Daily Prayer #8

Prayer of the Bible
We Bless You God
For you have not rejected our prayers
We Bless You God
For You have not removed your steadfast love from us!
-Psalm 66:20

(Free expression of blessing and thanking God)













The Words of Jesus
Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life
That you have given as a gift through me,
So that they can be one heart and mind
As we are one heart and mind.
-John 17:11

(meditate on the words of Jesus)


Common Prayer

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God

The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class,
Father forgive.

The covetous desires of people and nations to possess what is not their own,
Father forgive

The greed which exploits the work of human hands and lays waste the earth,
Father forgive

Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others,
Father forgive

Our indifference to the plight of the imprisoned, the homeless, the refugee
Father forgive

The lust which dishonors the bodies of men, women, and children,
Father forgive

The pride which leads to trust in ourselves and not in God,
Father forgive

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
-The Coventry Litany of Reconciliation


Prayer for Ourselves and Others
That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything.
- Mark 11:24






(Pray
for ourselves
and others)




Closing Prayer
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
—Hebrews 12:1-2

Daily Prayer # 7

Prayer of the Bible
The word of the LORD came to me, saying,
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
"Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said,
"I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."
But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD.

(Free Expressions of Blessing and Praise to the Lord)


The Words of Jesus
Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
John 8:14, 14:1-5





(Meditate on the Words of Jesus)






Father, we too, like your Son can say with confidence we know where we came from and where we are going. You put us together in our mother’s womb, you know our ins and outs. You set us apart to be Yours, you have sent us into the world to be agents of change. Our journey began in You, is sustained in You, and has no end in You. Since this is true, let us take off all that keeps us from sacrificially serving others-Amen

Prayer for Ourselves and Others
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Romans 12:12

(Free prayer of request and intercession)

Closing Prayer
Father, I abandon myself into Your hands.
Do with me what You will.
Whatever You do, I will thank You.
I am ready for all. I accept all.
Let only Your will be done in me,
as in all Your creatures,
And I’ll ask nothing else, my Lord.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
I give it to You with all the love of my heart,
For I love You, Lord,
And so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into Your hands
Because You are my Father.
-Charles De Foucauld, 1855-1916

Daily Prayer #6

Prayer of the Bible
Generous in love—God, give grace!
Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I've been;
my sins are staring me down.

You're the One I've violated, and you've seen
it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you;
whatever you decide about me is fair.
I've been out of step with you for a long time,
in the wrong since before I was born.
What you're after is truth from the inside out.
Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean,
scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life.
Don't look too close for blemishes,
give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
-Psalm 51





(Jesus Son of God
touch me; and say the word
and I will be clean and whole)






Words of Jesus
Jesus stood up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Hasn't anyone found you guilty?"
"No one, sir," she said. "Then I don't find you guilty either," Jesus said. "Go now and leave your life of sin."


(meditate on
the words of Jesus)




Pray for ourselves and others
Pray to God the Father, through the power of our Master Jesus, through the love of the Spirit—Romans 15:30 The MSG


(Bring the needs of ourselves and other before God)

Closing Prayer
Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in Jesus!
Glory to God down all the generations!
Glory to God forever and ever! Amen!—Ephesians 3:21

Daily Prayer #5

Prayer of the Bible

Praise be to you, O LORD,
God of our father Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power
and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,
for everything in heaven and earth is yours.
Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom;
you are exalted as head over all.
Wealth and honor come from you;
you are the ruler of all things.
In your hands are strength and power
to exalt and give strength to all.
Now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
- I Chronicles 29: 10-13--David's Prayer




(Praise and
thanksgiving
to our God)



Words of Jesus
Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.”


(Reflect and meditate on what Jesus is saying)


Prayers of the Saints
I am no longer my own, but Yours.
Do to me as you desire, place me among those you see fit
Put me to service and put me to suffering
Let me be commissioned by You or laid aside for You
Let me be exalted for You, or brought down for You;
Let me be full, let me be empty
Let me have all things, let me have nothing;
I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Thou are mine, and I am Yours
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
Let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen
-The Methodist Covenant Prayer



Prayer for Ourselves and Others
In all my prayers for others, I always pray with Joy
Philippians 1:4


(Free prayer of request and intercession)


Closing Prayer
Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.
-Hebrews 12:1-2

Daily Prayer #4

Prayer of the Bible
Lord what is the kind of fast do You desire from us?

