Prayers & Meditations

[BW]

Dear God, let your Spirit have his way within me. Guide me and teach me along the way.
[from the book Quiet Moments in the Presence of God]

[SunnyGirl]

Take a moment to listen to the still small voice of God within
the bustle of the day which has begun. Find a quiet place
where you can enjoy precious moments of peace in God's
presence. Sit quietly and listen to the sounds of the world
around you, both outside and in the place where you are.
Breathe slowly and rest in God's presence......


God to enfold me,
God to surround me,
God in my speaking,
God in my thinking.

God in my sleeping,
God in my waking,
God in my watching,
God in my hoping.

God in my life,
God in my lips,
God in my soul,
God in my heart.

God in my sufficing,
God in my slumber,
God in mine ever-living soul,
God in mine eternity.

- - Carmina Gadelica

[SunnyGirl]

"On Awakening"

"God, please direct my thinking, especially move it from
self-pity, dishonest and self-seeking motives.

"As I go through the day and face indecision, please give
me inspiration, an intuitive thought, or a decision. Make
me relax and take it easy; don't let me struggle. Let me
rely upon YOUR inspiration, intuitive thoughts, and decisions
instead of my old ideas.

"Show me all through the day what my next step is to be,
and give me whatever I need to take care of each problem.
God, I ask you especially for freedom from self-will, and I
make no requests for myself only. But give me the knowledge
of your will for me and the power to carry it out in every
contact during the day.

"As I go through this day, let me pause when agitated or
doubtful, and ask you for the right thought or action. Let
me constantly be reminded that I am no longer running the
show, humbly saying many times each day, 'Your will be
done' and agreeing that it is.

"I will then be in much less danger of excitement, fear,
anger, worry, self-pity, or foolish decisions. I will be more
efficient. I won't be burning up energy foolishly as I was
when trying to run life to suit myself. I will let you discipline
me in this simple way. I will give you all the power and all
the praise."

"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning
I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."
----Psalm 5:3 NIV

[BW]

Prayer of Gratitude

Oh, God, When I have food,
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work, help me
to remember the jobless;
When I have a warm home,
help me to remember the homeless;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer;
And remembering, help me
to destroy my complacency
and bestir my compassion.
Make me conccerend enough
to help, by word and deed,
those who cry out
for what we take for granted
Samuel F. Pugh

"For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink.
I was a stranger and you welcomed me..."
-Mathew 25:35

[BW]

Father, quiet my heart and mind so I may hear the leading of your Spirit in my life.

[BW]

An interesting twist to the serenity Prayer.......


God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me.

[BW]

Each Day....

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. it will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of slitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.

I CHOOSE LOVE....

No occasion justifies hatred;
no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.
Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY...

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...
the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see
people as anything less than human beings,
created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as
anything less than as opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE...

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE...

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.
Instead of cursing the one who tqakes my place, I'll
invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the
wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment
to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new
assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to
the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...

I will go without a dollar
before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked
before I will boast. I will confess before I will
accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...

Today I will keep my promises.
My debtors will not regret their trust. I disagreeociates
will not question my word. My wife/husband will not
question my love. And my children will never fear
that their father/mother will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...

I am a spiritual being...
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught only by Christ.
I choose self-control.


Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks.
If I fail, I will seek his grace.
And then, when this day is done,
I will place my head on my pillow
and rest.


------------------------
Max Lucado
When God Whispers Your Name

[SunnyGirl]

If each of us would aspire each day, to live our lives by these thoughts, what a joyous world it would be.....

A wonderful post thank you for sharing it... Hugs, SG

[BW]

Lord, I'm not sure what to pray for,
I believe "all things work for good,"
But I'm sick and confused.
Do I pray for healing?
Do I pray for patience and long suffereing?
If I need to learn, teach me how.
Strengthen my faith, and, if it's Your will
Heal me

~ Janice K. Feagin

[BW]

Prayer St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace

Where there is hatred...let me sow love.
Where there is injury...pardon.
Where there is doubt...faith.
Where there is despair...hope.
Where there is darkness...light.
Where there is sadness...joy.

