Dearest Father,
We lift our hearts to you.
As the dawn breaks, may your love dawn afresh on us.
We lift our eyes to you.
As the sunrises, remind us to look for you in our day.
We lift our prayers to you.
As the dew rests on our lawns, teach us to rest from our labors.
We lift our voices to you.
As we remember how Jesus rose from death, we proclaim you in praise.
May we ever live to serve and honor you!
Amen.
Dear Lord,
Waiting is hard. Teach us patience.
Life can be painful. Imbue us with a long-suffering attitude.
Open our eyes to see Easter when we are hurting.
In times of loneliness, help us to know you are with us.
And when hopelessness knocks help us to answer with faith.
To you we give all praise and honor.
Amen.
God of all Forgiveness,
Your Son told us about casting stones.
He said that judgment begets judgment.
Help us to resist the urge to have opinions about others.
Bless us to look on others with love and not judgment.
Give us hearts full of compassion for those not like us.
Cause your spirit to rise up in us and follow him.
Mostly, make us people known for encouragement.
We praise your name and give you thanks.
Amen.
Help me Lord.
I am prone to black and white thinking.Help me to be open to new ideas.
I have difficulty with changes in my life.
Help me to release control.
I have cynical tendencies.
Help me to find positive things in my life.
I obsess over small things.
Help me to let go and see you in my life.
I am hopeless and depressed.
Help me to trust you even in hard times.
In all things and in all ways I declare that you are Lord.
Amen.
Dear Lord,
We are tired, weary and feel lost.
Bless us with the wisdom to know how to rest.
We have dark days and restless nights.
Bless us with divine light and peace.
We live complicated and stressful lives.
Bless us to be still in the midst of chaos.
We feel pressured to change from without.
Bless us to tap into the rest that is within.
We have impossible expectations.
Bless us with contentment and satisfaction.
We struggle with doubts and fears.
Bless us with faith and courage.
We bow our knees in your presence.
Bless us that we might know you better.
Amen.
O HOLY FATHER, thou hast freely given thy Son,
O DIVINE SON, thou hast freely paid my debt,
O ETERNAL SPIRIT, thou hast freely bid me come,
O TRIUNE GOD, thou dost freely grace me with salvation.
Prayers and tears could not suffice to pardon
my sins,
nor anything less than atoning blood,
but my believing is my receiving,
for a thankful acceptance is no paying of the debt.
Who can fathom immeasurable love?
As far as the rational soul exceeds the senses,
so does the spirit exceed the rational in its knowledge of thee.
Thou hast given me understanding to compass the earth,
measure the sun, moon, stars, universe,
but above all to know thee, the only true God.
I marvel that the finite can know the Infinite,
here a little, afterwards in full-orbed truth;
Now I know but a small portion of what
I shall know,
here in part,
there in perfection,
here a glimpse, there a glory.
To enjoy thee is life eternal,
and to enjoy is to know.
Keep me in the freedom of experiencing thy salvation continually.
(from The Valley of Vision)
May the Strength of God pilot us.May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us.
Against the snares of the evil ones.
Against temptations of the world
May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!
May Thy Salvation, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and evermore.
Amen
In the the original Aramaic language, Maranatha meant “Come, Lord Jesus.” I think that it is and ancient way to invite the Lord into our lives, our struggles and our darkness. When we ask Him to come we are admitting our need for him and our trust in him. So let's pray.
I think that many of us are desperate Lord. We have been dealing with pain for a long time. We are struggling and hoping to find hope. Each day we rise to new challenges. Friends abandon us and life seems dark. We want to be loved but love is nowhere to be found.
Take our lives and make them better. Bring divine beauty from our early ashes. Help us to know how to live. Teach us how to deal with our pain. Bring people into our lives that will bless us. And bless us that we might bless others. We give ourselves and our lives to you LordMaranatha. Come Lord Jesus. Amen.
