Daily Prayer: September 2024

a prayer for the hope in the mundane

Teach us, dear Lord, to number our days;
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Oh, satisfy us early with Thy mercy,
that we may rejoice and be glad all of our days.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us;
and establish Thou the work of our hands.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us;
and establish Thou the work of our hands, dear Lord.

(From Psalm 90)

Father -

We ask that you help us not to let the mundane, everyday tasks of life or the busyness of any particular season rob us of rhythms and priorities that help us know and love You more.

Remind us, Lord, to keep our eyes on our eternal hope in You.

Amen.

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help us to trust

Loving Father,

We have been hurt, betrayed and misunderstood.
It is hard for us to be open with you and our friends.
Help us to let down our guards.

We have been controlling all of our lives.
It is hard for us to let go of control.
Help us to release our tight grip on life.

We had dreams that fell apart and aspirations that were crushed.
It seems impossible for us to dream again.
Help us to see our future in positive ways again.

We live each day hoping for blessings and miracles.
It is difficult to find our way when things seem so dark.
Brighten our paths and help us to trust you each day.

We offer ourselves and our lives to you dear God.
In these times of pain and difficulty we commit our way to you.
Proclaiming your lordship, we place our trust in you.

Amen.

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a prayer for stillness

O Lord God,

Manifest your peace and your stillness in us.

For you have supplied us with all things.

You have given us inward peace and rest in Christ.

And the peace of a Sabbath which has no evening.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

- adapted from a prayer by Augustine of Hippo

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a prayer of submission

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Be all for us and grant that we may dedicate all that we have to Thee

Like the apple of Thine eye preserve me, O Lord God; defend me and beneath Thy wings shelter me from temptations.

Be the guardian of the eye, that it might not look about in the manner of a thief; be the guardian of the ear, that it might not perceive falsehood.

Be the guardian of the lips, that slander, judgement, criticism and idle words might not come forth from them.

Be the guardian of the heart, that it might not be inclined to evil and might not work iniquity.

Grant us, O Lord, knowledge, both of what we should do and of how to set about it.

Grant us, O our Lord, that we may be sweeter to Thee than fragrances and perfumes.

Grant us, O our Lord, that we may love Thee and hate the world. Grant us, O Lord, to acquire only Thee rather than all transient possessions.

Grant us, O our Lord, to bring Thee three choice gifts. Grant us, O our Lord, to burn three aromatic censers before Thee.

Grant us, O our Lord, to light for Thee three brightly burning lamps: the spirit, the soul and the body, these three gifts for the One Trinity.

Let us dedicate the spirit to the Father, the soul to the Son and the body to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit which will raise it again from dust.

O Father, consecrate our spirit to Thyself! O Son, consecrate our soul to Thyself! O Holy Spirit, consecrate to Thyself our body which is afflicted by sores.

Grant us, O our Lord, to rejoice in Thee, and mayest Thou rejoice in us in the last day. To Thee is praise, from the spirit, soul and body. And unto us be Thy mercies.

Ephrem the Syrian. 2004. A Spiritual Psalter or Reflections on God. Translated by Isaac E. Lambertsen and Antonina Janda. Liberty, TN: The St. John of Kronstadt Press.

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A testimony to all

LORD, help us to tell others about You. Help us to share the BEAUTIFUL testimony of our SALVATION to those we encounter. Help us to be like You in all that we say and do…

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Who is it that you seek?

Today's prayer is a reflective practice prayer. Please ask yourself each question, ponder it in your heart and when you feel it's time to move on, respond with the words in bold.

Who is it that you seek?
I seek the Lord our God, Maker of Heaven and Earth.

Do you seek Him with all your heart?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.

Do you seek Him with all your soul?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.

Do you seek Him with all your mind?
Amen. Lord, have mercy.

Do you seek Him with all your strength?
Amen. Christ, have mercy.

One thing I have asked of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life;
to behold the beauty of the Lord
and to seek Him in His temple. (from Psalm 27)

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An Autumn Prayer

O God of Creation,

You have blessed us with the changing of the seasons.

As we welcome the autumn months,

May the earlier setting of the sun
remind us to take time to rest.

May the brilliant colors of the leaves
remind us of the wonder of your creation.

May the steam of our breath in the cool air
remind us that it is you who give us the breath of life.

May the harvest from the fields remind us
of the abundance we have been given
and bounty we are to share with others.

May the dying of summer's spirit remind us
of your great promise that death is temporary and life is eternal.

We praise you for your goodness forever and ever.

Amen.

- Author Unknown

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Grant me grace to satisfy all needs

Grant grace to satisfy all needs

Make me whole, O Lord, and I will become whole! O only wise and merciful Physician, I beseech Thy benevolence: heal the wounds of my soul and enlighten the eyes of my mind that I may understand my place in Thine eternal design! And inasmuch as my heart and mind have been disfigured, may Thy grace repair them, for it is as true salt.

