Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

open hearts



Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.  

Come, O Spirit of God 
and make within us your dwelling place and home. 
May our darkness be dispelled by your light.
and our troubles calmed by your peace; 
may all evil be redeemed by your love, 
all pain transformed through the suffering of Christ
and all dying glorified by his risen life.

Amen
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embracing divine mystery



Dear God,

You are present at all times and in all places.

There is nothing hidden from you.

All knowledge is laid bare in your presence.

Yet many things are hidden from our understanding.

There is much confusion and anxiety in our world.

Help us Lord to let go and embrace divine mystery.

Teach us to be patient as we wait upon your revelation.

Bless us, that we might let go of control and trust you.

Give us grace to believe in what we cannot see.

We confess that we believe and trust in you.

Amen
 
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prayer to overcome


Thank You, Lord, for being there for me and hearing my prayers.

I am in awe that you listen to me and care about what I say.

You see the things that are happening around me.

You understand my feelings of fear, helplessness and despair.

In the midst of evil things, I ask for help to persevere.

Help me to overcome the hurt I feel and think good thoughts.

Cause forgiveness to replace my feelings of bitterness.

I commit this situation to you and confess my trust in you.

I ask you for strength and for wisdom that I would be able to overcome.

Bless me that I might live in a way that brings honor to Your name.

Amen


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unlocking contentment



Dear God,

It seems that we are always wanting more.

Help us to be content with what we have.

Open the eyes of our hearts to see our many blessings.

Cause us to change the focus of our hearts.

Bless us with thanksgiving and gratitude.

That we might be your witnesses on earth.

Amen



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in everything



Dear Father,

In the midst of pain and difficult times.

We give thanks.

When our hearts are broken and despair is so real.

We give thanks.

As Winter approaches and people are struggling so much.

We give thanks.

At all times, good and bad, we choose to praise and give thanks.

Amen
 
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with a thankful heart



Father, we want to thank You.

For giving us the gift of Your Son, Jesus.
And in return we want to give You all that we have.
Our hearts, our lives and our thanks.

Lord God, we thank You.
Thank You from the bottom of our hearts.
For giving Jesus to us.

And we can say when we are weak, "I am strong".
Because You promised.
Your strength will be perfect in our weakness.

And for every financial need we have.
We can say, "I am rich".
Because You promised to provide all of our needs.
According to Your riches and glory.

By Christ Jesus, we say it together.
And now let the weak say, "I am strong".
Let the poor say, "I am rich".
Because of what the Lord has done for us.

Give thanks.
We give You thanks.
Give thanks.
We give thanks.

Amen
-from Give Thanks, a song by Don Moen   

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a prayer for unity


Father,

We come before You thinking about the holiday season that is coming quickly. For some it is a joyful time, for some a hard time, for some a painful time. For most it is all of those things. You know each celebration, hardship, and hurt we carry. 

Lord, we know you have given us family and they are sinful people, just like us. Sin creates division between us, which makes times of gathering all the more challenging. Open our eyes, Lord, to see the places of hurt in others, to know when it's time to step back in order to guard our hearts from sin, and the wisdom to know what to engage with and what not to engage with.

Remind us, Lord, that unity is not uniformity. That we can be and believe and think differently than those we spend Thanksgiving with, and still love each other. But we can only do this in your strength, with humility and compassion. May we not repay insult with insult, but each speak truth and blessing. Also, show us Lord when we need to keep quiet. May we stand in the truth that you fight our battles for us.

Amen

...be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. (1 Peter 3:9)



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to have unconditional love



Grant us your kind of love Father,
That we might show the world what you are like.

Give us your eyes and ears Holy Spirit,
That we might see and hear the way that you do.

Bless us with hearts like yours Jesus,
That we might make friends with those who were once enemies.

In all things, and in all ways, may we act with unconditional love,
That we might make your presence known in all the earth.

Amen


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bless us with love


Bless us with Love, O Merciful God;
That we may Love as you Love! 
That we may show patience, tolerance,
Kindness, caring and love to all!

Give me knowledge; O giver of Knowledge,
That we may be one with those who seek peace in the world!

O Compassionate One, grant compassion unto us;
That we may help all fellow souls in need!

Bless us with your Love O God.

Amen
- Author Unknown  

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listening


Teach us Lord to be quiet that we might hear your voice.

When things are confusing, help us to center our thoughts on you.

In times of hurriedness, cause us to slow down internally.

Bless us with the discipline of waiting and patience.

In all things, lead us and attune our inner ears to your voice.

Amen
 
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a prayer of thanks and praise


Dear Father,

We come to you remembering that you are God in all times.

You are worthy of our praise and thanksgiving in all circumstances.

We thank you for being present in our highs and in our lows.

You cause all things to work together for good in our lives.

We offer ourselves afresh to your mission and purposes.

Let your kingdom come and your will be done in us.

Amen
 
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stir us from apathy


Dear God,

Life can become so hard and apathy can grab hold of our hearts.

Help us to find your life hidden deep inside of us.

Stir us and lead us that we might be passionate witnesses.

Bring friends in our lives that are catalysts of your passion.

That your Spirit might thrive in us and set our hearts on fire.

In all we do, may your love have the last word in our lives.

Amen



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The Spirit prays…

So thankful that when we don’t know how to pray or what to pray, the Holy Spirit does… 


(Romans 8:26)
 


Amen
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a prayer for leaders



Dear Lord,

Help those who lead, in civil and religious ways, to find humility.

Surround them with wise counselors and people of integrity.

Grant them grace that they might keep their egos in check.

