More Prayers for the Journey

This week has been a very active one on the Light for the Journey Facebook page. I hope you enjoy these prayers.

As we enter a new day – we take time to prepare our hearts for all that lies before us.

Prayer to greet the day!

O Lord, grant me to greet the coming day in peace,
help me in all things to rely upon your holy will.
In every hour of the day reveal your will to me.
Bless my dealings with all who surround me.
Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with firm conviction that your will governs all.
In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings.
In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by you.
Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others.
Give me strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring.
Direct my will, teach me to pray. And you, yourself, pray in me. Amen.

Eastern Orthodox Prayer,

Posted by Contemplative network

God may our eyes be opened 

to see the threads of your glory
intertwined in our lives.
God may our ears be unstopped
to hear the whisper of your grace
comforting those we meet.
God may our hands be liberated
to share the generosity of your blessings
full measure pressed down
overflowing into the world we love.

Christine Sine 

Let everything within me cry holy,
Let everything around me cry holy,
Let everything above and below cry me holy.
God the maker of heaven and earth is worthy,
Of praise and worship and honour,
Let all that is, all that was and all that will be cry holy.

Christine Sine

May the God of grace
lift you from where you are
and raise you onto higher ground.
May the God of peace
still the anguish of your soul
and bring you to a quiet place.
May the God of love
who warms our fragile hearts
be the strength you find today.

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

God interrupts
inviting us to pause
and notice.
God interrupts
inviting us to listen
whispers quieting our hearts
bells ringing in our souls
God interrupts
inviting us to pause.
Use it as you will
but remember always
God interrupts
inviting us to life.

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

From Parker Palmer’s Facebook page

 

Creator God,
on windswept beaches
your saints of old
held their hands up to you
in wonder and amazement,
felt your power through the roar
of wind and surf and,
exposed to the elements
felt a oneness
with the One
who had created all things.
This world does not often allow us
such intimacy with you, Father,
we are crowded out
by circumstances of our own choosing,
seeking fellowship with each other
rather than with you.
Forgive our unwillingness
to follow in the footsteps of your saints,
to meet you in the solitude of your creation.
Forgive our unwillingness
to get our feet wet

© John Birch – http://www.facebook.com/faithandworship

Lord may I take time today
to be alone with you.
May I create the discipline of presence,
Knowing that inner retreat,
regardless of outer circumstances
is a gift worth pursuing.
May I remember that in the midst of storms
you slept in perfect confidence
rocked to sleep by your faith.
May I take courage when the waves swamp me
Knowing that to our cries of terror
you respond
be not afraid.

Christine Sine

Seize God,
the weaver of heaven and earth.
Bring your past,
Bring the present day,
Bring the promise of the future,
before the Eternal One.
Seize God,
choose love,
seek the holy presence,
Let the Lord,
make your life extraordinary.

Christine Sine

Bless to us, O Lord,
the earth on which we walk,
each mountain top,
sunlit sky.

Bless to us, O Lord,
the beauty that we see,
soaring eagle,
butterfly.

Bless to us, O Lord,
the peace within our heart
when filled with joy
or sorrow.

Bless to us, O Lord,
the journey that we make,
the footsteps that
we follow.

©John Birch: http://www.facebook.com/faithandworship

 

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Prayers for the Journey

It is almost 2 weeks since I last posted the prayers from Light for the Journey.  Some were St Francis Day prayers which I have already posted but here are some of the others from this period. I will do another post tomorrow with the remainder of these prayers – the contributions are so rich that I do not want us to miss out on any of them. Also if you would like your prayers to be considered for inclusion on this page please email with a sample of your prayers or a link to your site where they are published. The increasing popularity of this page makes me realize how desperately many of us crave daily prayers that help us to pause and recentre our life on God.

First from Parker Palmer’s Facebook page:

Inspired by Psalm 121
O God Almighty,
Creator of the heavens and the earth,
You hold me firmly in place
And never let me fall.
You always keep your eyes on me
And never drift off to sleep.
You hold me close at all times,
Your shadow provides a place of cool shade.
From my first breath to my last
You O God eternal are with me,
You keep me safe
From this day and forever.