O Divine master, grant that I
may not so much seek
To be consoled...as to console.
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved..as to love,

For ...
It is in giving ...that we receive,
It is in pardoning...that we are pardoned,
It is in dying...that we are born to eternal life.

[BW]

Don't worry it's going to be ok.
It's all right little one you're safe and loved.

It's ok to cry, it's ok to be afraid, it's ok to be weak,
it's ok to be vulnerable, it's ok to be human.

It's from all these elements that we grow,
and it's from all these elements that I am born out of you.

I Love You.

You're not alone.
So long as you reach out to others you're never alone.
Ask for my help in loaning you the courage you already have.
It's not that I never give you more than you can handle,
I am not responsible for the consequences of your actions,
only you are.

Stay on the path if you're suffering
by taking the steps you need to take.
Hang on and hang in there, because it's now
that you're growing at light speed,
You're never going backward only forward.

Decay your loneliness, by making full use
of my greatest gift to mankind, which is mankind.
Feel my alleged absence, as proof,
for the paradox that I exist and have always existed.
Let me in by letting me out.

Love fear and all of the other feelings spored
are what create this reality.
These are the cause and effect of compassion and true forgiveness.
Ask for my help in walking through the anguish of forgiveness.
Do everything in your power to learn to forgive
and love those that hurt you,
Not for just them, but for others as well as yourself.
And never give up the hope that some day your ex-suffering
will be able to help the ones who were sick and hurt you,
As well as those who suffered like you.
Learn all this by practising to love everyone.

Always look into yourself first;
you're past, your present, your motives,
you're feelings, and share the secrets
you find with myself as well as others.
Be gentle and kind to yourself
by being vulnerable, and sharing yourself
with others who are patient, kind and who can only
try to love and accept you as much as I do.
As you get better at this,
take the risks that will enable you to venture out
further and further, so that your true self
may finally be exposed to the real world
I created for you to live in.

Be honest with everyone by never
accepting the blame that is not yours.
Free yourself with the truth, by telling
those stepping on your toes how you feel,
no matter how difficult it may seem at first, or
what it's consequences may be
you'll only get better at it.

If you can learn to love/forgive,
fully listen, understand and accept those around you,
you will eventually begin to learn how to love/forgive,
fully listen, understand and accept yourself.

a personal prayer - anonymous

[SunnyGirl]

Send loving-kindness to yourself. Really love yourself.
Want yourself to be happy and joyful. Recall a happy
time and hold that feeling in your heart.

Repeat these phrases in your mind:

I love myself.
May I be free from anger.
May I be free from sadness.
May I be free from pain.
May I be free from difficulties.
May I be free from all suffering.
May I be free from attachment,
Free from anger and ill-will.
May I be healthy.
May my body be healthy and strong.
May I be filled with loving-kindness.
May I be happy.
May I be really happy.
May I be at peace.
I spread this loving-kindness out.

[BW]

Friendship Prayer

You have blessed us, O God,
with the gift of friendship,
the bonding of persons
in a circle of love.
We thank you for such a blessing:
for friends who love us,
who share our sorrows,
who laugh with us in celebration,
who bear our pain,
who need us as we need them,
who weep as we weep,
who hold us when words fail,
and who give us the freedom
to be ourselves.
Bless our friends with health,
wholeness, life, and love.

Amen.

[BW]

May God bless you with a restless discomfort
about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships,
so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.

May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression,
and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for
justice, freedom, and peace among all people.

May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer
from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may
reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.

May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that
you really CAN make a difference in this world, so that you are able,
with God's grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.

And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator,
Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word who is our brother and Saviour,
and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you
and remain with you, this day and forevermore.