Bless them so that they might bless those who they lead.

Help us to pray for them more than we complain about them.

We pray that you would lead our leaders and give them hearts to follow you.

Amen


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a prayer of submission



Dear Loving Lord,

I am feeling stress, I am worried.

Too many things occupy my mind.

Won’t you help me?

Show me Lord, your order and your plans, are eternal.

Let me trust in your will alone.

Your word tells me where there is love, there is no fear.

Let me be filled with your love.

The perfect love that tells me I am not condemned, but I am saved.

I can do all things through you.

You Strengthen me.

In Jesus name, Amen
- Author Unknown  

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when we are overwhelmed



Calm me, Lord, as you calmed the storm; still me, Lord, keep me from harm.

Let all the tumult within me cease, enfold me, Lord, in your peace.

Calm me, Lord, as you calmed the storm; still me, Lord, keep me from harm.

Let all the tumult within me cease, Lord, enfold me in your peace.

Amen
- a Celtic prayer  

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a prayer for veterans



Help us, dear God, to see your face in every Veteran we encounter.

Guide us as we imagine new ways to support Veterans and their families.

Bring healing and peace to all who have been wounded physically, 
mentally and spiritually during wartime.

Help us bring your saving grace to heal the invisible wounds of war.

We ask this in Jesus’ holy name.

Amen.
-Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington

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grant us simplicity of faith



Lord, grant us simplicity of faith
and a generosity of service
that gives without counting cost.

A life overflowing with Grace
poured out from the One
who gave everything,
that we might show
the power of love
to a broken world,
and share the truth
from a living Word.

Lord, grant us simplicity of faith,
and a yearning to share it.

Amen

— Author unknown  

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give us hearts that listen



  Loving God, give us hearts that listen for your word.

  Let us imitate the Good Samaritan, who does not turn away from suffering.

  Help us listen.
     May we listen to those who struggle daily for dignity.
     Let us hear your voice in the stories of those on the margins.
     Help us always see what binds us together as sisters and brothers.

  Help us to heal.
     May we be willing to stand in the place of others.
     Let us be open to difference that we may arrive at understanding.
     Help us to seek reconciliation that our world may reflect justice.

  Help us respond.
     May our faith move us to action in the public square.
     Let us work with others of good will, finding solutions together.
     Help us exercise political charity, seeking the common good and dignity for all.

  Lord, give us the courage to trust in your hand guiding us.

  Give us the courage to respond like the Good Samaritan,
  setting aside divisions to attend to the needs of the other.

  May we know and see your love present in our communities,
  made real in the ways we love one another.

  Amen.
-US Conference of Catholic Bishops  

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for wisdom, diligence and patience



O Gracious and Holy Father,

Give us wisdom to perceive you,
intelligence to understand you,
diligence to seek you,
patience to wait for you,
eyes to see you,
a heart to meditate on you,
and a life to proclaim you,
through the power of the spirit
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen
-Saint Benedict  

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when we are in need


Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it.

I am weak in the faith; strengthen me.

I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent, that my love may go out to my neighbor.

I do not have a strong and firm faith; at times I doubt and am unable to trust you altogether. O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you.

In you I have sealed the treasure of all I have.

I am poor; you are rich and came to be merciful to the poor.

I am a sinner; you are upright.

With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness.

Therefore I will will remain with you, of whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give.

Amen
- a prayer of Martin Luther  

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for patience in times of change



God of the seasons, there is a time for everything; there is a time for dying and a time for rising. We need courage to enter into the transformation process.

God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green, letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let go when we need to do so.

God of fallen leaves lying in colored patterns on the ground, our lives have their own patterns. As we see the patterns of our own growth, may we learn from them.

God of misty days and harvest moon nights, there is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. We always need to recognize your power-filled presence. May we gain strength from this.

God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain, many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender. We must wait for harvest in faith and hope. Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings.

God of geese going south for another season, your wisdom enables us to know what needs to be left behind and what needs to be carried into the future. We yearn for insight and vision.

God of flowers touched with frost and windows wearing white designs, may your love keep our hearts from growing cold in the empty seasons.

God of life, you believe in us, you enrich us, you entrust us with the freedom to choose life. For all this, we are grateful.

Amen
-Author Unknown

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when we are stressed



Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;

My eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. 

My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning.

My strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.

But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ 

My times are in Your hands.

Lead me and deliver me from the things that stress me. 

Let Your face shine on Your servant; save me in Your unfailing love.

Amen
 — from Psalm 31

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Empty out


Lord, help us to begin the process of being empty vessels before you. 

Help us to empty ourselves of anything that doesn’t bring you HONOR or GLORY.

And then fill us up with You, LORD. With all that is good. With all that is merciful. With all that is Holy and Godly.

Fill us up with those things that will bring us eternal satisfaction and Joy. And then help us to spread the Good News of Jesus everywhere we go… 


Amen
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a prayer to walk humbly

Father,

I must admit, I'm not a fan of being humble. But I am also not a fan of when my pride gets out of control. All day I can proclaim that You require us to "act justly" and to "love mercy" ... but if I'm honest God, I cannot do those things unless I am also walking humbly with You.

I thank you for Your hesed love for me, the only kind of love that enables me to fight the sin of my pride so that I can walk humbly with You. 

 Lord, remind me that in my own strength to act justly and to love mercy ends up being for my own gain, and not for Your glory. 

Teach me to desire a humble walk with You. Turn my heart toward a place of surrender that shows Your face, Your love, Your character, to each person I encounter.

Amen.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

     And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

    and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)

 


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