Christine Sine

Lord God almighty
I breathe in the fragrance of you love,
And whisper thank you.
I breathe in the sweetness of your grace,
And shout thank you.
I breathe in the wonder of your mercy
An cry thank you.
Lord God Almighty
Thank you , thank you, thank you,
For love and grace and mercy.
Thank you, thank you, thank you,
For life and forgiveness and renewal.
You alone are God eternal
You alone are worthy
Of praise and worship and honour.

Christine Sine 

May the whisper
of the Father
be the one that wakens you;
the open hand
of the Son
be the one that raises you;
the prompting
of the Spirit
be the one that sends you;
this morning
and all mornings,
and leads you safely home.

John Birch 

For your people, wherever they might gather
Be the one who stands beside
For your people, wherever they might journey
Be the one who is our guide
For your people, wherever they might suffer
Be the one who keeps us safe
For your people, wherever they might struggle
Be the one who gives us faith

John Birch

God Almighty, creator of all,
Your voice resounds through the heavens,
Your ways are proclaimed through the earth,
Your Word has never been silent.
For your ways are rooted deeply in justice,
Your paths are lined with compassion and love.
May we journey though life
by the light of your face,
And live always as followers of your ways.

Christine Sine

A prayer to end the day.

My Day Is Ending

Lord,
You have been with me all through this day,
stay with me now.
As the shadows lengthen into darkness
let the noisy world grow quiet,
let its feverish concerns be stilled,
its voices silenced.
In the final moments of this day
remind me of what is Real.

But let me not forget
that you were as present in
the stresses of the day just past
as you are now
in the silence of this night.

You have made me for
day and for night,
for work and for rest,
for both heaven and earth.

Here in this night
let me embrace and not regret
the mysterious beauty of my humanity.
Keep me in the embrace of your Reality through the night,
and the day to come.
Surround me with your silence
and give me the rest that only you can give–
Real peace,
now and forever. Amen

Posted by The Contemplative Network

God almighty,
Holy and eternal one,
Creator of the universe,
Trustworthy at all times,
Faithful in all seasons,
Loving, caring, redeeming One.
You are the only one
worth listening to.
You are the only one
worth following.
You are the only one
Worth committing my life to.
God almighty
Creator, redeemer, sustainer,
Lover of my soul,
You are the only One.

Christine Sine

Lord God Almighty, Eternal and Holy One,
In whom I live and move and have my being,
I breathe in your presence
and hold it deep within me.
I breathe in your love
and hold it deep within me.
I breathe in your life
and hold it deep within me,
All I am, all I do, all I will ever be
flows from you,
and I hold it deep within me.
Thank you for your presence,
Thank you for your love,
Thank you for your life,
May I always hold them deep within me.

Christine Sine

A prayer at the start of the week from St Teresa of Avila, the great Carmelite reformer and nurturer of St John of the Cross.

I am Thine, and born for Thee:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Sov’reign Lord upon Thy throne,
Endless Wisdom, One and Whole,
Goodness that does feed my soul,
Good and great, One God alone:
Vile Thou seest me, yet Thine own,
As I sing my love for Thee.
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Thine I am, for Thou didst make me;
Thine, for Thou alone didst save me;
Thine–Thou couldst endure to have me;
For Thine own didst deign to take me.
Never once didst Thou forsake me.
Ruined were I but for Thee:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

What, O good and loving Lord,
Wilt Thou have this creature do?
This Thy slave, a sinner too,
Waiting till she hears Thy word?
With Thy will in close accord,
Sweetest Love, I come to Thee:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Take, O Lord, my loving heart:
See, I yield it to Thee whole,
With my body, life and soul
And my nature’s every part.
Sweetest Spouse, my Life Thou art;
I have given myself to Thee:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Let me live, or let me die;
Give me sickness, give me health;
Give me poverty or wealth;
Let me strive or peaceful lie.
Weakness give or strength supply–
I accept it all of Thee:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Fame or shame I may be given;
Chasten me or make me glad;
Comfort me or make me sad;
Send me hell or grant me Heaven.
Sun, with veil forever riven,
I have yielded all to Thee:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Teach me, if Thou wilt, to pray;
If Thou wilt not, make me dry.
Give me love abundantly
Or unfruitful let me stay.
Sov’reign Master, I obey.
Peace I find not save with Thee:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Give, I pray Thee, wisdom true,
Or remove it all from me;
Plenteous years I fain would see;
Years of drought and leanness too.
Days of light and darkness through,
Send me where Thou’d’st have me be:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

