It seems yesterday’s blog, A Prayer for Energy, was a timely one. Three people that I know of found it helpful and I got the best hug from a church friend.
What a hug, I can still feel it! Thank you, Christine, it was very energizing.
It is very rewarding when the written word touches a chord somewhere, and people voice their appreciation.
I truly appreciate that.
Thank you.
Dear Lord, I need more energy and strength.
I seem drained and tired.
I do not seem to possess what it takes to do all that I must do.
I know that the wrong kind of thoughts can make one tired.
Change my thoughts that they may be in harmony with your power. Amen.
Norman Vincent Peale
Just another Sunday prayer.
Ralph Waldo Trine (1866-1958) was known, among other things, as a New Thought author. Having said that, part of his education included Knox College. Of his many books, In Tune With the Infinite is the only one I have read and refer to often. It includes the prayer I am going to share today. This prayer has brought me much peace, courage and strength over the years. Take from it what you will.
My Father in Heaven, Infinite Spirit of life and love and wisdom and power, in whom I live and move and have my being, whence cometh my help, manifest Thyself in me. Help me to open myself to the highest wisdom, and insight, and love and power, that I may serve Thee and my fellow men and all my fellow creatures faithfully, and that I may have the divine guidance and care, and that all my needs be supplied.
Oh Christ within, enfold and lead me and reign supreme, that the one life that is my life, I may realize and manifest ever more fully. I am strong in the Infinite Spirit of life and love and wisdom and power. I have and shall have the divine guidance and care; for it is the Father that worketh in me–my Father works and I work. Amen.
Blessings.
This well known prayer written by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) is one of my favourites. It has been on my mind all day and I’m thinking someone may need it now.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.
Tomorrow I will post one of R.W. Trine’s prayers.
Upon occasion I have been asked to do “prayers of the people” at church. It is a good way for me to learn to pray outside my own box. Thank you for letting me share one of those prayers.
Good morning, Father God. We thank you for this beautiful morning and for letting us be a part of it. We thank you for all our blessings, for all our answered prayers, for forgiving all our sins and we thank you for loving us, sometimes in spite of ourselves. We thank you for being with all the people on our prayer lists, for those who are struggling with many difficulties, for those who are grieving, for those who are suffering illness, for those on the road to recovery and we pray for those who have yet to become aware of your presence in their lives.
We thank you for being with your people all over the world, Father, for those in war torn countries, for those courageously coping with natural disasters, and for those loved ones of ours who live in other lands. Please grant them your peace and protection.
Father, we thank you for this opportunity to worship you, to praise you, to appreciate you and to show our love for you by showing our love for one another. We thank you for our awareness of your Holy Spirit present with us this morning.
We thank you for being with each and every one of us as we go about our daily activities and pray that you will keep us safe from all harm and evil and help us to be the best we can be for you today and always.
Above all, Father, we thank you for Your Son, our Lord Jesus in whose name we pray and who taught us to pray The Lord’s Prayer. Amen.
The congregation then prays The Lord’s Prayer in unison. I’m sure many churches follow a similar procedure, and I find it very spiritual and comforting.
Dear Lord, thank you for the night’s rest you so graciously gave me.
I am grateful for renewed energy and enthusiasm.
I accept this new day as a wonderful opportunity.
May I use it minute by minute to do your will.
Guide me in every problem, every decision I shall make this day.
Help me to treat everyone kindly and to be fair and just and thoughtful in everything today.
And if I should forget you during this day, oh Lord, please do not forget me. Amen.
Norman Vincent Peale
I belong to a chain gang.
It’s called The Prayer Chain, and our headquarters is St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Scarborough. (The link to St. A’s can be found on my home page.)
Our gang consists of twenty-two members, each at the ready to man the phones when a prayer request comes through.
I like to think of us as The Prayer Warriors.
Our prayers are not restricted to church members, but are available to any and all in need of prayer.
I’m sure many churches around the world have prayer chains and for those who don’t, why not start your own chain gang? Membership is free and the chain is linked to heaven.
After attending two funerals this week and another today, I have just heard of one on the horizon. Whoa! So much grief in such a short span of time made me sit back and go through some devotional material to try to put it all into perspective and here is what was written in my spiritual journal in 2006; a quote from Our Daily Bread, brackets, mine.
If we are willing to submit to God, any loss in life will be seen as an opportunity to give back to him what is rightfully his and trust him to provide what is needed (comfort, peace, security, whatever is needed). If we commit ourselves to him daily and thank him for every blessing, our confidence in him will survive any test. Submission to God means taking our hands off what belongs to him.
And don’t we all belong to him? Now I will let go and let God pilot me through this sea of grief and pray that his peace and comfort will bless these grieving families.
There is something happening on our planet that needs world wide prayer to overcome.
We are told not to fight evil with evil but to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).
The Power of Prayer manifested in global consciousness will go a long way in combating the forces of evil filtering into all corners of our world.
Shall we as a world wide community join forces in calling upon that Power to destroy the evil that seeks to destroy us?m
To those who know that Power as God, should we pray?
To those who don’t, for the sake of humanity, would you? Or not?
Today’s the day I tie up all the loose ends of the long awaited book launch of My Precious Life.
I don’t know how many people to expect but I do know that a wonderful group of friends is going to feed the people who do come.
These friends are going to arrive early enough to set up tables, chairs, food platters, tea, coffee, and cold drinks.
How wonderful they are, and how blessed I am.
Some of my family members are also contributing and helping in other ways as well. Again, how blessed I am.
Thank you to those bloggers who have supported this effort with their “likes” and prayers.
And now I’m counting the hours….
My Precious Life 