Daily Prayer

A prayer to understand our true sinful condition

O God the Holy Spirit, who alone can show to them that are in error the light of truth, shine upon our souls; and as it is Your special function in bringing souls to Christ, to convince them of sin, discover to each of us, we ask of You, its defiling and destructive nature.

Teach us that the evil of sin is manifest in the departure of the heart from You, and in the proneness which we so often feel to rest in our sinfulness to find our satisfaction in earthly things; and that it is the breaking of Your holy law, and exposes our guilty souls to Your deserved displeasure and condemnation.

O may we be taught by Your grace to examine ourselves, and compare our thoughts, our desires, and our practices, with the righteous demands of Your pure and holy law.

May we reflect on all our sins of omission, as well as those of commission, of heart as well as of life. May we be convinced of sin, and truly humbled on account of our unbelief, and pride, and impenitence of heart; on account of our worldliness of spirit, our neglect of the offers of mercy, and our disregard to the honor of thy name and the temporal and eternal happiness of our fellow-creatures.

O, may we remember with self-abasement the many evil passions which have gained the position of power over us; the many over-anxious and worldly cares which we have indulged; our ingratitude and neglect of thankfulness for all the mercies we have received, while we deserved not the least of them; and our want of submission under Your discipline when we might justly have been cut down as cumberers of the ground.

In these and other respects, surely, our own hearts condemn us; how much more then, You who are greater than our hearts, and know all things. We are clearly guilty before You, and have incurred Your righteous displeasure. But turn towards us, merciful Lord, and so shall we be turned to You.

Wound our hearts, that You may afterwards heal them. Bruise them under Your rod and power, if You will, and then be merciful to bind them up.

Amen

Kurtz, Benjamin. 1860. Lutheran Prayer Book: For the Use of Families and Individuals. Revised and Enlarged Edition. Baltimore: T. Newton Kurtz.

* I have modernised the language a little

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His plans are FOR us

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when I want to do things differently

“Woe to those who quarrel with their Maker,
    those who are nothing but potsherds
    among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
    ‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
    ‘The potter has no hands’? - Isaiah 45:9

Dear heavenly Father,

Even your "woe's" are gitts of grace, for they warn me of the foolishness of my reasoning, the limitations of my perspective, and the self-centeredness of my musings.

Sometimes I think I'd like to be you for fifteen minutes. That would give me a chance to:

fix people that need fixing
fund ministries which serve you the best but struggle with finances the most
bring judgment upon those who've got it coming
alleviate the sufferings of friends whose pain is overwhelming
get even with people who've hurt me the deepest and betrayed me the most
put an end to human trafficking
rid the world of annoying politicians, fear-brokers, and pundits
and heal broken marriages of friends.

Alas, Father, I am such a mix of good desires and broken agendas. I look at my list and realize how much I need the gospel -- every day and every hour. Of course, you the Potter have hands -- big, loving, mighty ones. And not only that, but you have a heart bigger than the universe, wisdom beyond all imaginings, and a timetable that makes Swiss precision seem like laissez-faire laziness.

There is a day coming when you will put all things right and make all things new. In the meantime, please:

Give me patience
Increase my gentleness
Supersize my mercy
Deepen my trust
Fill me to overflowing with your grace and hope.
And grant me quick repentances when I whine about the way you do your job

I pray in Jesus' mighty and merciful name,

Amen

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a providential prayer

Lord God,

Into your hands I place all that I am and ever will be.

I commend my past to your mercy.

I submit my today to your grace.

Concerning my hopes and dreams, I will trust in Providence.

What is small and what is great, I give to you.

What amounts to a little and what amounts to a lot, I bring to you.

In both things temporal and things eternal, I will trust in you.

Amen.

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A Prayer for Autumn

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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A prayer of assurance of help when we suffer and are tempted

Hebrews 2:17–18 (ESV)

17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

I thank you, Jesus, that you are able to both sympathise and help me when I undergo suffering and temptation.
Human help for those who suffer is limited. Some people can at times sympathise but not be able to help. Others can at times help, but can never fully understand and empathise with what I am going through.
But you, Lord Jesus, have no such limitations.
You fully understand and empathise as you fully share in my pain. And more than that, you have the power to help me in my suffering and temptation.
Help me, Lord Jesus, to understand and experience this in my life

In Your Name, Jesus, I pray
AMEN.

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The LORD bless you…

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a prayer to praise when we are overwhelmed

Lord, my heart is heavy.
My circumstances feel overwhelming.
Even so, I choose to look to you.

Teach me how to praise you in my pain.
Even when I do not understand the road ahead.
In times when I am troubled and confused.

Yet I praise you because you are good and faithful.
When fear and worry try my soul, let my voice rise.
Cause my words to lift you up and praise you.

Exchange my heavy burden for your peace.
Help me see your strength in this valley.
Bring me to a place of praising and blessing.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

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a prayer for love to arise

Holy One beyond all names, Eternal Wellspring,

May love rise again in us today.

With food for every table.

Shelter for every family.

And reverence for every life.

Forgive us our failings in love.

And free us from all falseness,

That the light of our souls may shine

And the strength of our spirits endure.

For Earth and all its people.

This day, tonight, and forever.

Amen.

The Celtic Lord's Prayer by John Philip Newell

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Remembering God's wisdom in answering our prayers

Lord

Help me to have faith that even as I pray, you will answer.

Help me to understand and accept that the answer I get may not be the answer I sought, but it is an answer that is wiser and better than what I want because it is your answer.

In Jesus' Name

Amen

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Life with Christ

LORD we praise You that when we walk with You, we can walk in peace. We can walk in security. And we can walk with the assurance of Your Presence. Help us to remember that no matter the circumstances we face, You are always there for Your children. And for that we give You praise and honor and all glory.

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a prayer for when life takes a detour

Dear God,

My plans have changed, and I feel lost.

You saw this unexpected detour that I never saw coming.

You know the confusion, worry, and disappointment in my heart right now.

Help me to let go of my need for control.

My timeline is disrupted and the path ahead is unclear.

Please help me to release my expectations to you.

Remind me that your perspective is higher, wider, and eternal.

Give me the strength to take just one step today.

Fill me with a peace that passes understanding.

Help me trust that you are working all things out for good.

Even on this road I didn't choose.

In your name I pray,

Amen.

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A prayer when I am afraid

Isaiah 41:10 (ESV)

10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

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Beautiful HOPE

Thank you LORD for the beautiful HOPE we have in You. Thank you for continually pouring love into our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit.

May we never allow our disappointments in life distract us from the HOPE that is in You…

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