If in ease Thou’lt have me lie,
I accept it for Thy love;
If my constancy Thou’lt prove,
May I suffer till I die.
Tell me, sweetest Love, I cry,
How and when to die for Thee:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Waste or fruitful land be mine,
Tabor’s joy or Calvary’s Cross.
Job be I, with pain and loss,
John, and on Thy breast recline.
Sterile stock or fruitful vine,
As Thou will’st it, may I be:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Joseph, captive once in chains,
Rule in Egypt over all.
David, held in cruel thrall,
Soon a crown and kingdom gains.
Jonah suffers direst pains;
Then is cast up from the sea:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Let me speak or hold my peace,
Rich or barren as Thou wilt;
Let the Law proclaim my guilt
Or the Gospel give release.
Let me joys or pains increase.
All my life I live in Thee:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

I am Thine, and born for Thee:
What wilt Thou have done with me?

Teresa of Avila (1515-1582)
Posted by The Contemplative network from http://spiritualsynergy.blogspot.co.uk/

 

 

Prayers for the Journey

The weekly round up of prayers from Light for the Journey includes two that I posted as separate posts during the week. However as these have been extremely popular prayers I thought that I would include them here for those that missed them.

A blessing

John O’Donohue,

May the nourishment of the earth be yours, may the clarity of light be yours, may the fluency of the ocean be yours, may the protection of the ancestors be yours. And so may a slow wind work these words of love around you, an invisible cloak to mind your life..

Posted by Contemplative Network 

This prayer inspired by reading the various views about food stamps and who is responsible to help the poor.

God you call us your friends,
Not just one but all.
Not just the rich but the poor,
Not just the powerful but the marginalized,
Not just the vocal but the voiceless.
Befriended, made family together,
One in you, responsible to care for each other.
God we all live in the light of your goodness,
We all rely on the light of your love,
Renewed as we share the mind of Christ,
Renewed together with the abandoned and abused,
Welcomed, cherished, restored,
With transformed minds and renewed hearts.
One in you, made family together.

Christine Sine 

I love to start the day with a breathing prayer – reminding myself that I am created by the breath of God. Here is one I wrote at the beginning of this week:

Breathe in the love of God,
Let if fill you will grace and mercy.
Breathe in the life of God,
Let it empower you with truth and justice.
Breathe in the peace of God,
Let it sustain you with faith and hope.

Christine Sine

For the many who battle with dementia and feel isolated, frightened and alone, a prayer written by one who suffers with them. Let’s be the church that prays because we care and cares because we pray.

Oh dear Lord, hear my prayer,
And show me that you really care,
Trouble is I can’t remember,
All my prayers for you to tender,
Will this matter, on the day,
When we meet, what will you say?
If I didn’t have dementia
I would recall my holy Venture,
If I don’t pray, from time to time,
Remember that my minds not mine,
Please forgive me, as you know,
No matter what, I love you so.

Norman Mc Namara

Posted by The Contemplative Network 

I feel the older I get that life requires tremendous courage on behalf of every person. I came across this lovely Lutheran prayer for courage, and having prayed it myself I offer it as a prayer for each one of us.

Lord God,
you have called your servants
to ventures of which we cannot see the ending,
by paths as yet untrodden,
through perils unknown.
Give us faith to go out with good courage,
not knowing where we go,
but only that your hand is leading us
and your love supporting us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Posted by The Contemplative Network 

God you only will I serve,
Through faithfulness and righteousness.
God you only will I follow,
Through justice and in truth.
God you only will I exalt,
Through praise and worship.
For you alone are worthy,
You alone are holy,
You alone are eternal.

