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Post by caressa222 on Aug 7, 2018 0:06:34 GMT -5
We’ll use as our prayer today Psalm 8, a
copy of which was left on the Moon in a
metal canister during the first manned
landing in July 1969:
August 7
Let us pray:
Lord, our God and King,
your greatness is seen
throughout the earth.
When I gaze at the heavens
which your fingers have formed,
and look at the moon and the stars
which you have set there,
I realise how small we are
in the magnificence of your creation.
Yet you treasure us
above all that you have made,
and you give us control
over all the works of your hand
- animals both wild and tame,
birds in the air,
and the creatures of the sea.
Lord, our God and King,
your greatness is seen
throughout the earth.
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Post by caressa222 on Aug 7, 2018 22:57:08 GMT -5
August 8
Let us pray:
Lord, inspire me
to get my priorities right
and make my choices wisely.
Amen.
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Post by majestyjo on Aug 9, 2018 6:59:33 GMT -5
August 9
No prayer for today. Not applicable.
Substitution by BW from an earlier post
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]
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Post by majestyjo on Aug 9, 2018 7:04:14 GMT -5
August 10
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus,
you talked about the need for us
to have our priorities right,
and not to hoard possessions.
You said that where our treasure is,
there our heart and commitment
will really be.
Touch our hearts
that we may love people
and use things
- and never the other way around.
Inspire us to seek first your kingdom
and use our talents and gifts
for the benefit of others. Amen.
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Post by caressa222 on Aug 10, 2018 22:47:40 GMT -5
Augusst 11
Lord Jesus,
you are the light of the world.
Let us never cut ourselves off
either from the light and life
that you give to us,
or from the good influence
that others have on us.
When we encounter darkness
in our lives,
enable us to bring to it
the light that we already have
within us. Amen
Quote:
There is a saying: “Be like the sundial
that records only the light and
goodness of the day.
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Post by majestyjo on Aug 11, 2018 20:13:19 GMT -5
August 12
Let us pray for all priests whom we know:
God our Father, we pray
for those whom you have called
to serve your people as priests.
Every day
may they live in your presence
and deepen their friendship
with Jesus, your Son.
Fill them with your Spirit
and inspire them
to be faithful in prayer
and always place their trust in you.
May they grow in faith and compassion
as they celebrate
the Sacraments of your love
and bring good news to the poor
and healing to the broken-hearted
Inspire them to live in such a way
that they are credible witnesses
of the transforming power
of your love,
as they share the hopes and the joys,
the sorrows and the frustrations
of those entrusted to their care.
Give them the gifts they need
to accompany your people
along the path of holiness. Amen.
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Post by caressa222 on Aug 12, 2018 22:17:01 GMT -5
August 13
Let us pray:
Lord, if I ever cut people off
or isolate myself
from the needs of others,
alert me to what I am doing.
Open my eyes
to see what unites people
rather than what divides us.
Show me
how to build bridges
between people
rather than putting up walls
that divide. Amen.
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Post by majestyjo on Aug 15, 2018 18:02:55 GMT -5
August 14
Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, you said
that no-one could have greater love
than to give up their life
for someone else.
Remind us
in our personal circumstances today
that care and compassion
and love and sacrifice
can change everything. Amen
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Post by majestyjo on Aug 15, 2018 18:04:38 GMT -5
August 15
And so we pray today:
Mary, our Mother,
your total giving of yourself
reminds us
that we hold in trust
from God our Father
all our accomplishments
and talents and gifts
- trusted as we are
to offer them in his service,
and bring happiness and well-being
to our brothers and sisters.
Your “Yes” to God’s invitation
to be the mother of his Son
reminds us
that prayer is not just words
but is from the heart.
We ask you to pray to Jesus for us
that the Holy Spirit
may live fully in us, too,
so that we may pray
in the way that each of us finds best.
So may we be prepared to join you
in saying “Yes” to God our Father,
that Jesus may be born anew
in our hearts.
Amen.
