Favorite Prayer

[Chaunte]

Kristi sent this to me and I think this so describes our journey!

Dear God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end. 
Nor do I really know myself...
And the fact that I think that I am following Your Will
Does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe this:
I believe that the desire to please You does, in fact, please You.
I hope I have that desire in everything I do.
I hope I never persist in anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this, You will lead me by the right road,
Though I may know nothing about it at the time.
Therefore I will trust You always,
For though I may be lost - and in the shadow of death - I will not be afraid,
Because I know You will never leave me to face my troubles all alone.

- Thomas Merton

[Kimberly]

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

(this part I didn't know below)
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

        --Reinhold Niebuhr

[Dorothy]

As a child, my mum used to tuck me in with this prayer.  Ive never forgotten it.

Angel of God, my Guardian Dear, to whom Gods love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light the guard and rule the guide.

[Janet_Girl]

A Personal Prayer.

God,

It's Your daughter again.

Thank You for another day as the woman You wanted me to be.

Thank You for.... inserting what ever happened that day good or bad.

I am looking forward to whatever You have planned for me tomorrow.

Please look after my other brothers and sisters, who are traveling a similar path.

And watch Over Sheri, please.  May she finally be happy.

Not as I will, but as You will.

Janet

[Dorothy]

Very pretty Janet Lynn

[Suzy]

Thanks, Chaunte, for starting this topic.  What a beautiful idea.

Here is one I have used for a lot of years.  I think it is my all-time favorite.

My Morning Prayer

"O God, for another day, for another morning, for another hour, for another minute, for another chance to live and serve Thee, I am truly grateful.
Do Thou this day free me
   from all fear of the future,
   from all anxiety about tomorrow,
   from all bitterness towards anyone,
   from all cowardice in the face of danger
   from all laziness in the face of work
   from all failure before opportunity,
   from all weakness when Thy power is at hand.
But fill me
   with Love that knows no barrier,
   with Sympathy that reaches to all,
   with Courage that cannot be shaken,
   with Faith strong enough for the darkness,
   with Strength sufficient for my tasks,
   with Loyalty to Thy Kingdom's goal,
   with Wisdom to meet life's complexities,
   with Power to lift me to Thee.
Be Thou with me for another day, and use me as Thou wilt.  For Christ's sake I pray.  Amen."

               -Wallace Friday

Kristi

[pennyjane]

other then the Lord's prayer i don't think i have a favorite one.  depends on the day.  i never fail, though, to thank God for Jesus, without whom i'd have no hope, no vision and no destiny.  i'm reminded of all Jesus means to us.  from the impossible to the guaranteed.  salvation on a silver platter.  i cannot fully comprehend all that it means that He took the sin of the world, past, present and future, on His Own Self, carried it to the cross and died the agonizing death of sin itself.  not just the death of the Mortal Man, but the death that comes with all that sin, more sin then i can even imagine.

i think of the pain and anguish i am caused when i am about to repent for one of my sins...to think that Jesus took all sin, all the sins i have committed in my life, to the cross, that He paid the price, He stood up to and killed my Sin.  and then exponentiate that infinately.  all the sins of all the people of all time.  that's what He took to the cross and that's what He overcame out of His unbelievable love for His creation.

i'm occasionally asked why i don't use uppercase in my writing.  i do this intentionally, as a reminder to myself of how much more is God then are we, His creation.  when i use uppercase only in reference to Him it is just another way i try to keep myself in touch and focused on Who He is.

i thank God with all that i am and will ever be for Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the hope of the world and a living destiny for us all.  all Praise to His Holy Name.

[Kate]

A bit morbid, but something I've seen on country gravestones on occasion:

Remember friends as you pass by,
As you are now so once was I.
As I am now you soon shall be.
Prepare yourself to follow me.

~Kate~

[pennyjane]

dear tasha.  i'm praying that you do wake up tomorrow.  and i'm asking God to give you the strength and the courage to face that day and to become better during it and to want to give more then you have.  in Jesus' name, this i pray.

[joannatsf]

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

(this part I didn't know below)
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

        --Reinhold Niebuhr

The Serenity Prayer is an important part of my life, even though I'm pagan.  When I encounter problems the first thing I do is recite it to myself and decide if I have the power to change the situation.  When I can't I can either let it go or change myself.  It involves a lot of humility but when I learned to do this my life became a whole lot easier.

[Sandy]

"dear god, please dont let me wake up tomorrow."

i dont think he listens though. 

I spent many a night praying for that very same thing.  She never granted that wish.  Instead she has given me new life.

Hang on, Tasha, your life will come to you too.

-Sandy

[pennyjane]

God,
thank You for making me
thank You for making me me
thank You for making me Yours
thank You for love
thank You for hope
thank You for grace
thank You for making tasha wake up.
yes, thank You for Jesus,
     the living personification of You,
in Whose Name i pray.  amen

goodnight all.

[tinkerbell]

I have two:

The Lord's Prayer In Latin
Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum.
Adveniat regnum tuum.
Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra.
Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis
debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen

***************************************************************

Prayer to our Lady
Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we turn to you, O Virgins of virgins, our Mother. To you we come, before you we stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, do not despise our petitions, but in your mercy hear us and answer us. Amen. 

tink

[AmberM]

   Prayer of St. Francis-
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
    Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
    Where there is injury, pardon.
    Where there is doubt, faith.
    Where there is despair, hope.
    Where there is darkness, light.
    Where there is sadness, joy.

    O Divine Master,
    grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
    to be understood, as to understand;
    to be loved, as to love.
    For it is in giving that we receive.
    It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
    and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
       Amen.

Collect of Purity
Almighty God, to You all hearts are open, all desires known, and from You no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love You, and worthily magnify Your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, we pray for all those in our world
who are suffering from injustice:
For those who are discriminated against
because of their race, color or religion;
For those imprisoned
for working for the relief of oppression;
For those who are hounded
for speaking the inconvenient truth;
For those tempted to violence
as a cry against overwhelming hardship;
For those deprived of reasonable health and education;
For those suffering from hunger and famine;
For those too weak to help themselves
and who have no one else to help them;
For the unemployed who cry out
for work but do not find it.
We pray for anyone of our acquaintance
who is personally affected by injustice.
Forgive us, Lord, if we unwittingly share in the conditions
or in a system that perpetuates injustice.
Show us how we can serve your children
and make your love practical by washing their feet.
-Mother Teresa

Dear God, I seek to know You, to love You, to rejoice in You. If I cannot do these perfectly, may I at least advance to higher degrees each day until I come more nearly to approach perfection. God of truth, may my knowledge of You increase; may my love of You grow every day more and more; may my joy in You become full.- Augustine

Father, Mother, God,
Thank you for your presence
during the hard and mean days.
For then we have you to lean upon.
Thank you for your presence
during the bright and sunny days,
for then we can share that which we have
with those who have less.
And thank you for your presence
during the Holy Days, for then we are able
to celebrate you and our families
and our friends.
For those who have no voice,
we ask you to speak.
For those who feel unworthy,
we ask you to pour your love out
in waterfalls of tenderness.
For those who live in pain,
we ask you to bathe them
in the river of your healing.
For those who are lonely, we ask
you to keep them company.
For those who are depressed,
we ask you to shower upon them
the light of hope.
Dear Creator, You, the borderless
sea of substance, we ask you to give to all the
world that which we need most—Peace.
-Maya Angelou