Christine Sine

Be still and know that I am God
Be still and know that I am
Be still and know
Be still
Be

Posted by The Contemplative Network 

God may we look to eternity,
With hope and not with fear,
With expectation and not with dread.
May we see the tree of death
on which our Saviour died ,
As a tree of life connecting heaven and earth.
May we see the wind
that whispers through the trees,
As your life giving Spirit
Breathing your life through all the earth.
Amen

Christine Sine 

Last but not least I wanted to make you aware of a resource available from John Birch, one of the regular contributors to Light for the Journey. His new book God of Compassion is currently available for download for £1 (about $1.60 U.S.) I love his prayers and have thoroughly enjoyed his previous books Heart2Heart and Prayers for the Journey

 

Prayers for the Journey

Lord as I enter this day,
May your fire be kindled in my heart.
May the flame of your love burn bright within me,
May its spark ignite your love in others
Warming the lonely,
Comforting the grieving,
Protecting the vulnerable.
This day and every day
May your love shine bright for all to see.

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

When heart is heavy,
body weak,
life filled with sadness,
spirits low,
when days are lonely,
dark with cloud,
preventing sunshine
breaking through;
remind us that you are
never further away
than a whispered prayer
can reach,
never closer
than when we’re weary
and on our knees.

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

One of my favourite Gerald Manley Hopkins poems:

Glory be to God for dappled things-
For skies of couple colour as a brindled cow,
For rose moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches wings;
Landscapes plotted and pieced-fold, fallow and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle trim.

All things counter, origninal, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift slow; sweet, sour; adazzle; dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change;
Praise him.

———————————–

When we call out your name
in times of hardship
or in our despair
and fail to hear your voice
or see the answer we desire,
forgive our impatience.
When we pray for healing,
freedom from fear
or relief from Satan’s grasp,
and grow weary of the task
of continuing with prayer,
forgive our lack of faith.
Your ways are not ours,
but in all things you are God,
your love and justice
will always prevail.
In your time and in your way
you will answer all our prayer.

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

Lord Jesus Christ,
your ways are good
and I praise you.
Your purposes are true
and I exalt you.
Your compassion never fails
I lift my eyes to you in adoration.

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

Like the joy of the sea coming home to shore,
May the relief of laughter rinse through your soul.

As the wind loves to call things to dance,
May your gravity by lightened by grace.

Like the dignity of moonlight restoring the earth,
May your thoughts incline with reverence and respect.

As water takes whatever shape it is in,
So free may you be about who you become.

As silence smiles on the other side of what’s said,
May your sense of irony bring perspective.

As time remains free of all that it frames,
May your mind stay clear of all it names.

May your prayer of listening deepen enough
to hear in the depths the laughter of God.

— John O’Donohue (from “To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Invocations and Blessings”)

With thanks to Philomena Ewing

http://blueeyedennis-siempre.blogspot.com/

For all answers to prayer
gracious Lord, we thank you.
For a touch bringing healing
and lives made whole.
For the sharing of comfort
when the season is cold.
For one door that opens
and another one closed.
For the unseen blessings
of sharing your word.
Gracious Lord, we thank you
for all answers to prayer.

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

You are the God of eternal patience, ever waiting, ever planning, ever working towards a purpose of which we have just a glimpse.
Our vision is often more limited: by our own concerns, by our own fears, by our own imaginations.
Yet in these things there are seeds: the work of your spirit opening our mind and stirring our actions towards something greater than even we see.
Grant us, in this time of worship, a measure of grace to continue to wait in hope, to wait in expectation, and to wait with an openness to the fullness of Your purpose.

God of all ages, you have repeatedly planted the dream in unlikely people.
We remember the vulnerable and barren Abraham, whom you chose to father a multitude long before (and after) it seemed possible.
You called Moses to lead a transformation, even while he was part of a power which was at the heart of that problem.
Amos was a shepherd and tree-keeper in another part of the world when you sent him to your people with a unique message.
And Hosea – a man with deep family relationship issues – becomes a bearer of hope in the midst trouble.

