August 19 Prayer
“Eternal and Immortal One, You have been our home and shelter. Before the mountains were brought forth, Before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from everlasting , you are God.” Ps.90 ‘I myself will search and seek out my sheep. I will find my sheep and rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on that dark and cloudy day. I will bring them back home.’Ez.34 As we enter prayer now, be still and know that God is your true home. Imagine this safe place and shelter he has provided for you. ‘O God, who have prepared for those who love you, good things which no eye can see, Fill our hearts, We pray, with the warmth of your love, So that, loving you in all things and above all things we may receive your promises, which surpass every human desire. Set our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ Who is our good Shepherd that sees our needs and cafes for us. May we be conformed to your image on earth, to bring your kingdom here. Show us the oppressed and neglected ones that you are seeking out. May we reflect your light and care for those that have been forgotten and overlooked. Let your Word be known to the nations, your Glory to our children’s children. Let your grace and gentleness of the Holy Spirit be upon us to bring those that are scattered to your home. For you are our God, the everlasting One, the beginning and the end. We find our true home in you. Let us dwell in your heart this day, as our loving, companion presence, forever. We pray. Amen August 18 Prayer
Matt. 19:22-30 What does it look like to love like Jesus ? To bow down and love another and to really lay down my own agenda. ‘For humans it is impossible but for God all things are possible….the first will be last and the last will be first.’ When we give ourselves away, we will then grow in ways that are rooted in God's love. The disciples gave up everything to follow Jesus and Peter boldly asked, ‘We left everything to follow you. What do we get out of it?” It is in our human nature that always wants to know what we are going to get out of what we give? If we give up this then what will we get back? What are we going to get out of it? It’s a measured and calculated love. Not so with God. He gives his all for us, his love is benevolent. So I ask, what is it in my heart that keeps me from loving sacrificially this way. Is it the need for approval, acceptance, security, fairness or control?..... So I bow here to pray, giving my heart back to him knowing that’s where I belong. This is where I find value and become a more fulfilled human being. Here’s my heart, Lord Take what is yours. I trust you once again with all of my needs. Laying down what I think I need, Not trying to gain anything from what I give. This is hard for me to do. It is impossible. Thank you that this is your work of grace in me. You will accomplish the change in my heart to be able to love like you. I lay down my own agendas. I lift up those that are hurting and in need of recognition. Let me see those that are vulnerable through your eyes and speak what is true to them. How you see me is how you see others through the gaze of your love and mercy. I rest under your broken and bruised feet. ‘Here’s my heart, Lord Here’s my life, Lord ‘ I lay down everything before you…. ‘For you are strong, you are sure, You are life, you endure You are good, always true You are light breaking through. You are more than enough You are here, you are love, You are hope, you are grace, You’re all I have, you’re everything . You’re all I need. Here’s my heart , Lord Speak what is true.’ Song lyrics -Jason Ingram May the grace of God, the love of Christ and the communion of the Holy Spirit be in the center of all we do this day. Amen August 17 Prayer
Surrender Give up all that owns you to find life eternal . Matt.19:16-22, Ps.19:8-11 Rest in knowing you belong to God and there is no good deed that can do to earn more of his love and favor. You belong to the beloved and He belongs to you. The young man asks Jesus, ‘what good can I do and what do I lack to gain eternal life?’ We all want to do good, something that will be noticeable in the kingdom of God. The only way to receive life eternal, the life we really desire spiritually is to surrender all. ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God’ So I ask, what do I own, that really owns me? What do I lack inside that only my God can fill with his life giving waters to revive my soul? I give up these things to him now. Recognizing his grace is poured out for me. Praying Lord, you alone are good. Your ways are perfect They revive my soul. Your pathway of truth keeps us strong. Your laws are right and pure, They enlighten our eyes to see the lasting way. May we simply cling unto you and Surrender all that possess us, so that only belonging to you is what we desire. Let your love be ever true, clear, right, wise and simple lasting forever. May your truth set us free to be your light today. May we choose to follow you in the hard places. Prompt us to ask the right questions that will open up the hearts of others to your life eternal. We surrender all and give up our lives for your kingdom's cause. In the name of the Father, who is for us, Jesus with us and the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. Amen August 15 Prayer Lk.1:45-55, Ps.138
‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.’ Mary is noted as singing a song of praise after hearing that she will be the bearer of God's promise from age to age and birth his life into the world. How can this be? She asks. We begin again in prayer with our eyes set on the promises of God. We may not always know the ‘how’, but can we believe in the ‘this can be’? Every promise God speaks to a collective people is a promise for each individual. He sees us as one people, one body, his children a part of his family, the divine trinity. We are the ones to bring his new life into the world. How can this be? Can we praise him now for what can be fulfilled in and through us? Amazing, wonderful magnificent God, we bow down before you in awe of your greatness, your mercy and loving kindness to us today. We do not know how you can bring glory through us lowly humans yet you choose to do so. We believe that every promise you have made you will keep since your love is constant and endless. I ask you Lord, to finish every good thing that you have begun in me! Strengthen the depth within all of our souls breathing fresh courage within us today. May we collectively proclaim your mercy and believe in the strength of your promises in our generation and to all generations. Bring new life and hope through us this very hour. In the beautiful name and power of Jesus, We pray , Amen August 14 Prayer
‘Surely God is my salvation! I will trust and will not be afraid for the lord is my strength and my song; he has given me the victory’ When reading this verse ,‘In God there is no darkness at all, for he is light.1John1:5 I hear this question, Are you afraid of the dark? Where is darkness, in the world it is not hard to find. But is there any darkness in me and what am I afraid of? Come into the loving presence of God who is the light of life and let his light fill every part of you. Jesus, our brother, friend and savior came to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, he will guide us to the path of peace.’Luke1:79 He tells us, I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who puts their trust in me will no longer remain in darkness.’ John12:49 So let’s do that right now, put all our trust in him and pray. ‘ Lord, we breathe in the light of life and let your light rise upon us like the morning sun. Everything that we are afraid of, the future, our families, our jobs we give to you now and receive the grace to believe and trust in your saving power. We thank you that we can sing and praise you when we are afraid and know that Father God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit work together to bring light where there is darkness. We thank you that the final enemy to be destroyed is death, so we need not ever fear death. John.8:12 Let your light be so bright to guide our feet into the way of life and peace. Praise be to God our strength and our salvation. amen August 13 Prayer
‘Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy’ We come today in need to receive from your hand Oh lord the mercy, we do not deserve but that you freely give. Matt.18:23-35 Jesus tells us another story about how we should treat our fellow human beings. He seems to be quite concerned about this matter of forgiveness. Since he shows us how to pray daily to ask for forgiveness according to how we forgive others. Ponder this for a moment. Your own indebtedness and need for forgiveness. Where do you struggle to be patient with someone that just rubs you the wrong way or has done you great harm? Do you need patience in this struggle? ‘The lord is gracious and compassionate , full of mercy and rich in love. The Lord is good to everyone Ps.145:8-9 We come now into the presence of this loving, gracious and compassionate God and ask for his mercy. Lord have mercy on us today, we pray. Show us your way of kindness toward all. Give us the patience for others as you have shown to us. Thank you for your patience and compassion that you have given us when we have thought wrongly of another, spoken harshly of another and have done wrong to others. You see us all through the debt your son has paid for us. May we have eyes to see how much we owe one another. We are all in need of your mercy. God in your patience, hear our prayers. Heal divisions among your people that are called by your name. May we carry your name into the world so others may see your mercy through us by the way we are patient and kind toward each other. Let us always see our own need for mercy so we may show mercy. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy . All praise and glory be to you, our glorious Father, Jesus our friend and Holy Spirit our guide. Amen August 12 Prayer
‘Go to your friend and make amends, listen to each other with open hearts and receive correction when you have hurt the other. Then you will clear up any misunderstandings and hear the real story and your relationship will be restored.’ Matt18 (My paraphrase) It’s so easy to misunderstand a friend and then make up stories in our heads about what we think we heard or what we think was done to hurt us. It is easy to be quick to judge another’s motives. It is much harder to go to the person to speak out humbly our perspectives and try to make amends. When two agree with one another, Jesus promises to be there among them. That’s where the power of prayer is accomplished. When we commune together, listen and reconcile, there Jesus comes, he hears our prayers and they are loosed on earth. Pause here to listen to the holy spirit as to where you may need to be reconciled with another. What hurt or misunderstanding is keeping you bound? Will you let it go, and seek God’s direction? ‘ Jesus, we desire your presence here with us. We confess that so many times we hear things incorrectly and quickly make assumptions. Lord, help us we pray to be curious without judgment when we feel hurt. May we know who we are loved by who you are so we can love one another. Lord we want to bring your heaven here on earth. Fill us again with the power of your presence to be the church you created. Let it start with me that I may go to my brother and to my sister and humbly ask a question that will open up their hearts to listen. Make my heart to listen too. May we be tighter together as one to ask in prayer for your unity and justice here. May we know the love that will lose the bonds and set all free and see you, Jesus, in us. Let us live in your love again today. Thank you, O Beautiful One! Amen August 11 Prayer
