The night is gone, the day has dawned,
And God smiles on his chosen people;
Be the love of Christ our strength and bond:
When trials assail, let hearts be peaceful.
Praise belongs to you
Father in heaven, praise belongs to you for your justice, for bringing through Christ our justification, for carrying through with your saving purpose, for the promise of judgment in the last day, when the righteous will be seen as righteous and the wicked will be revealed for what they are. May I and mine and all whom I touch be found among the righteous, because of our confession of Christ.
Praise belongs to you for your faithfulness, for your word which never fails, for frustrating the plans of the nations and the evil purposes of the people, for your protection of those who fear you, those who have anchored their hope in your love, those who imitate the perseverance of your Son and our savior Jesus Christ. May I and mine and all whom I touch be found among those who reverence your Name and place their future in your hands.
Praise belongs to you for powerful help, for looking down from heaven upon us in your mercy, for your protection of your people who have no other source of strength but you, who have surrendered the politics and wars and human efforts at bringing about the divine kingdom, who have submitted themselves to your sovereign rule and benevolent reign. May I and mine and all whom I touch be found among those who belong to the kingdom, who have entered into Christ by obedience and faith, who dedicate their lives to the progress of the gospel.
Praise is yours, O God, and glory, and dominion. Yours, too, are wisdom, and power, and might, and splendor forever and ever. And ours is the joy and hope and love found only in Jesus Christ.
In this prayer you’ll find echoes of Psalm 33. If you can say amen to this prayer, please share it with others who might join us in that amen. Also, consider signing up to Believing Prayer, and receive the full text of the prayers by email.
Through the pains of suffering
Lord God and Father in Heaven, you know our hearts, our struggles, our joys, our desires. Transform us into the image of your Son. Create in us the soul designed for eternity. Give us wholeness, sincerity, integrity, and holiness in Christ. Make us men and women of faith. Carry us through our day with patience, longsuffering, wisdom, and love. Bring us through the pains of suffering with maturity and strength. Embolden us in your power.
Defend us in your glory
Be with us, O Lord, that you may defend us in your glory.
Be among us, that you may receive us.
Be around us, that you may preserve us.
Go before us, that you may lead us.
Be on our side, that you may intercede for us.
Be above us in all things, that you may bless us.
Summon us to your Kingdom
Where you live and reign forever.
—Alcuin, in D. Dale, A Mind Intent on God, 5
The prayer you taught us
Oh, Lord, the prayer you taught us to pray covers the bases. We direct our hearts and thoughts to you as he who dwells in heaven and is the source of all that is good. Your relationship to us as Father determines how we regard every other relationship. The deep reverence for your name awakens in us a corresponding respect for all you have done, for the life you place in others, and for the purpose you have given us here on earth.
That purpose is wrapped up in the kingdom, in your powerful and gracious rule over mankind. May more and more people acknowledge you. Help us to work so that others may confess you.
When they do, they, like we, will fulfill your will. What we want is not important. We have so little basis for judging what is good and right and beneficial. Our emotions get in the way. Our desires drive us far from the ultimate good. We confess our limitations. We want what you want, O Lord. Make your will predominate, just as angels and spiritual beings do your will without question or doubt in the heavenly realms.
It’s a hard world down here, while all seems to go smoothly up there. We work hard, money is tight, budgets get out of control. We worry about paying bills, at the same time that we spend on unnecessary items. How we waste our resources! In all that material confusion and weakness, Father, help us to depend upon you to provide for our needs. You always have. We’ve never gone hungry. We’ve always had clothes to wear. Give us control of our income. Provide us with work of dignity and sufficiency. Continue reading “The prayer you taught us”
Lord, I Would Be a Simple Soul
Lord, I would be a simple soul,
Make me see with a single eye.
I’d always speak an honest word,
Come fill me with the gospel truth.
I ask to be a saint of zeal,
Show me the living passion of Christ.
I seek to sanctify my heart,
Let me know your holiness.
I’d wield the Spirit’s powerful sword,
Give me wisdom in the Scriptures.
I want to please you in the Way,
Strengthen my feet to walk your path.
Lord, I would be a fisher of souls,
For I was taught and led to Christ.
Take, Lord, All My Liberty
Take, Lord, all my liberty,
Receive my failing memory,
My mind for thought, my heart for feeling,
And all I have and now am seeking.
You give, and I to you restore,
I cannot struggle any more;
Illusions led me far away —
Come keep the preying wolves at bay.
Your glory shines as brightly ever,
Your grace, a strong and moving river;
With tenderness, you waken souls,
No word of yours or promise fails.
Make rise, O Spirit, these prayers to heaven,
These wordless yearnings deeply driven;
Such wisps of thought and stirrings unformed
With the Kingdom’s reasonable tongue be framed.
A few lines at the beginning were inspired by a prayer by Ignatius of Loyola, published in the Oxford Book of Prayer, by George Appleton. Please join us in these prayers by signing up to receive them by email.
Good People, Mostly
Good people, mostly — as men count goodness —
Who see no need to change their lives,
Content to continue on with less,
Averse to change, to conversion to Christ,
With only a form of godliness.
Break through, O Lord, my neighbors’ shell,
For them to see their future is dim;
Save men and women and families from hell,
May light shine brightly to redeem,
To enter the Savior’s citadel.
May they reject their human good,
And measure by your holy name;
Let Scripture be their daily food,
The image of Christ, their principal aim,
To live in faith and gratitude.
At knowledge how shall they arrive?
What power will cause their wills to move?
How then shall truth become alive?
What tongue will tell, that they may prove?
O Lord, to their door drive me.
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Visions of heaven and peace in our country
Our Father in Heaven, let the words of Scripture leap from the page into the deepest recesses of my heart, with your power recreating life and rearranging priorities, purifying motivations and replacing worldly thoughts with visions of heaven and your divine love.
At the same time, we pray for peace in our country. May violence be contained. May the economy permit productive activity and lives of prosperity. May justice prevail within society. May corruption be rooted out. May local and national leaders rise who are honest and who sincerely work for the security and peace of its citizens.
Make us promoters of peace and proclaimers of eternal hope.
A Mix of Trial and Trust
Our lives are a mix of trial and trust,
You prove us, Lord, and prod us forward;
So teach us wisdom in tests of faith,
In our distress, be the God of truth.