Oh, God, you are
Life to my body,
Food to my hunger,
Drink to my thirst,
Thrill to my heart,
Thought to my mind,
Choice to my will,
Light to my eyes,
Strength to my hand,
Guide to my feet,
Home to my soul.
That Gentle Yoke
I come, O Lord, with heavy burden,
My labor leaves me tired;
Please give me rest, your gracious pardon,
That gentle yoke desired.
I take upon myself your load,
To carry it all the way;
To walk with you upon the road,
And hear the words you say. Continue reading “That Gentle Yoke”
We Ask
We ask why, we ask when,
We ask what might have been,
But seldom do we ask of you
What we must do. Continue reading “We Ask”
A Prayer for Parents
For parents, Father of us all, we pray,
That they might be like you, by grace display
The discipline of love, that true parental sign,
And train in Christ, with heavenly truth align. Continue reading “A Prayer for Parents”
Rejoice in God, His Hope, His Help
Hallelujah to the Lord!
How good it is to sing to our God!
How pleasant and lovely it is to praise!
Exalt the Lord, Jerusalem,
His people raise their voice in song,
Remember all his works of love,
Acknowledge every act of grace.
Let hosts on high, and stars that shine,
Both sun and moon, and kings of men,
Let young and old, and creatures wild,
Rejoice in God, his hope, his help. Continue reading “Rejoice in God, His Hope, His Help”
Prayer for devotional writers
Lord God who has given us your inspired Scripture, bless those writers among us who produce regular devotionals, so that they may be:
- Biblical. Let Scripture truly come to light as we read. Keep them from using verses or phrases out of context in order to make their own personal points.
- Pertinent. Let their words be relevant. Help them to reach people where they are, to deal with situations and questions they face.
- Meaty. It’s hard to be concise without being superficial. Help them to share truths that are significant and sustaining.
Thank you for the service they provide in developing our spirituality, in urging us to greater communion with you, and in leading us to serve and love others.
Heap Your Hottest Coals
By J. Randal Matheny © 2016
Oh, God above, look down upon us,
Have mercy on our suffering souls;
We seek your presence, come redeem us,
With kindness heap your hottest coals.
Our God of mercy, work your wonders,
Melt our dross and sin away,
Mold us, Lord of light and thunders,
Your rod of pain to shape this clay.
Great God who stirs the ocean’s depths,
Whose holiness corrects each wrong,
Who shares with all your thousand strengths —
For lifelong battle make us strong.
The prayer of When
When silence prevails, let your Word speak gently in my heart.
When noise dominates, let your quietness rule within me.
When we find ourselves in the presence of foolishness, let your wisdom penetrate the moment.
When wisdom overcomes, let gratitude for the knowledge of you permeate and let the power of your Spirit guide us. Continue reading “The prayer of When”
For These We Pray
For the ill who fight for breath,
For the dying who fear their death,
For the lost who seek the path,
For victims of violent wrath —
For these we pray, O God. Continue reading “For These We Pray”
Setting aside personal feelings
Heavenly Father, you are to be praised for your goodness and glory. No one is like you in majesty and power.
And none is like you, in your willingness to give up the evidence of that glory in order to become a man and take upon yourself the penalty for sin.
In Jesus we see your love. In him we know the lengths to which you are willing to go in order to restore our relationship with you. Continue reading “Setting aside personal feelings”