Lord God, we thank you for life today.
Among us, edify your church.
May praise be true, and hearts sincere.
We bow before you in trembling fear.
May ours be no superficial search.
Amen, amen! In Christ we pray.
Never Make Light
Holy Father, may I never make light
of the faith given me by parents
and pious men and women in the church.
Help me to respect their commitment
to doing your will in every way,
in spite of — or because of — their faults.
Keep me from judgments, for I, too,
err and fail in many ways,
which my children and descendants will see.
May they judge me by my good intentions,
and my desire, like those before me,
to walk in the light, as Jesus did.
Remove from me the critical spirit,
the caustic jokes, demeaning humor —
In me breathe thanks for earnest faith.
My Prayers Are Full of Pleas
My prayers, O Lord, are full of pleas,
You told me to ask, so I do;
But let me more be full of praise,
While my complaints be few.
Let not my words be thoughtless or rote,
But true and most sincere;
Naught but your Reign may prayers promote,
And Jesus soon appear.
Before you, comes your humble child,
Desiring your gloried Name;
With thanks I’m fully reconciled:
To me my Jesus came.
Let breath be prayer and eyes be filled
With Calvary’s joy and call;
Let heart be whole and mind be thrilled
With pardon and peace for all.
This, I know, is grace
Thank you, Eternal Father, for each precious gift you give — life itself and all that is necessary to sustain it.
The most precious of all, of course, is that of eternal salvation. In comparison, this present life is less than a drop of water in all the oceans of earth.
And everything else besides eternal life is icing on the cake. If the present is sweet, what must heaven be like?
How is it that I was blessed with all this, when so many go wanting? How was I shown the path to freedom when billions are enslaved by sin?
This, I know, is grace, and I am humbled before you.
You deserve all praise and glory for your wisdom.
Help, thanks, ask
Father, help me today to be
- Joyful where I am,
- Useful in my circumstances,
- Content within my confines.
I give you thanks for Continue reading “Help, thanks, ask”
For quiet of heart
Father, thank you for quiet of heart, for resolve of mind, for strength of will, by your Holy Spirit.
Thank you for opportunity to share your word, to serve my neighbor, to edify your spiritual family.
Thank you for your constant stream of blessings, your expansive hope of life, your presence that expels the evil that would win against us.
Thank you that Jesus has paid our price, that the Spirit goes to bat for us, that you have steadfastly pursued our salvation at every step of history.
The virtue of acceptance
Our Father in Heaven,
- The universe sings your praise. The world declares your glory. The heavens sing about your splendor. Honor belongs to you.
- Be ever more present in our lives. May your holy Spirit inhabit us. We desire the Lord Jesus dwell within us.
- Protect us from the sin of anger, that we might not destroy relationships and prevent love from developing.
- Develop in us the virtue of acceptance, that we might embrace our situations, live contentedly in the circumstances in which we find ourselves, and learn from the sufferings and challenges that we face.
- We are thankful for sleep, which allows us to rest and be refreshed for the next day. We are grateful that you are in charge of this world and its affairs, so we can lay our heads on our pillows and at night and find comfort in your charge.
- We ask on behalf of the people of Aruba, that the gospel might reach every soul in such a way that they may respond to the message and be faithful in its practice.
- Bless the life and efforts of our missionary friends Mike and Brenda Brooks, as they serve in Nepal and Bangladesh, sharing the gospel and training servants in the Word.
- We ask for our children that they might know you, grow in grace, serve with their gifts, be mature in their faith, show faithfulness in their relationships and to the truth.
- Thank you for salvation in Christ. Thank you that the truth has come to us. We are grateful to share with you the mission of reaching always outward to the lost.
- Thank you for the Bible. May we give it due respect, as it truly is — a word from you and not the word of man.
What a privilege is prayer, O Father!
Thanks and praise
Father in heaven, thank you for grace that grows in me.
Praise to you for the family of faith.
Humble me that I might be like Jesus.
Let the Lord be our focus and organizing center.
Make my works serve your eternal purpose.
You are above all creation and deserve our worship.
God of all, we are grateful for peace and hope.
So many options and opportunities
Father, create a climate for your gospel to grow in this place. May government officials allow us to live in peace. Help us to be good citizens. Let our proclamation of Christ to each person have good results and contribute to a more just society. Bless us that we might be a blessing to others.
Father, there is so much to be thankful for, all from your good hand.
- Thank you for so many options and opportunities.
- Thank you for wisdom to use our time properly.
- Thank you for your Spirit who gives us self-control.
- Thank you for boldness in Christ to show the way through kind and true words.
- Thank you for like-minded brothers and sisters who live by your will and pray at all times.
- Thank you for a clear mind, a sound body, a tender soul, a seeking spirit.
- Thank you for making us participants in the grace of salvation and in the mission of Christ.
- Thank you for knowledge and wisdom to walk before you in love.
- Thank you for providing for needs and for making your provisions always available to us.
- Thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus the Lord who gave himself in our place, for our forgiveness.
Let my tongue be loosed today, so that it may speak of your goodness and love. Father, let the seed of truth bear fruit that remains to eternity.
Bridge of Life
To reach another soul, as mine
Was touched by grace, and draw
From darkness’ fear, across the line
To safety — a bridge of life — what awe!