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Post by majestyjo on Aug 15, 2018 18:13:21 GMT -5
August 16
And so we pray today:
Mary, our Mother,
your total giving of yourself
reminds us
that we hold in trust
from God our Father
all our accomplishments
and talents and gifts
- trusted as we are
to offer them in his service,
and bring happiness and well-being
to our brothers and sisters.
Your “Yes” to God’s invitation
to be the mother of his Son
reminds us
that prayer is not just words
but is from the heart.
We ask you to pray to Jesus for us
that the Holy Spirit
may live fully in us, too,
so that we may pray
in the way that each of us finds best.
So may we be prepared to join you
in saying “Yes” to God our Father,
that Jesus may be born anew
in our hearts.
Amen.
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Post by majestyjo on Aug 17, 2018 0:38:26 GMT -5
August 17
1 When Pope John Paul II visited Britain in
1982 he focussed on each of the Sacraments
in turn. During his visit to York,
couples were invited to renew their marriage
vows. We’ll base our prayer today
on themes in his sermon at that time:
2 Let us pray for people who are married,
that they may make choices to live sincerely
and in compassion, in gentleness
and patience, bearing with one another
and forgiving one another. In these ways
may their relationships grow and develop,
and so may they remain faithful
to each other in good times and bad.
Lord, in your mercy - hear our prayer.
3 Marriage is a sign of God’s faithful and
unbroken love. Let us pray that families
may share in God’s love, and grow as
communities where young people are
guided to maturity.
Lord, in your mercy - hear our prayer.
4 Let us pray that families may be generous
in extending their love to lonely and
burdened people locally, and to those
who are on the margins of society.
Lord, in your mercy - hear our prayer.
5 We pray for those who know the pain of
failure in marriage. We pray for those
who know the loneliness of bringing up
a family on their own. We pray for those
whose family life is dominated by tragedy,
or by illness of mind or body.
Lord, in your mercy - hear our prayer.
6 We see many damaged relationships
around us. We ask for the gift of being
able to build bridges between people.
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Post by caressa222 on Sept 12, 2018 12:06:00 GMT -5
Just For Today
Just for today I will try to live through
this day only, and not tackle all my problems
at once. I can do something for twelve
hours that would appall me if I felt I had to
keep it up for a lifetime.
Just for today I will be happy. This
assumes to be true what Abraham Lincoln
said, that “Most folks are as happy as they
make up their minds to be.”
Just for today I will adjust myself to what
is, and not try to adjust everything to my
own desires. I will take my “luck” as it
comes, and fit myself to it.
Just for today I will try to strengthen my
mind. I will study. I will learn something
useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will
read something that requires effort,
thought and concentration.
Just for today I will exercise my soul in
three ways: I will do somebody a good turn,
and not get found out; if anyone knows of
it, it will not count. I will do at least two
things I don’t want to do – just for
exercise. I will not show anyone that my
feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but
today I will not show it.
Just for today I will be agreeable. I will
look as well as I can, dress becomingly, keep
my voice low, be courteous, criticize not one
bit. I won’t find fault with anything, nor try
to improve or regulate anybody but myself.
AL-ANON FAMILY GROUPS
Hope for families & friends of alcoholics
Just For Today
Just for today I will have a program. I may
not follow it exactly, but I will have it. I will
save myself from two pests: hurry and
indecision.
Just for today I will have a quiet half hour
all by myself and relax. During this half
hour, sometime, I will try to get a better
perspective of my life.
Just for today I will I will be unafraid.
Especially I will not be afraid to notice
what is beautiful and to believe that as I
give to the world, so the world will give to
me.
PRAYER FOR TODAY
Lord make me an instrument of Thy
Peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow
love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is doubt, faith; where is despair,
hope; where there is darkness, light; and
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, and it is in dying that
we are born to eternal life.
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Post by caressa222 on Oct 26, 2018 23:10:29 GMT -5
OCTOBER
zz
This day, Father,
may my eyes be opened
to see the beauty
in all that is ordinary - yet special -
around me.
May the glory of all that you have made
remind me of your presence
and lead me closer to you.
