Prayers for the Journey

Yesterday I posted one of the prayers from the daily prayers posted on Light for the Journey. Its popularity made me realize that I do need to keep posting these each week when possible. Enjoy.

Prayer of St Columba

Be a bright flame before me, O God
a guiding star above me.
Be a smooth path below me,
a kindly shepherd behind me
today, tonight, and for ever.
Alone with none but you, my God
I journey on my way;
what need I fear when you are near,
O Lord of night and day?
More secure am I within your hand
than if a multitude did round me stand.
Amen.

posted by the Contemplative Network. 

—————————-

Lord may we sit in the serenity of the moment,
An breathe in the wonder of your presence.
May we let go of our fears and anxieties,
And soak in your grace and love.
May we throw off our distractedness,
Embraced by the place where you draw close.
May we give thanks for your goodness,
And know the intimacy of your tender touch.

Christine Sine https://godspace.wordpress.com/

————-

God may we accept the gift of Christ,
The one who asks us to love our enemies,
Forgive and not judge others,
Give generously from our hearts.
May we follow him,
May our roots grow down into him,
May our lives be built on him,
So that our faith may be strengthened,
And our lives opened to receive,
God’s full measure,
Pressed down, shaken together, running over,
Overflowing with thankfulness,
For the One in whom the fullness of God dwells.

Christine Sine https://godspace.wordpress.com

———————

I think Jesus asks this quite often; ‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ (Mark 8:27-30)

To some you are
words that bring comfort
in times of sorrow or need,
to some you are
simply a teacher,
who died for what he believed,
to some you are
prophet or preacher
bringing healing to the sick,
to some you are
fraud or conjuror,
purveyor of magic tricks.
To us you are
the one this world needs,
Messiah, who sets us free,
to us you are
at the heart of God
Father, Son and Spirit, Three.

(http://www.facebook.com/faithandworship)

———————–

Creator God, we give you thanks for all you give to us.
Within the sacred circle of your creation,
Through which all life is connected,
You place Jesus and the gospel at the centre.
May we remember
The centre of all things is Christ,
The way of all things is Christ,
The truth of all things is Christ.
Behind, before, within, without,
The life of all things is Christ.

Christine Sine https://godspace.wordpress.com/

————————–

Forgive us when we fail to see
your handiwork in the beauty of this world
and your love in the comforting words
of a friend or stranger.
Forgive us when we fail to hear
your whisper cut through the clutter of this world,
or listen as you speak through quietness
in the depth of our hearts.
Open these eyes of faith,
enable these ears to hear,
and may the words we utter
and the meditation of our hearts
be always pleasing in your sight,
our Rock and our Redeemer.

(http://www.facebook.com/faithandworship)

Prayers for the Journey

It is a long time since I have posted prayers from the Light for the journey Facebook page. There always seems to be something else to write about. So this morning I thought I would post some of the most popular from the last few weeks. These prayers are posted daily from a variety of sources with regular contributions not only from my own prayers, but also from Faith and Worship, The Contemplative Network and In His Footsteps.

This prayer was written for the Inhabit conference which Tom and I are attending this weekend:

God breathe on us,
Fill us with your living presence.
Christ breathe in us,
Restore our joy in your salvation.
Spirit breathe through us,
Renew our compassion and our mercy.
Three in one, one in three,
Breathe with us,
Fill us, restore us, renew us,
Through your love,
Make all things new.

—————–

God gift us today with eyes that see,
What you are doing in our world,
May we stand in awe of your creativity,
And delight in the beauty of spring flowers.
May we embrace the wonder of your love,
And reach out with hugs and tender touches.
May we glimpse your hurting heart,
And respond with acts of compassion.
May we see the mighty deeds you do each day,
And join in wherever we can.

——————-

Gracious Father, in our walk with you
we often stumble and fall,
needing your steady hand
to raise us to our feet
and set us upon the path once more.
Forgive the unsteadiness of our faith
which wanders from your word
and stumbles into sin,
raise us to greater things
and complete obedience to you.