Your eyes, O God, have ever been lifted to a future beyond our vision, yet one of which you give us glimpses.
Though we barely understand, and though we do not trust our capacity to see it through, we pray that you would continue to lead us through.
For you have not only shared the vision with us, You have poured out Your Spirit upon us, empowering us to do, and to be…
In our worship, we declare Your glory
In our prayer, we seek Your wisdom
In community, we begin to understand the wonder of Your grace.
In our surrender, we declare our trust in You.
Lord, we praise You!

Gary Heard http://the-eighth-day.blogspot.com/

Lord, let us walk into this day
Your light before us,
Your shield behind us,
Your friends beside us.
Lord, let us walk into this week
Your life before us,
Your strength behind us,
Your love around us.
Lord, let us walk from this place,
Your wisdom before us,
Your truth behind us,
Your breath within us.
Lord, let us walk into the world,
Gratitude in our hearts,
Thanksgiving on our lips,
Joy in our spirits.
Lord, let us walk into your loving presence,
In the name of the One who loves us,
In the name of the One who cares,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, One in Three, Three in One.

Christine Sine http://godspace.worpdress.com/

Gracious and generous God,

We remember all the gifts you have given us,
We remember how lavishly you have provided,
We remember how lovingly you have cared,
We remember especially that greatest gift of all,
Jesus Christ our Saviour,
And we give you thanks.
Amen.

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

On this our journey of faith
we trust in you alone, Good Shepherd,
guiding us
along a path you are familiar with,
leading us
beside green pastures and quiet waters,
feeding us
your word as refreshment for our souls,
steering us
from that which might tempt and divert,
protecting us
from that which might harm or destroy.
We trust in you alone, Good Shepherd,
on this our journey of faith.

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

 

 

A Pentecost Liturgy by John Birch

Today’s Pentecost liturgy is by John Birch whose website Faith and Worship is a great resource for liturgy especially if you are also interested in Celtic spirituality. John is a regular contributor to the Light for the Journey Facebook page.

Spirit

‘And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.’
(Zec 12:10)
‘Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”‘
(Gal 4:6)

Into your presence we come. Into fellowship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit; Glorious Trinity.
You breathed this world into being. Your creative Spirit is still visible within our everyday lives; through the changing seasons, the colours and sounds of nature, the rhythm of day and night, sunrise and sunset, tide and wind, rain and shine.
All: Breathe upon our fellowship, Creating Spirit, Creator God

Your Spirit, present in the birth pangs of this world empowered the Prophets
of old, ordinary people called to live extraordinary lives.
All: Breathe upon our fellowship, Creating Spirit, Creator God

Your Spirit was so visible through the life of your Son, from the moment
of conception to his death and glorious resurrection.
All: Breathe upon our fellowship, Creating Spirit, Creator God

Your Spirit was the parting gift of Jesus to the world. ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses… to the ends of the earth’
All: Breathe upon our fellowship, Creating Spirit, Creator God

Father, you have gifted us with the power to perform miracles,
to be your witnesses here and to the ends of the earth.
Yet we stand so often with feelings of inadequacy,
fearful of our own failings and sin.
Forgive us when we try and limit your power
and underestimate our own capabilities.
Forgive us when we fail to open our hearts fully
to the working of your Spirit,
when we choose to limit your work in our lives.
Empower us as you did the Prophets of old; embolden us in our witness to our family, our neighbours and all whom we meet.

Fill us with your Spirit
All: That our faith might be enriched 

Fill us with your Spirit
All: That our lives might be empowered

Fill us with your Spirit
All: That our witness might be emboldened

Fill us with your Spirit
All: That your name might be glorified

‘And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you’
(Rom 8:11)

Show me your ways, O Lord
All: Teach me your paths

Guide me in your truth and teach me
All: for you are God my Saviour, and my hope is in you all day long

Holy Spirit, without your power in the Church today we shall always be weak and ineffective in our mission.
How can the world see you through our lives if they cannot see the power of your love shining through?
How can the world feel your healing touch if we do not know the reality of your presence in our lives?
How can we show a world that is searching where to find spiritual fulfilment
if our lives have not first been made whole?