October 26
1 We’ll use as our prayer today
a psalm from the Bible
in which we give thanks for all of creation,
knowing that what we see
can inspire us
to grow in a sense of wonder:
2 Lord our God, how great you are,
and I give thanks to you.
3 You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
with the sun to mark our days of work
and the moon for our nights of rest.
4 Your fingers created the earth
and wrapped it with the ocean
like a cloak.
There the ships sail,
and beneath them
glide the great sea creatures
that you made to play with.
5 You pour down rain
which the ground takes up.
You set springs
gushing forth in the valleys,
and streams that flow
between the mountains,
giving water to all that lives.
6 You make grass grow for the cattle
and crops in abundance for our needs.
You bring goodness to the trees,
and in their branches
the birds build their nests.
Swarms of all living creatures
are so many
that they could never be counted.
What variety you have created, Lord,
arranging everything so wisely!
You send your Spirit,
and all things have life.
Fill us with your Spirit, Lord,
and give us new life,
and renew the earth that you love.
Amen.
(Psalm 104)
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Post by caressa222 on Oct 26, 2018 23:16:23 GMT -5
The following words are from a poem entitled
‘The New Colossus’ by Emma Lazarus, and
were placed on a plaque by the huge statue in
1903. “The golden door” is a name for New
York Harbour.
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses
yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse
of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless,
tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
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Post by majestyjo on Dec 31, 2018 4:09:38 GMT -5
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Post by majestyjo on Jan 8, 2019 8:48:51 GMT -5
January 1
New Year
The dawn of a new year is a time of new possibilities. Let go of the past, reach into the future and give birth to new possibilities.8888888
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Post by majestyjo on May 24, 2020 4:17:25 GMT -5
 I pray that all will stay well and safe. |
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Post by caressa222 on Feb 1, 2021 18:54:06 GMT -5
These are a few simple suggestions for people who are willing to make an experiment. You can discover for yourself the most important and practical thing any human being can ever learn – how to be in touch with God.
All that is needed is the willingness to try it honestly. Every person who has done this consistently and sincerely has found that it really works.
Before you begin, look over these fundamental points. They are true and are based on the experience of thousands of people.
1. God is alive. He always has been and He always will be.
2. God knows everything.
3. God can do anything.
4. God can be everywhere – all at the same time. (These are the
important differences between God and us human beings).
5. God is invisible – we can't see Him or touch Him – but, God is here.
He is with you now. He is beside you. He surrounds you. He fills the room or the whole place where you are right now. He is in you now. He is in your heart.
6. God cares very much for you. He is interested in you. He has a plan for your life. He has an answer for every need and problem you face.
7. God will tell you all that you need to know. He will not always tell you all that you want to know.
8. God will help you do anything that He asks you to do.
9. Anyone can be in touch with God, anywhere and at any time, if the conditions are obeyed.
These are the conditions:
- To be quiet and still
- To listen
- To be honest about every thought that comes
- To test the thoughts to be sure that they come from God
- To obey
So, with these basic elements as a background, here are specific suggestions on How to Listen to God:
1. Take Time
Find some place and time where you can be alone quiet and undisturbed. Most people have found that the early morning is the best time. Have with you some paper and pen or pencil.
2. Relax
Sit in a comfortable position. Consciously relax all your muscles. Be loose. There is no hurry. There needs to be no strain during these minutes. God cannot get through to us if we are tense and anxious about later responsibilities.
3. Tune In
Open your heart to God. Either silently or aloud, just say to God in a natural way that you would like to find His plan for your life – you want His answer to the problem or situation that you are facing just now.
Be definite and specific in your request.
4. Listen
Just be still, quiet, relaxed and open. Let your mind go "loose." Let God do the talking. Thoughts, ideas, and impressions will begin to come into your mind and heart. Be alert and aware and open to every one.
5. Write!
Here is the important key to the whole process. Write down everything that comes into your mind.
Everything. Writing is simply a means of recording so that you can remember later. Don’t sort out or edit your thoughts at this point.