(http://www.facebook.com/faithandworship)

———————-

We are blessed indeed,
who have put our trust in you,
live to serve
and in our walk of faith
go where you might lead us.

We are blessed indeed,
who have found our strength in you,
seek your face
and hear that quiet whisper
as you encourage us.

We are blessed indeed
who bow down to worship you,
and go out
in faith to do the tasks
you have prepared for us.

(www.faithandworship.com)

————————

 

Light for the Journey Prayers for Christmas

Over the last few days there have been some beautiful prayers posted on the Light for the Journey Facebook page. I have also added the last of the Advent prayers which have not been posted yet. Enjoy

The light of the Christmas star to you.
The warmth of home and hearth to you.
The cheer and goodwill of friends to you.
The hope of childlike heart to you.
The joy of a thousand angels to you.
The love of the Son and God’s peace to you.
— Irish Blessing

 

 

 

You call us to be messengers
announcing the news
that your kingdom is here;
not in some faraway place
or heavenly space, but here
where we live and breathe
in the presence of Christ our King.
Here, where the sick are healed
and broken lives made whole,
Here, where your children serve
and love is shared with all.
Here, where you rule in power
and sin cannot control.
Here, where your people meet
responding to your call.
You call us to be messengers
announcing the news
that your kingdom is here
just waiting to be found!

(www.faithandworship.com)

This Advent-time
we remember Mary and Joseph,
giving thanks for their faithfulness,
courage and obedience,
stepping out into the unknown
in the strength of your Spirit,
playing their part
in the fulfilment of your plan
to bring your prodigal people
home again.
We pray that their example
might be the pattern of our lives,
that when your gentle whisper
breaks through the clamour of this world
and into our small corner,
we might be ready to listen,
and having listened, to act.

(www.faithandworship.com)

This Advent-time
we remember Mary and Joseph,
giving thanks for their faithfulness,
courage and obedience,
stepping out into the unknown
in the strength of your Spirit,
playing their part
in the fulfilment of your plan
to bring your prodigal people
home again.
We pray that their example
might be the pattern of our lives,
that when your gentle whisper
breaks through the clamour of this world
and into our small corner,
we might be ready to listen,
and having listened, to act.

(www.faithandworship.com)

 

Prayers for the Journey

I love this weekly summing up of prayers that have been posted on the Facebook page Light for the Journey. Enjoy.

Watch O Lord – uploaded by Contemplative Network

Watch O Lord with those who wake, or watch, or weep tonight, and give Your Angels and Saints charge over those who sleep. Tend Your sick ones, dear Lord, rest Your weary ones, bless Your dying ones, soothe Your suffering ones, pity Your afflicted ones, shield Your joyous ones, and all for Your Love’s sake.” St Augustine

contributed by Contemplative Network.

—————————

Let me rest in the place of stillness,
Where God fills my body
With the peace that is beyond understanding.
Let me rest in the place of quiet,
Where God fills my spirit
With the peace that is beyond understanding.
Let me rest in the place of trust,
Where God fills my heart
With the peace that is beyond understand.
Let me rest in the presence of God,
Where all that I am and all that I do
Is filled with the peace that is beyond understanding.

——————————————————

Lord, you have always given bread for the coming day,
and though I am poor, today I believe.
Lord, you have always given strength for the coming day,
and though I am weak, today I believe.
Lord, you have always given peace for the coming day,
and though of anxious heart, today I believe.
Lord, you have always kept me safe in trials,
and now, tried as I am, today I believe.
Lord, you have always marked the road for the coming day,
and though it may be hidden, today I believe.
Lord, you have always lightened this darkness of mine,
and though the night is here, today I believe.
Lord, you have always spoken when time was ripe,
and though you be silent now, today I believe.

This beautiful Celtic prayer that was sent to me yesterday by my good friend Tom Balke

——————————————————–

God of Signs and Wonders – contributed by faithandworship.com

————————————————-

God in the place of stillness,
May I release all I think I know of you
To rest in the source of all truth.
May I open my heart,
To what my mind cannot understand,
And thoughts cannot comprehend.
May I let go my images of you, O Lord
So that I can behold
The unimaginable expansiveness of who you are.