“ I love the Lord, He hears my cry, He bends down to listen to me When I call” Ps.114 “Unless you change and become like little children , you cannot enter the kingdom of God”Jesus, Matt.18 Change, turn around, come back home to being children. Open, vulnerable,carefree,trusting, unashamed, sorry, forgivable,silly, lovable, and laughable. These are just a few characteristics of children. What keeps me from being childlike and what must I change to become again as these? Hold the image of children freely in your mind as you come to your loving Papa, a part of the trinity family. As a child you have questions, fears and worries, see the Father bending down to look into your little eyes and listen to your cry. ‘ Forgive us dear Papa for the ways we have strayed from your love. For being full of pride and willfulness to go our own ways, acting like grown ups trying to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. We admit that we cannot fix the mess we are in. The world's troubles have become our own and it is overwhelming to us. So we change the way we think and yield to your care and concern handing over to you our heavy burdens. We trust in you, we believe that you will work goodness through these trials by changing our hearts. Thank you that you are bigger than these problems and you will answer the cries of all of your children. You will bring justice and reconciliation, for you alone are the mediator. Bring your peace through us, your children as we lean into the grace for today. Help us to take your right hand to lead us on the right path. We are willing to follow your lead down the delightful path of skipping and laughing with the fullness of life. For this brings you glory and the world may see the kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy. We enter into the love you have for us in the trinity family. Glory be to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We find our joy in Three, let your Oneness be in we. Amen August 10 Prayer
It is the spirit of love that gives life. It is in this spirit that Jesus tells us we must die like a grain of wheat falling into the earth before we can have a life of fullness. John 12:24-26 The outer shell of a grain breaks away to bring forth the real seed within that will bring forth a new life from the earth. Let us fall into God who is the very ground of our being and allow his word of love be birthed in us anew. I ask, What condition is the soil of my soul today? In the rain of prayer I find presence and the fullness of life begins to grow. Breathe in his life to pray, ‘Show me Lord and teach me the path of life where your face is shining upon mine. Where my feet know where to go and how to serve you this day. Reveal to me in your brightness my own darkness that must break away. I see my own preoccupations are not always in serving your heart. You have shown me the right way, the way to walk humbly, and to act justly and to love mercy. I confess that this is not in the forefront of my mind. Forgive me Lord, for my own need for protection and projection of what I think is right. May that part of me, the outer shell break away so your light and path of life may break forth. Let me see the poor and vulnerable before me that I usually ignore. Turn my heart to action with the same kindness and compassion that you have shown me. Thanks be to God for your mercy is new this morning. “You have shown me the way of life, the right path, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence. Ps. 16:11 , Micah 6:8 Together with one voice your people cry out for your mercy, justice and humility. Lead us on O’Spirit of Love! Amen August 8 Prayer
‘Prayer is to our soul What rain is to the soil. Fertilize the soil ever so richly, It will remain barren unless fed by frequent rains’ St. John Vianney I dreamt of rain last night and the garden was flourishing. We can have all the knowledge and truths in our heads but without the rain of God's presence upon us we will not flourish and grow. Let us remember this week's prayers and quiet our souls. Let the rain of his spirit fill the cracks and hard places in the ground of our being. Where do you see the hardness of your soul in need of softening? See the gentle rain come to saturate those cracks and loosen the soil so the seeds may germinate and burst forth. Pause here to pray … ‘We are so in need of your spirit to touch us today So we humbly come in prayer. Rain down on us with your encouragement and rest. Here we stay for a while For our rest is in you alone. Would you water the soil of our souls today as we seek you in prayer. We remember your voice upon the waters of the storm telling us To take courage and not hide in our fears. We see your strong hands of love Holding us in the center of your truth. Help us to make room for you to clean out our minds of the things that cause offense, and change the way we think about others . We pray for your glory to shine through us Your church . We ask for you to send the rain of your presence upon our land as we pray daily. To heal and restore and soften the cracked, hard places and cause your seeds to grow. Let your grace that we most need today be poured out into our souls so we in turn may give this grace to others . Let all of us be complete in all of you so the world may know this rain is the love of God. It is an invitation to life forevermore. It is the answer we are all longing for if we only can sit in the sheer silence to hear the questions that are deep inside . We find you here. We receive your rain and say thank you! We love your presence Rain down on us! Amen |