To break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, and cancel debts.

Lord what are You interested in seeing us do?

To share our food with the hungry, invite the homeless poor into our homes, and put clothes on the shivering poorly dressed and naked, and to be available to our own families. Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The God of glory will secure your passage. Then when you pray, God will answer. You'll call out for help and He will say, 'Here I am.
- Adapted from Isaiah 58:6-9



(Be still before God)





The Words of Jesus
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Mat. 5:15,16)


(Think deeply on the words of Jesus)


Prayer for Ourselves and Others
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—I Timothy 2:1





(Free prayer of request and intercession)





Common Prayer
Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our fellow man throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them, through our hands this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love give peace and joy. Lord make me a channel of thy peace, that where there is hatred I may bring love; that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; that where there is discord, I may bring harmony; that where there is error, I may bring truth, where there is doubt-faith, where there is despair-hope; where there are shadows-light; where there is sadness-joy. Lord grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted; to understand than to be understood, to love than be loved, for it is by forgetting self that one finds it; by dying that one awakens to eternal life—Amen
-Mother Theresa and St Francis of Assisi

The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.—Acts 10:5

Daily Prayer #3

Prayer of the Bible

Show me, O LORD, my life's end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.
You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man's life is but a breath.
Selah

Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro:
He bustles about, but only in vain;
he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.
But now, Lord, what do I look for?
My hope is in you.
Save me from all my transgressions;
-Psalm 39:4-8






(free expression
of Praising
and Thanking God)




The Words of Jesus

Blessed are the poor in spirit; For theirs is the kingdom of heaven;
Blessed are those who mourn; For they will be comforted;
Blessed are the meek; For they will inherit the earth;
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness;
For they will be filled;
Blessed are the merciful; For they will be shown mercy;
Blessed are the pure in heart; For they will see God;
Blessed are the peacemakers; For they will be called sons of God
Blessed are the persecuted because of righteousness; For theirs is the kingdom of heaven;
Rejoice and be glad for great is your reward in heaven.
-The Beatitudes (Mat. 5: 3-11)

(Meditate on the words of Jesus)


Prayer for Ourselves and Others
I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—I Timothy 2:1



(Free prayer of request and intercession)




Closing Prayer
I Have Only Today
My life is an instant,
An hour which passes by;
My life is a moment
Which I have no power to stay.
You know, O my God,
That to love You here on earth -
I have only today.
-St. Therese of Lisieux

Daily Prayer #2

Hear my cry, O God;
Listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to You,
I call as my heart grows faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
A strong tower against the foe
-Psalm 6:1-3










(Prayers of Praise and Thanksgiving)


Common Prayer
O Heavenly Father, dear God, I am a poor and unworthy sinner. I do not deserve to raise my eyes or hands toward You or to pray. But because You have commanded us all to pray and have promised to hear us and through Your dear Son Jesus Christ have taught us both how and what to pray, I come to thee in obedience to Your word, trusting in your gracious promise.
-Martin Luther


The Words of Jesus
The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven; reveal who you are.
Set the world right; do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty!

In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God's part. –Matthew 5:7-15 MSG

(Meditate on the Words of Jesus)

Prayer for Ourselves and Others
During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.
-Hebrews 5:7






(Prayers for ourselves and others)






Closing Prayer
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Amen.

Daily Prayer # 1

Common Prayer
Lord Jesus, come yourself, and dwell with us, be human as we are, and overcome what overwhelms us. Come into the midst of my evil, come close to my unfaithfulness. Share my sin, which I hate and which I cannot leave. Be my brother, Thou Holy God. Be my brother in the kingdom of evil and suffering and death. Come with me in my death, come with me in my suffering, come with me as I struggle with evil. And make me holy and pure, despite my sin and death.













Search me thoroughly, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23,24


(Time of silence, allowing God to search us)


Prayer of the Bible
You are clothed with honor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent, you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind, you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!













(Spontaneous prayers of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord)


The Words of Jesus
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.

Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.


(Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus)



Prayer for Ourselves and Others
Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests me made known to God.-Philippians. 4:6

In keeping with these words of Paul, let us offer prayers for the needs of ourselves and others.


(Free prayer of request and intercession)


Closing Prayer
To Him who loves us and freed us form our sins by His blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen
-Rev. 1:5-6