—————————————————

Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world
grant us forgiveness
for that which we have done, and not done.
Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world
grant us peace
through your Spirit’s presence in our hearts.
Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world
grant us joy
in our journeying with you, our King.

(www.faithandworship.com)

————————————-

Let the light of Christ shine on you,
Let the light of Christ shine in you,
Let the light of Christ shine through you,
This day and forevermore.

Light of God – photo Christine Sine

Prayers for the Journey

I have already posted several of this week’s Facebook prayers which you might like to check out:

Deep Peace to You

Lead Us Forward Lord

Here are the remaining posts that have been made:

Whenever self obscures – faithandworship,com

God may we begin this day with you at the centre,
May your love flow from us to neighbour,
May your peace touch those we encounter,
May your life shine through all we do.
May we live as those who are made in your image.

—————————————————-

You speak to us in many ways,
through rushing wind
or still small voice,
in Scripture’s Word
or through your Grace,
and we in turn find many ways
to hear the world’s
insistent voice
break through the silence,
and take your place.

Forgive our frailty.
Help us hear your voice
above the clamor of this world,
recognize the difference
and follow only you.

(www.faithandworship.com)

———————————-

Lord, you are the only God,
Creator, redeemer, counsellor,
Faithful, righteous, holy One.
May we begin this day with love of you,
May it fill our hearts and minds and souls,
And weave through every fibre of our being.
May it flow from us to others,
Bringing justice, showing mercy, setting free.
May we practice your royal law of love,

And so be remade in your divine image.

——————————————-

O Jesus,
Make our hearts so human,
That others may feel at home with us,
So like yours, that others may feel at home with You,
So forgetful of self,
That others might simply become the place

where you and they meet.
In the power of your love
and the joy of your friendship, Amen
This prayer written by Fr Paul Costello is called the Rosies’ prayer

www.rosies.org.au

—————————————-

On the caring path – Bonnie Harr

 

 

Lead Us Forward Lord

Hands with Joshua tree

This morning I posted this prayer on Facebook 

Lead us forward Lord,
Let us hold firm to your words of life.
Lead us forward Lord,
Let us delight in your perfections,
And meditate on your ways.
Lead us forward Lord,
You are our light and our salvation,
You are our rock and our fortress,
Lead us forward Lord,
You alone hold the keys to eternal life.

Maybe it is because I am just back from Australia and still on jetlag, maybe it is because Advent is just around the corner (begins December 2nd), maybe it is because I just ordered the first copies of Return to our Senses and am feeling the wonder of having completed this project or maybe it is because the U.S. elections are over and all of us sense the need for direction from God and not from our political leaders. Whatever it is, I feel that this is a great season of the year for reflection and refocusing.

Now is the time to store up the resources we need to stir our imaginations and create new rituals and expressions of faith that guide us through the fast approaching season of Advent in which our hearts ache for the coming of God’s light.

As usual I will host an Advent reflection series during December – I may even begin a little early because Advent is so short this year – just over 3 weeks long. Our theme this year is Let Us Wait As Children Wait. There is still time to participate. So if you would like to contribute a post do let me know.

Also if you are looking for Advent devotionals this year don’t forget Waiting for the Light: A Devotional for Advent and Christmas. It is available in both book and ebook form.

Friday I hope to post my new Advent video for the year but you may also like to check out these videos from previous years.

I also plan to update my Advent resource list early next week so if there are books, websites or other resources that you feel are must haves or must see for the season please let me know.

Prayers for the Journey

Sydney Lorikeets

 The end of a very challenging week for most of us as this week’s Light for the Journey Facebook prayers reflect.

I have already posted these prayers for the victims of Hurricane Sandy who are constantly in my prayers at the moment. I hope that you enjoy the remaining prayers from the week.

God, I look at your world and see

Beauty beyond words,

Creativity beyond imagining,

Love beyond understanding.