Holy Spirit, your creative breath is the power in your Church today, Lord. May we know that power in this place and in our lives.
Amen

Read more at: http://www.faithandworship.com/liturgy10.htm#ixzz2TYx0vgMg
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution

A lenten Prayer for the Day by John Birch.

Today’s prayer was written by John Birch at Faith and Worship.  I find it both challenging and compelling

Prayers for the Journey

The end of another week. I hope you enjoy these prayers that have been posted on Light for the Journey in the last few days.  Thanks to Bonnie Harr, John Birch and Micha Jazz for their contributions.

I trust in you O Lord,
Not the one I think I understand
But you who are unknowable.
I trust in you O Lord,
Not the one who is as small as I am
But you who are immeasurably great.
I trust in you O Lord,
Not the one who sits uncaring in a far off heaven
But you came down to be one of us
You who are concerned for every person, every creature and every happening here on earth.
Amen

(c) Christine Sine

—————————

May I hold close O Lord,
To the wonder of who you are.
May I hold close O Lord
To the wisdom of what you teach.
May I hold close O Lord
To your ways that are high then mine.
May I hold close O Lord
And never let you go.

(c) Christine Sine

——————————-

Love grows
as it is given,
blossoms
as it is shown.
Love flows
like a steam,
refreshes
that which is sown.

Love grows
as it is spoken,
embraces
hearts and souls.
Love flows,
like a river
filling
empty vessels full.

Love grows
as it is taken,
increases
as it is shared.
Love flows
like an ocean
spreading
around the world.

(www.faithandworship.com)

——————————-

TODAY.
Certain I am that Christ was born
Of Jewish maid of Nazareth;
That this lone child of lowly bed
Enthroned God’s living breath

I was not there, I have no proof
Of scientific facts to give,
But I believe with all my mind
He died that dying worlds should live

Today this beauty drips with blood
The tree of life is scorched and bare;
Why did you die, when now your pain
Seems valued as the vapid air

Mary Denyer (posted by Contemplative Network)

—————————–

Lord Jesus Christ
You are the breath of life to me,
You are the touch of love to me,
You are the words of truth to me,
In you alone I place me trust.

(c) Christine Sine

———————————-

Lord Jesus Christ,
May I die to the old ways of living,
And be born again.
May I take on a new way of being
And allow your life and love
To enliven all I am and do.
May I look and see
That this truly is abundant life.

(c) Christine Sine

————————————

Lord Jesus Christ,
May I die to the old ways of living,
And be born again.
May I take on a new way of being
And allow your life and love
To enliven all I am and do.
May I look and see
That this truly is abundant life.

(c) Christine Sine

————————————-

May we go into the world today knowing we are
God breathed, Son drenched, Spirit filled.
May we go into the day,
Breathing life,
Drenched with love,
Filled with joy.

(c) Christine Sine

———————————–

May our hearts
always be ready
to be troubled
by injustice.
May our hands
always be ready
to share the load
of a stranger.
May our feet
always be ready
if asked to go
that extra mile.
May our pride
always be ready
to be humbled
before we fall.
May our love
always be ready
to be shared out
with those in need.
May our lives
always be ready
to be a lamp
in this dark world.

(www.faithandworship.com)

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May morning be astir with the harvest of night;

Your mind quickening to the eros of a new question,

Your eyes seduced by some unintended glimpse

That cut right through the surface to a source.

John O’Dononhue

posted by The Contemplative Network

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May we fit together in the way God intends
United by the bonds of peace,
Equipped to do good works,
Built up in the body of Christ.
May we help each other grow,
into the standards Christ proclaims
So that the whole body is healthy and full of love.

(c) Christine Sine

 

Prayers for the Journey #2

This is the second posting of prayers from Light for the Journey. If you use one of these prayers please make sure that you acknowledge the appropriate source.

 

 

This world would have us believe
that true happiness comes from
possessions,
and those who find contentment
with the simple things of life
are wrong;
yet to such as these you came,
and such as these you sent,
to herald a kingdom
in which to lose all things
is to gain everything,
and where true happiness
comes from the possession
of this,
the knowledge of Jesus Christ
as Lord of our lives.