What shall I say to Thee, O Knower of the heart who searchest the heart and the inner workings of men? Indeed, Thou knowest that, like a waterless land, my soul thirsts after Thee and my heart longs for Thee. And Thy grace has always sated those that love Thee.

Thus, as Thou hast always heard me, so now do not scorn my prayer. For Thou seest that my mind, like a prisoner, seeks Thee, the Only true Savior.

Send Thy grace, that it may satisfy my hunger and quench my thirst. For insatiably do I desire Thee, O my Master! And who can have enough of Thee if he truly loves Thee and thirsts for Thy truth?

O Giver of light! Fulfill my supplications and grant me Thy gifts according to my prayer; impart to my heart just one drop of Thy grace, that the flame of Thy love may begin to burn in my heart; and, like a fire, may it consume evil thoughts like thorns and thistles!

Give me all this in abundance; grant it to me as God unto man, as the King to His subjects, and increase it as a kind Father.

Ephrem the Syrian. 2004. A Spiritual Psalter or Reflections on God. Translated by Isaac E. Lambertsen and Antonina Janda. Liberty, TN: The St. John of Kronstadt Press.

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The GOSPEL

Oh LORD, give us hearts to serve You with all our strength. Help us to see the TRUTH of who You are and then let us draw near!

May we repent of past sin and then move forward in the POWER of Your Spirit. May we be spreaders of the GOSPEL to all those we encounter!

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help us walk with you, Lord

Lord, teach me the way of your statutes,

And I will keep them to the end.

Grant me insight that I may keep your law,

And observe it wholeheartedly.

Guide me in the path of your commands,

For in them is my delight.

Bend my heart to your decrees,

And not to wrongful gain.

Turn my eyes from gazing on vanities;

In your way, give me life.

Fulfill your promise to your servant,

That you may be revered.

Turn away the taunts I dread,

For your decrees are good.

See, I long for your precepts;

Give me life by your righteousness. (from Psalm 119)

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Listen to God in busy times.

Lord, when I am busy and stressed help me not to neglect You.

Help me to remember that You are always by my side ready to help.

Help me to pray and trust You.

But more than that help me to take the time in prayer to listen to what You are saying to me.

For if I don't listen, I won't hear Your words of comfort and wisdom.

Help time to listen, Lord in busy times.

In Jesus Name I pray.

Amen

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He is the LIGHT

LORD, help us to truly see that You are the LIGHT. And that in Your LIGHT we find the beautiful gift of ETERNAL LIFE.

Open our eyes to see the TRUTH of who You are. May we draw near and bask in the LIGHT of Your Holiness…

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a prayer of hope in hard times

Sovereign Father,

I am in awe of the ways that you work in our lives.
You are there in good times and in bad.

Right now, it is hard to see anything good coming into my life.
I am in such pain and agony over things out of my control.

Teach me to trust you when I don't understand.
Help me to let go of the pain and heartache.

Bless me with hope in this hopeless time.
That I might look to you and find peace.

I love you Lord.

Amen.

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a prayer for inner vision

Dear God,

Some days I feel like I am blind and do not understand anything.
I need an awakening that I might see as you see.

Help me to find a way of living that nourishes my soul.
Open my inner eyes that I might see what you are doing.

Bless me that I might reflect your divine image in the world.
And cause me to shine with love for my neighbors.

To you belongs all glory and praise.

Amen.

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a prayer for balance

Dear Lord,

I am prone to hold on when I should let go.
Teach me to trust and have confidence in you.

I sometimes run when I should stand firm.
Give me the courage to be strong in hard times.

I often gravitate to binary, black and white, thinking.
Help me to find balance and embrace your many colors.

I commit my way to you, asking for renewal in my heart.
I believe in you and know that you are present with me.

Amen.

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A prayer for life's journey

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a prayer to reflect light in the world

Lord of Light and Love,

Our world can be dark and our friends can be afraid.
Bless us that we might reflect your light upon their lives.

Help us to remember that it only takes a small ray to brighten a dark room.
Give us courage and power to enter the dark places and shine for you.

You are a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths.
Make us to be lighthouses in troubled waters.

We confess that you are the Light of the World.
And in your name we pray.

Amen.

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a prayer for courage

Father,

Courage comes from the heart, and we are always welcomed by you no matter how we feel about taking a step of faith.

Even if we are scared, you welcome us.

Even when we aren't sure, you welcome us.

We bear witness to our faith, knowing we are called to live lives of courage, love, and reconciliation in the ordinary and extraordinary moment of each day. We bear witness to our failures and our complicit in the fractures of the world.

May we be courageous today.

May we learn today and love today.

Amen

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a prayer to hear the music within

Dear God

Help me to hear your still small voice when all is silent.

Cause me to sense the inner rhythms amid the loud noises.

Teach me to listen to the sounds of my soul as I seek you.

Bless me to be a vessel of your inner love as I speak and act.

May I hear the divine music within my soul and in my life.

That I might be a pleasing and lovely fragrance to you.

Amen. And. Amen.

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