God bathed, Son drenched, Spirit filled.

May we dare to believe

You are here,

Transforming, redeeming making all things new.

————————————-

Lord may we surrender to the whisper of your love,

May we sit in the place of quiet,

Where time is stilled,

And the dark gives fertile ground for seeds to sprout.

May we sit in the solitude of each moment,

Surrounded by God’s everlasting love,

Comforted by Christ’s ever present peace,

Abiding in the Spirit’s ever flowing life.

————————————-

What a privilege to serve – faithandworship.com

Before all things began,

you were,

one with Father and Spirit,

glorious unity.

Before all things began,

you were,

our lives within your thoughts,

your image in our hearts.

Before all things began,

you were,

creation and redemption

perfected in your plan.

Before all things began,

you were,

king and kingdom waiting,

for time is in your hands.

(www.faithandworship.com)

—————————-

O Lord,

I kneel here gazing

into Your eyes of love.

You smile and whisper my name.

I am back again,

for only You are enough of

everything I need.

You satisfy the deep longing.

I’ll stay a while with You here,

knowing You stay always with me,

keeping my days, watching o’er my nights.

You clothe the lilies, watch sparrows and love me.

O Lord,

I kneel here gazing

into Your eyes of love.

I smile and whisper your name, “Abba”.

B.D. Harr © 2012

Photo by Bonnie harr

——————————————–

Simple Things, Five Minutes Into Morning 

Thank you, Lord, for simple things ~

daily blessings. . .

benefits You load us with, that

we take so often for granted:

Light at the flick of a switch . . .

Water at the turn of a faucet . . .

Heat at the move of a dial . . .

Sanitation by way of toilets, disposals

and waste removal systems . . .

Refrigeration for foodstuff

beyond our capacity to eat in a single day. . .

Baths and showers large enough for

full-body, daily, personal hygiene. . .

A toothbrush with clean water for brushing and rinsing. . .

Clothing to dress temperature-appropriate in . . .

Slippers and shoes for our feet . . .

A first cup of coffee, with cream, even . . .

A newspaper delivered to the door. . .

A phone to connect with loved ones . . .

An umbrella and raincoat to step into

Your hurting world this day.

And yet, O Lord,

forgive us for often forgetting that

Your world, and the children of it,

hurt in these ways, everyday:

No light, save that which the diurnal rhythms provide ~

No clean water, save that which the high streams and rivers provide ~

No heat, save that which the sun provides ~

No sanitation ~

No refrigeration ~

Not enough food for a meal, much less a day ~

Not enough defense against body-borne diseases ~

No health or dental care ~

Not enough clothing to defend against inherent climates ~

No shoes ~

No coffee with cream ~

No papers, books, phones, umbrellas or raincoats…

Forgive us, O Lord, for our mindlessness.

Forgive us, O Lord, for our thoughtlessness.

Forgive us, O Lord, for our selfishness.

Father, make us ever more mindful and thoughtful!

Jesus, give us eyes and hearts of compassion like Yours are!

Holy Spirit, transform our selfishness into selflessness!

Then, O Lord, rather than questing for notoriety or fame,

rather than seeking high praise or recognition,

transform our selflessness into service in Your name,

for Your glory, to the people of Your world ~

OUR brothers and sisters everywhere!

Thank you, Father, for these five, morning minutes, alive.

Thank you, Sweet Jesus, for these five, morning minutes, awake.

Thank you, Holy Spirit, for these five, morning minutes, aware.

Amen

B.D. Harr © 2012

Written on the winds of Hurricane Sandy

———————————–

Twitter, Facebook, and On the Go Prayers – A Wonderful Tool or Terrible Distractio

On the go prayers

The following post is the eighth in a series that is excerpted from my upcoming book Return to Our Senses, which will be available in mid November. It is already available through Mustard Seed Associates at a pre-publication discounted price of $15.

Twitter, blogging, Facebook and other social media have all become popular tools for prayer and the formation of spiritual community in the last few years. Virtual churches abound and a growing number of people are turning to the internet as their primary spiritual community.

