Prayers
Write thy blessed name, O Lord, upon my heart, there to remain so indelibly engraven, that no prosperity, no adversity shall ever move me from thy love. Be thou to me a strong tower of defense, a comforter in tribulation, a deliverer in distress, a very present help in trouble, and a guide to heaven through the many temptations and dangers of this life. Amen.
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Thomas a Kempis
God,
In all our undertakings, grant us prosperity and good
success.
In all our friendships, grant us to find our friends
faithful and true.
In all bodily things, make us fit and healthy; able for
the work of the day.
In all the things of the mind, make us calm and serene,
free from anxiety and worry.
In material things, save us from poverty and from want.
In spiritual things, save us from doubt and distrust.
Grant us: In our work, satisfaction. In our study, true
wisdom. In our pleasure, gladness. In our love, loyalty.
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Prayers for the Christian Year by William Barclay
Father God,
Why is it that I think I must get somewhere, assume some position, be gathered together, or separated apart in the quiet of my study to pray?
Why is it that I feel that I have to go somewhere or do some particular act to find you, reach you, and talk with you?
Your presence is here;
In the city -- on the busy buss, in the factory, in the cockpit of the airplane; in the hospital -- in the patient's rooms, in the intensive care unit, in the waiting room; in the home -- at dinner, in the bedroom, in the family room, at my workbench; in the car -- in the parking lot, at the stoplight.
Lord, reveal your presence to me everywhere, and help me become aware of your presence each moment of the day.
May your presence fill the nonanswers, empty glances, and lonely times of my life. Amen.
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From A Thirty-Day Experiment in Prayer by Robert Wood
O God, you are our refuge.
When we are exhausted by life's efforts;
When we are bewildered by life's problems;
When we are wounded by life's sorrows:
We come for refuge in you.
O God, you are our strength.
When our tasks are beyond our powers;
When our temptations are too strong for us;
When duty calls for more than we have to give to it:
We come for strength to you.
O God, it is from you that all goodness comes.
It is from you that our ideals come;
It is from you that there comes to us the spur of high
desire and the restraint of conscience.
It is from you that there has come the strength to
resist any temptation, and to do any good thing.
And now as we pray to you,
Help us to believe in your love, so that we may be
certain that you will hear our prayer;
Help us to believe in your power, so that we may be
certain that you are able to do for us above all that we
ask or think;
Help us to believe in your wisdom, so that we may be
certain that you will answer, not as our ignorance asks,
but as your perfect wisdom knows best.
All this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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From Prayers for the Christian Year by William Barclay