AMEN.
a four-fold franciscan blessing


[For me this one is a real big WOW!!!]

[BW]

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

[BW]

To all who struggle, this one's for you.

To Believe

To believe is to know
that every day is a
new beginning..

It is to trust that
miracles happen, and
dreams really do
come true..

To believe is to see
angels dancing among
the clouds..

To know the wonder
of a stardust sky and
the wisdom of the
man in the moon..

To believe is to know
the value of a
nurturing heart..

The innocence of a
child's eyes and the
beauty of an aging
hand, for it is
through their teachings
we learn to love..

To believe is to find
the strength and courage
that lies within us..

When it is time to pick
up the pieces and
begin again..

To believe is to know
we are not alone,
That life is a gift and
this is our time to
cherish it..

To believe is to know

~unknown~

[BW]

I asked God for strength that I might achieve.
I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy.
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

The Prayer of an Unknown Confederate Soldier

[BW]

PRINTS OF ELBOWS ON MY BED Author Unknown
I was but a youth and thoughtless,
As all youths are apt to be;
Though I had a Christian mother
Who had taught me carefully.
There came a time when pleasure
Of the world came to allure,
And I no more sought the guidance
Of her love so good and pure.
Her tender admonitions fell
But lightly on my ear,
And for the gentle warnings
I felt an inward sneer.
But Mother would not yield her child
To Satan's sinful sway,
And though I spurned her counsel
She knew a better way.
She made my room an altar,
A place of secret prayer,
And there she took her burden
And left it in His care.
And morning, noon and evening
By that humble bedside low,
She sought the aid of Him who
Understands a mother's woe.
And I went my way unheeding,
Careless of the life I led,
Until one day I noticed
Prints of elbows on my bed.
Then I saw that she had been there
Praying for her wayward child,
Who for love of worldly pleasure
Would her peace of mind destroy.
Long the conflict raged within me,
Sin against my Mother's prayers,
Sin must yield - for Mother never
While she daily met Him there.
And her constant love and patience
Were like coals upon my head,
Together with the imprints
Of her elbows on my bed.
And so at last the fight was won,
And I to Christ was led,
And Mother's prayers were answered
By her elbows on my bed.

[BW]

THE KNOT'S PRAYER

Please untie the knots that are in my mind, my heart and my life.
Remove the have nots, the can nots and the do nots that I have in my mind.
Erase the will nots, might nots that have made a home in my heart.
Release me from the could nots, would nots and should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all...

Dear God

I ask that you remove from my mind, my heart and my life all of the "am nots" that I have allowed to hold me back, especially the thought that I am not good enough.

Amen

Author known to God

[caressa]

Peace Prayer

May the people on this planet be changed.
Changed from hatred to love,
Changed from greed to giving,
Changed from selfishness to selflessness,
Changed from apathy to action,
Changed from jealousy to joy over someone's accomplishments,
Changed from intolerance to acceptance,
Changed from being destructive to being constructive,
Changed from fighting to peace,
Changed from killing to protecting life,
Changed from censorship to freedom,
Changed from ignorance to education,
Changed from fearing our differences to rejoicing our variety.

May we each take it upon ourselves to feed the hungry, cure the sick,
house the homeless, educate the illiterate, love the unloved,
compete to do the right thing instead of winning at any cost,
be heroes that teach our children to
make the world a better place instead of glorifying violence and war,
stand up and speak out against things that are wrong
instead of sitting back and waiting for someone else,
demand honesty from our governments,
demand honesty from ourselves.

May we each take responsibility for our own actions
and realize that by refusing to change ourselves,
we condone all the evils in the world.
If one person changes, they teach others by example,
who in turn change and teach more,
one person becomes as a pebble rolling down a mountain,
picking up more pebbles as it continues,
becoming an avalanche of change.
It can happen, it must happen, it will happen.

To make this prayer work, you have to change yourself.

Copyright 1997 Don Morris.