Neal Lock, one of the organizers of First Presbyterian Church of Second Life believes that technology is a part of God’s creation and a gift that we can use for good, twist to evil or ignore. He explains: Gutenberg’s printing press changed the world, paving the way for the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution. Because it made possible the Reformation, it also brought drastic changes to the church, changing almost every visible aspect of Christian worship and theology in just a few generations. In our generation, the internet and digital communication have already brought about drastic changes, and will continue to transform the church in sweeping and dramatic ways in a short span of time.

He goes on to remind us that, church participation in the past few decades has been in steep decline. Yet, as millions of people leave behind their communities of faith, millions more are finding community online, in places that a few years ago wouldn’t have even qualified as places. Worshiping communities of Christians are also beginning to appear online, especially taking root in 3-dimensional synthetic interfaces known as Virtual Realities, or Virtual Worlds.

As I think about this and try to get my head around the possibility of attending a virtual church, I am reminded of what Erik Qualman author of best selling Socialnomics says. He challenges us to consider that we don’t have a choice as to whether we do social media or not. The question, he believes, is how well we do it.

Its true. The internet is here to stay and in the last few years it has become more portable, social, fast paced, and ever present. If Facebook were a country it would be the third largest in the world. Snail mail and long distance phone calling have given way to texting, Skype and online chats. Tablets and smart phones keep us connected 24/7.

Even our everyday spirituality is effected by social media. We post our prayer requests, events, photos and our spiritual struggles on Facebook and other social media sites. We can “like” Mother Theresa, Wendell Berry, St Francis of Assisi and many others for daily prayers and inspiration. We can listen to daily prayers like http://prayasyougo.org and download them onto our phones or tablets. We can follow those who post prayers or Bible verses on Twitter. Or we can read reflections from bloggers like ChristianDroid who seeks to combine Christianity and technology to enhance our lives. We can even use social media feeds to keep us in touch with breaking news, our favorite missions and the needs of our world. The options seem to be limitless and sometimes overwhelming. How we interact with social media and incorporate it into our faith is an important question for all of us to grapple with as we seek to shape our prayer life.

There is no denying that many of us benefit daily from these technologies but there are definite downsides too. They speed life up so that we often don’t have sufficient time to think about and act on what is really important for our ongoing salvation and walk with God. Our minds become cluttered with too much information that further fragments our sense of reality. We can become like robots moving through a web of activities deprived of time for what is essential to nourish our soul and to cultivate our spiritual growth. In this mad rush we forget that our aim above all else in this life, is to seek union with our loving God.

According to Tony Dokoupil, a senior writer at Newsweek and The Daily Beast, the current incarnation of the Internet—portable, social, accelerated, and all-pervasive—may be making us not just dumber or lonelier but more depressed and anxious, prone to obsessive-compulsive and attention-deficit disorders, even outright psychotic. Our digitized minds can scan like those of drug addicts, and normal people are breaking down in sad and seemingly new ways. One recent research project suggest that social media may be more addictive than cigarettes or alcohol. When 200 University of Maryland students agreed to go without social media for 24 hours–no cell phones or computers–their reaction was akin to drug withdrawal.

The most concerning drawback to internet community is this ability to distract us from work, family and face to face interactions sometimes to an addictive extent. Avoiding people we don’t want to talk to is much easier when we can “talk” to friends around the world without even needed to getting out of our chairs. The temptation to check, what our friends and acquaintances are doing, how many likes and visits our blog posts get, or even just to pass on prayers and breaking news we enjoy can at the least soak up our time and energy. At the worst we become obsessed with the kudus, criticisms and hopes that our posts will go viral.

Maintaining the disciplines that balance time spent on line with other aspects of life is not always easy. Some of us blurt out all our thoughts and intimate struggles to strangers with few if any inhibitions. How often do you take your struggles and concerns to Jesus before sharing them on Facebook or Twitter?