(www.faithandworship.com)

Lord of creation,
create in us a new rhythm of life
composed of hours that sustain rather than stress,
of days that deliver rather than destroy,
of time that tickles rather than tackles.
Lord of liberation,
by the rhythm of your truth, set us free
from the bondage and baggage that breaks u,
from the Pharaohs and fellows who fail us,
from the plans and pursuits that prey upon us.
Lord of resurrection,
may we be raised into the rhythm of your new life,
dead to deceitful calendars,
dead to fleeting friend requests,
dead to the empty peace of our accomplishments.
In the name of our Creator,
our Liberator
our Resurrection and Life,
we pray, Amen
(from Common Prayer – Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals)

 

Compline prayer of Thanksgiving from the Coptic Office, Agpeya.

Let us give thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, for He has covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us unto Him, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour. Let us also ask Him, the Lord our God, the Almighty, to guard us in all peace this holy day and all the days of our life.

O Master, Lord, God the Almighty, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, we thank You for every condition, concerning every condition, and in every condition, for You have covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us unto You, spared us, supported us, and brought us to this hour.

Therefore, we ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of mankind, to grant us to complete this holy day, and all the days of our life, in all peace with Your fear. All envy, all temptation, all the work of Satan, the counsel of wicked men, and the rising up of enemies, hidden and manifest, take them away from us, and from all Your people, and from this holy place that is Yours.

But those things which are good and profitable do provide for us; for it is You Who have given us the authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, by the grace, compassion and love of mankind, of Your Only-Begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, through Whom the glory, the honor, the dominion, and the adoration are due unto You, with Him, and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver, Who is of one essence with You, now and at all times, and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.

(posted by Contemplative network)

Your love does not fade
as we choose to walk
a different path,
or listen to voices
persuading us
to put faith aside
and pick up instead
a forbidden fruit.
Your love is constant
and accepting.
Your love is merciful
and forgiving.
Your love is grace-full
and inspiring.
Your love is…
Your love is…
all we are not
and everything you are,
our loving God and King.

(www.faithandworship.com)

You are Lord of each moment.
From our rising to our lying down
you are with us wherever we go,
our travelling companion
accompanying us along the road.

You are Lord of each moment.
In our thinking and conversation
your voice and wisdom are active
in that gentle whisper guiding
in the difficult moments of our lives.

(www.faithandworship.com)

Arise and embrace a new day!
O Master and holy God, who are beyond our understanding: at your word, light came forth out of darkness. In your mercy, you gave us rest through night-long sleep, and raised us up to glorify your goodness and to offer our supplication to You. Now, in your own tender love, accept us who adore You and give thanks to You with all our heart. Grant us all our requests, if they lead to salvation; give us the grace of manifesting that we are children of light and day, and heirs to your eternal reward. In the abundance of your mercies, O Lord, remember all your people; all those present who pray with us; all our brethren on land, at sea, or in the air, in every place of Your domain, who call upon your love for mankind. Upon all, pour down your great mercy, that we, saved in body and in soul, may persevere unfailingly; and that, in our confidence, we may extol your exalted and blessed Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, always, now and forever. Amen.

(Contemplative network)

 

 

 

Prayers for the Journey

I just realized that it is two weeks since I last posted prayers from Light for the Journey and thought it was time to remedy that. Because there have been so many posted I will break this into two posts. The second should go up on Friday.

O God, by the leading of a star
you manifested your only Son to the Peoples of the earth:
Lead us, who know you now by faith,
to your presence, where we may see your glory face to face;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen. (Contemplative network)

——————————————–

God pierce our hearts with your love,
Break them open into greater capacity,
Break them open ,
That we might hold more of the world’s suffering and joy,
That we might share more of the world’s despair and hope.
Lord break our hearts,
As we stand in the gap between what is and what could be,
Break our hearts open
To a largeness that holds the possibility of a better future for all the world’s people.

(Christine Sine)

———————————-

by faithandworship.com

Dear Jesus, as You led the Magi to You by the light of a star,

please draw us ever closer to You by the light of Faith.

Help us to desire You as ardently as they did.

Give us the grace to overcome all the obstacles that keep us far from You.

