Prayers

Prayer One
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My Father, Your compassion goes far beyond my ability to express. I am unable to express the feeling of gratitude I feel in my heart;

When I remember that You hold me in Your arms when I feel most vulnerable, and I find new courage to continue;

Whenever I look around at all the dark, depressing scenes that bombard my eyes and batter my mind, You teach me to look up and see the sun by day, and the stars by night;

Whenever I feel hemmed in with nothing in this life but work all the time and the unceasing demands to produce more and, more, make me sensible enough to lift up my eyes unto the hills and embrace the help of a wider, deeper view.

I am sometimes depressed by the thought that I have accomplished very little for You in this life. I have left undone many of the things I should have done, and have done those things that pleased me. At that very moment of my depression, You open the door to new opportunities for me and say: “Arise and let us go hence!” Father, Your mercy and Your compassion join hands with each other and leave me speechless. My heartfelt thanks are all I have to offer and a heart ready to do Your bidding, Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Two
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Our Father, Your gracious mercy outshines the stars of space. Grant us now we ask You, a blessing upon our hearts that will enable us to reflect Your mercy, for a broken and deeply troubled world.
Where we have wittingly or unwittingly inflicted upon Your world wounds of pain and sorrow: Your mercy, Lord, we implore. If we never learned – not even from our first parents, Adam and Eve – the fallacy of reaching after those things seen by the physical eyes, and if we never notice that behind every gift there is a Giver: Your mercy we implore.
Where we have made little or no effort to restore Paradise to this world, where people living in peace are encouraged to walk with their God in the cool of the Garden: Your mercy, Lord we implore.
When we leave a person exactly the way we first encounter them, never once using the God-given vision to show them what, by His grace, they might yet become: Your mercy, Lord, we implore.
The world is waiting for a more compassionate people, but like Zacchaeus, we first must experience for ourselves the mercy of Christ. When this happens, then the whole world will glow, and many of the tarnishing agents will disappear. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen

Prayer Three
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O Lord, calm the waves of this heart,
Calm its tempest, so that You may find a quiet Place inside me to repose. Push aside the millions of worries and cares, the chaos and the sorrows, that find their way into that space within I promised to reserve for You.  Please, help me to close the windows so as to shut out the distracting noises coming from outside. Lord, that is at least part of my problem. I hear music and dancing in the streets, and I keep thinking perhaps noise will make it easier for me to be alone with You. Like the prodigal son, I am not sure what Love will sound like, coming from You in the silence; just You and me, me and You! And yet, Lord, right at this moment, more than anything else, I want the peace that You alone give. Come and find repose within me, and slowly I will learn that You are with me always, and the music and the dancing will be an integral part of Our celebration of Life together.  Strengthen me to know that you keep me as firm as the Rock to which I cling. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Four

Our Father, You are the Creator and the Sustainer of all that lives. We praise You that You have not yet finished our creation as human beings. We continue to remain in Your workshop throughout the seasons of our lives. Our times are in Your hands. We are always Your most recent response to the world’s brokenness ; Where there is hatred let us bring love; where there is bitterness let us bring reason; where there is discord, let us bring harmony and peace. Enable us to learn how to be faithful in using the gifts You give for each particular season as it comes. For the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory yet to be is Yours always Yours. We pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.