Prayers for the Journey

This week’s summing up of Facebook prayers is written from Sydney Australia where I am currently visiting my Mum. I have found myself sitting quietly each morning enjoying the bird sound and reflecting on the prayers that others have written and reflecting on Mary De Jong’s post on Ordinary Blessings. I  hope that you enjoy them too.

Labyrinth Bonnie Harr – In His Footsteps

New Dawn

O Lord,
At each new dawn
You draw back the veil of the heavens
writing messages to all, and some see.

What do you require?

To do justice ~
To love mercy ~
To walk humbly ~
To walk with You. . .

Teach us that fairness is not justice;
mercy is not kindness, alone;
humility is not self-negation;
walking with You is everything.
Amen. B.D. Harr © 2012

—————-

prayer for Justice

God help us to dream impossible dreams,
Not for ourselves but for your kingdom coming.
Help us to pray, not for tasks within our power,
But for your power to equip us for tasks beyond our imaginings.
Help us to risk all that we have to follow you.

—————-

God may your new world be born afresh in us,
May it take root and flourish in our lives,
So that we can grow more like Christ in every way,
And bear the fruit of justice, mercy and love.

——————-

Keep us close, we pray.
Be the one to whom we turn
when faced with fear,
uncertainty,
and questioning.
Be the rock upon which we stand,
the truth we hold to,
certainty
to which we cling.
Be the Father in whose arms
we gladly fall,
security
in our journeying.
Keep us close, we pray.

(www.faithandworship.com)

———————————

Christ Have mercy – A prayer for Light for the Journey

May the blessing of light be on you,
light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine upon you and warm your heart.

May the light shine out of your eyes,
like a candle set in the window of a house,
bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.

May the blessing of the earth be upon you, the great round earth;
may you ever have a kindly greeting for people as you’re going along the roads.
And may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly.

-Common Prayer For The World from www.waymarkers.com

Open Our Eyes Lord

Prayers for the Journey

Speak to me – Bonnie Harr

The beauty of the prayers that continue to be posted on the Light for the Journey site enrich and stir my faith. I hope that they will yours as well.

Let us walk into this day,

God’s love to give us hope,

Christ’s life to give us guidance,

The Spirit’s power to transform us.

Let us walk with joy,

Let us walk with purpose,

Let us walk each step towards God’s new world.

———————————-

May we put our hope in God’s unfailing love,

And trust in God’s eternal faithfulness.

May it lead us into paths of justice,

And guide us towards God’s righteousness,

Where we give ourselves to feed the hungry,

And commit ourselves to share God’s healing.

May we always live towards God’s new reality,

A new community with wholeness, peace and abundance for all.

———————————–

Let us pray for justice faithandworship.com

God give us this day your hearts desire,

May we love as you love with justice and mercy,

May we live as Christ lived with compassion and generosity,

May we become what the spirit intends filled with peace and joy,

May we this take new steps to be transformed into the image of God.

————————————

Pray for justice – Christine Sine

Lord, we bring to you those ‘almost’ moments.

When the opportunity arose to bring your name

into a conversation and we almost did.

When we were challenged to give to those

who are in need, and we almost did.

When we heard of an injustice and, tempted

to reach for our pen, we almost did.

When challenged by the whisper of your voice

to go where you would send, we almost did.

Forgive our timidity, our reluctance

to live the life that we proclaim.

Fill us with your Spirit of love and power

that by our words and actions

your name might be glorified,

and our ‘almost’ become ‘always’!

—————————

May our ears be attuned – faithandworship.com

In you, O Lord, do we trust,

in your love we delight,

for there is no other

to whom we can turn

who knows our needs

before we ask,

reads our hearts

and answers our requests.

In you, O Lord, do we trust,

in your peace we depend,

for there is no other

to whom we can turn

who calms our souls,

brings release,

and in whose

arms we would rest.

 

(www.faithandworship.com)

————————–

God let us not hold onto what we should release,

Let us not embrace what does not satisfy,

Let us not commit to what is not your will.

May we give up all to follow,

Twighlight burning – Bonnie Harr