Don't say to yourself:
This thought isn't important; This is just an ordinary thought; This can't be guidance; This isn't nice; This can't be from God; This is just me thinking..., etc.
Write down everything that passes through your mind:
Names of people;
Things to do;
Things to say;
Things that are wrong and need to be made right.
Write down everything:
Good thoughts - bad thoughts;
Comfortable thoughts - uncomfortable thoughts;
"Holy" thoughts - "unholy" thoughts;
Sensible thoughts - "crazy" thoughts.
Be honest! Write down everything! A thought comes quickly, and it escapes even more quickly unless it is captured and put down.
6. Test
When the flow of thoughts slows down, stop. Take a good look at what you have written. Not every thought we have comes from God. So we need to test our thoughts.
Here is where the written record helps us to be able to look at them.
a. Are these thoughts completely honest, pure, unselfish and loving?
b. Are these thoughts in line with our duties to our family – to our community?
c. Are these thoughts in line with our understanding of the teachings found in our spiritual literature?
7 Check
When in doubt and when it is important, what does another person who is living two-way prayer think about this thought or action? More light comes in through two windows than one. Someone else who also wants God's plan for our lives may help us to see more clearly.
Talk over together what you have written. Many people do this. They tell each other what guidance has come.
This is the secret of unity. There are always three sides to every question – your side, my side, and the right side. Guidance shows us which is the right side – not who is right, but what is right.
8. Obey
Carry out the thoughts that have come. You will only be sure of guidance as you go through with it.
A rudder will not guide a boat until the boat is moving. As you obey, very often the results will convince you that you are on the right track.
9. Blocks
What if I don't seem to get any definite thoughts? God's guidance is as freely available as the air we breathe. If I am not receiving thoughts when I listen, the fault is not God's.
Usually it is because there is something I will not do:
- something wrong in my life that I will not face and make right;
- a habit or indulgence I will not give up;
- a person I will not forgive;
- a wrong relationship in my life I will not give up;
- a restitution I will not make;
- something God has already told me to do that I will not obey.
Check these points and be honest. Then try listening again.
10. Mistakes
Suppose I make a mistake and do something in the name of God that isn't right? Of course we make mistakes. We are humans with many faults. However, God will always honor our sincerity.
He will work around and through every honest mistake we make. He will help us make it right. But remember this! Sometimes when we do obey God, someone else may not like it or agree with it.
So when there is opposition, it doesn't always mean you have made a mistake. It can mean that the other person doesn't want to know or to do what is right.
Suppose I fail to do something that I have been told and the opportunity to do it passes?
There is only one thing to do. Put it right with God. Tell Him you're sorry. Ask Him to forgive you, then accept His forgiveness and begin again. God is our Father – He is not an impersonal calculator. He understands
us far better than we do.
11. Results
We never know what swimming is like until we get down into the water and try. We will never know what this is like until we sincerely try it.
Every person who has tried this honestly finds that a wisdom, not their own, comes into their minds and that a Power greater than human power begins to operate in their lives. It is an endless adventure.
There is a way of life, for everyone, everywhere.
Anyone can be in touch with the living God, anywhere, anytime, if we fulfill His conditions:
When man listens, God speaks.
When man obeys, God acts.
This is the law of prayer.
God's plan for this world goes forward through the lives of ordinary people who are willing to be governed by Him.
Written in the late 1930's by John E. Batterson
(A personal friend of Dr. Bob's — co-founder of A.A.)
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Post by majestyjo on Feb 3, 2021 23:10:11 GMT -5
"He who cannot rest, cannot work; He who cannot let go, cannot hold on; He who cannot find footing, cannot go forward." --Harry Emerson Fosdick
If you find you've reached a dead end, it might be because you're sitting on it.
"You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it." --Charles Buxton
I asked my sponsor, "What do you do when you finish working the Steps?" Without batting an eye, he replied, "You lie really still, because you're dead!" --unknown
"Maintaining sobriety is like feeding a parking meter. It's all about change." --unknown
"Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one." --Hans Selye
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. I will be back looking for Lin and others.