
Amen.

- adapted from The Prayer by Carole Bayer Sager & David W. Foster

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help us to be wise

Father of All Wisdom

In this world of intellect, give us grace that we might value believing.

In this age of enlightenment, help us to see with inner vision.

When education is valued over experience, teach us to embrace faith.

In all ways and at all times, bless us that we might be wise instead of smart.

We ask to be like Jesus in all that we do and say.

Amen

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Above all else, PRAY

“Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything…” (Philippians 4:6)

Turn your worries into PRAYER.

Turn your heartaches into PRAISE.

No matter what you are facing today in your life, physically, spiritually, or mentally… the solution is to PRAY.

PRAYER will always lead us to the right place.

PRAYER will always calm our hearts. Bring peace to our spirits. Bestow healing to our souls.

When we see no way out. No answer at all.

PRAY.

And let God do the rest.

Amen

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we are His

Father,

Your Word is solace for the sad, a firm rock for those looking for balance, and bread for the hungry. This is our reality, and we praise You. You've made promises you alone can keep, and you do not lie. No god is as near or as good, as merciful or as mighty as You - no matter the storm or season.

You created us and are redeeming us, all for Your glory. As Isaiah 43 says:

But now, this is what the Lord says—

he who created you, Jacob,

he who formed you, Israel:

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

I give Egypt for your ransom,

Cush and Seba in your stead.

Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

and because I love you,

I will give people in exchange for you,

nations in exchange for your life.

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;

I will bring your children from the eas

and gather you from the west.

You summoned us by name, calling us to life in the gospel. You gave us a new name - "Mine."

There is no truth sweeter than the truth of Your great affection for us is our new name.

Amen

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help me hear you anew

God of silence and God of all sound,

Help me to listen.

Teach me to do the deep listening to the sounds of my soul,
waiting to hear your soft voice calling me deeper into you.

Give me attentive ears that begin to separate the noise
from the sounds that are you.

You who have been speaking to me and through me my whole life,
for so long that you can seem like background noise.

Today help me hear you anew.

Amen

- Author Unknown

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help us to spread your fragrance

Dear Jesus,

Help us to spread your fragrance everywhere we go,
flood our souls with your Spirit and life.

Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly
that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.

Shine through us and be so in us that every soul
we come in contact with may feel your presence in our soul.

Let them look up and see no longer us but only Jesus.

Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be light to others.

The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.
None of it will be ours.
It will be your shining on others through us.

Let us thus praise you in the way you love best
by shining on those around us.

Let us preach you without preaching not by words,
but by our example by the catching force the
sympathetic influence of what we do the evident
fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.

Amen

...a prayer of Mother Teresa

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chosen for God's story

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Father,

By your grace you have freed us from a self-centered life... a life where we tend to give you only a bit part in our stories. Yet you have written us into your big story of every-nation redemption and cosmic renewal. We're not choice; we're chosen; we're not royal, but we've been reborn into the eternally royal family; we're holy in ourselves, but perfectly holy in Christ.

We are no longer our own, but instead are your possession. Hallelujah! And for the rest of our lives and throughout eternity, we have been given the privilege of declaring the power of your grace and the wonders of your love. We never want to go back to our silly little stories where we chase after personal peace and affluence! We desire your peace and your plan.

We want to live into the much bigger story you have for us.

Amen

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