Give us peace, O God, in life and death,
In work and rest, among the frenzied crowds;
Within us reign, our Lord, while we have breath,
While we await your coming in the clouds.
A nightly prayer of trust
The night for sleep, the pillow for rest,
Upon your Word my bed is blessed;
Tomorrow will have its burdens to bear,
I give them to you in fervent prayer.
Fatherhood from you
Our Father in Heaven, we know what fatherhood is from you. We see true love in the sending of your Son. We feel the closeness of your presence in your Spirit. We know and see and feel all this because of your Word.
We come near to worship you. We seek to please you by doing your will. We glorify your name by our words and actions. We fulfill your mission by proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Act in us and through us. Rule over us. May your strength uphold us.
Blessed Word of speaking
Father in Heaven, who is present everywhere,
Bless those who travel, and those who stay at home.
Knower of all things,
Give love to those with knowledge, and give understanding to those without it.
Power of the universe,
Make the powerful compassionate, make the weak to stand.
God ever good,
Fulfill the good intention, and purify the mixed motive.
Blessed Word of speaking,
Cause hearts full of you to speak, and fill the empty soul with Christ.
What I need today
Calm is what I need today, faithful Lord and God. Slow down my mind, speed my hands, bring peace and joy to me and to all those around me.
Let Jesus’ word dwell richly in me. May gratitude well up from the heart and spill over in kind words and loving actions.
Help me see my responsibilities to others, be it in the home, in the body of Christ, or in the world, as opportunities to serve.
Remind me always of the privilege I have to pray. Teach me to pray. I want to pray about those things that concern you most.
Use me to pass on the faith to others. Even though they might not remember my name, may they remember the Name of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Warm Our Hearts and Energize Our Limbs
Holy Father in heaven,
Warm our hearts and energize our limbs,
To serve our neighbor, move away from whims
And sudden fancies, to do your steady will—
Let not hands go weak, nor minds be dull.
Sovereign God of this world,
Bless people of righteousness, make justice thrive,
Let kingdom sons be born, again revive
Your church to turn away from vain pursuits,
To speak your Word, to return to scriptural roots.
Lord of heart and soul,
Ever turn our sight from selfish gain,
To see beyond ourselves—like Jesus, train
Attention upon humanity’s greatest need—
Eternal life—and follow the Spirit’s lead.
Leader of hosts and armies,
Power is yours, all glory, strength, and right,
As King of kings, as ruler in love and light,
The battle is yours, the fight will soon be done,
And we would sooner be found at arms in the Son.
Upset our routines
Our Father in Heaven, make happen among us what will edify the church, strengthen it in truth, and give it impetus for the gospel.
Shake loose our fears, upset our routines, open our eyes to the needs of our neighbors.
We thank you for food and drink, for homes and rest, for work and times of enjoyment.
Help us open our lives to the risk of the gospel, to the willingness of intimacy, to the communion of saints, to the entry of problematic people into our comfort.
Enrich our lives with the salvation of souls, the joy of your family, the hope of eternal communion with you.
The progress of faith
Matthew chapter 16 provides a scale of faith. Where are we along this scale?
- Unbelief, Mt 16.1-4.
- Little faith, Mt 16.5-12.
- Faith in the revelation of the Father, Mt 16.13-20.
- Faithfulness in following Jesus, Mt 16.21-28.
To be pleasing to God, we need to reach the last stage of faith.
Why Do I Hesitate?
To serve a neighbor, let self be forsaken,
Give eyes to see, to needs awaken;
You sent your Son, your love abounds,
Your grace descends, your care surrounds;
Why do I then so hesitate,
God, move me — help me not be late.
Show us the future of our hope
Lord, let my mind and soul rest in you, be refreshed in the Spirit, be renewed in the strength of Christ.
Father, reach for your children who are weak, who struggle with doubts, sin, or offenses, who lose sight of the way, who are overwhelmed by the power of the enemy, who feel alone in their faith.
God of spirits, make us holy and devout, infuse us with a sense of your presence, sweep away all resistance in our mind, show us the future of our hope.