May we, like them, have something to give You when we appear before You.

Amen.  (The Contemplative Network)

—————————————-

Another beautiful Celtic prayer
GOD WITH ME LYING DOWN
God with me lying down,
God with me rising up,
God with me in each ray of light,
Nor I a ray of joy without him,
Nor one ray without him.

Christ with me sleeping,
Christ with me waking,
Christ with me watching,
Every day and night,
Each day and night.

God with me protecting,
The Lord with me directing,
The Spirit with me strengthening,
Forever and forevermore,
Ever and evermore, Amen.
Chief of chiefs, Amen.

—————————————————

Yesterday evening, I (Micha Jazz) sat chatting with a dear friend facing challenging times, and they spoke of the encouragement of maintaining hope. I found this prayer for Hope which I offer to us all today, regardless of circumstance, aware that without hope we lose all sense of direction and purpose.

A Prayer for Hope

Heavenly father, I am your humble servant,
I come before you today in need of hope.
There are times when I fell helpless,
There are times when I feel weak.
I pray for hope.
I need hope for a better future.
I need hope for a better life.
I need hope for love and kindness.

Some say that the sky is at it’s
darkest just before the light.
I pray that this is true, for all seems dark.
I need your light, Lord, in every way.

I pray to be filled with your light from
head to toe. To bask in your glory.
To know that all is right in the world,
as you have planned, and as you want
it to be.

Help me to walk in your light, and live
my life in faith and glory.

In your name I pray, Amen.

Read more:

Prayers for Advent from Light For the Journey

Last week’s Light for the Journey prayers were refocused by the tragic happenings in Newtown CT as represented by this beautiful prayer by Bonnie Harr. However there were still some beautiful Advent prayers posted during the week.

God in this season ,
Suspended between hope and fulfillment,
Let we never forget what you have done.
May we be overwhelmed by your mercy,
Which flows in wave after wave.
May we be honest about the darkness within us,

And perceptive of the light around us.
May we make straight the path for the Lord,
That together we may see God’s glory revealed.
(Adapted by Christine Sine rom weekly Advent reflections by Mark Pierson)
http://adventinart.org/

———————————————————

 

May we never be afraid
to come to you in prayer,
bring those things
that trouble us
or cause us pain
and lay them at your feet.
May we never be afraid
to come to you in faith,
kneel and reach out
to touch your hem

or grasp your hand
knowing our needs are met.
May we never be afraid
to come to you as Lord,
acknowledge you
as Son of God
and in your strength
tell others of your Grace.

(www.faithandworship.com)

God in this season of waiting,
May we still our hearts,
slow our steps,
and take time to listen.
May we lay aside our distractions,
and open our eyes to see the path,
that leads to the place
where Christ is born afresh in our hearts.

(Christine Sine)

—————————————————–

God we awaited the unexpected,
The wonder of Christ’s birth,
The glory of your breaking in upon us,
From darkness to light,
From fear to hope,
From sorrow to joy,
We watch for the glimpses,
Your new world coming, breaking upon us now.

(Christine Sine)

This day is your gift,
freely offered,
accepted in gratitude,
proclaimed to the world.
This day is your gift,
Thank you, Lord.

(www.faithandworship.com)

In our moments of doubt
and unbelief,
when worldly pressure
or circumstance
become the distance
between us,
draw near, we pray.
Remind us of the grace
that we first knew,
your healing touch,

the Father’s love,
the Spirit’s breath.
Grant us courage,
a faith that endures
and the sure knowledge
that you are with us
in our journeying,
now and always.

(www.faithandworship.com)

To you O Lord we bring our lives,
troubled, broken or at ease,
a sacrificial offering
for you to use.
Take away our selfishness
and teach us to love as you loved.
Take away our sense of pride
and show us the meaning of humility.
Take away our blindness
and show us the world through your eyes.

Take away our greed
and teach us how to give as you gave.
Show us your ways
Teach us your paths
That we might walk with you more closely
Our hand in your hand
Our feet in your footsteps
From the baby in a stable
To eternity, Amen

(www.faithandworship.com)

Even When Our World is Broken by Bonnie Harr