A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Almighty and most merciful Father,

		we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.

		We have followed too much the devices and desires

		of our own hearts.

		We have offended against thy holy laws.

		We have left undone those things

		which we ought to have done;

		and we have done those things

		which we ought not to have done;

		and there is no health in us.

		Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.
		Restore thou them that are penitent;
		according to thy promises declared unto mankind
		in Christ Jesus our Lord.
		And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
		that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
		to the glory of thy holy name.
		Amen. Taken from: [http://daily.commonworship.com/daily.cgi?today_mp=1&book=bcp]

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Merciful God,

we confess that we have sinned against you

in thought, word, and deed,

by what we have done,

and by what we have left undone.

We have not loved you

with our whole heart and mind and strength;

we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.

In your mercy forgive what we have been,

help us amend what we are,

and direct what we shall be,

so that we may delight in your will

and walk in your ways,

to the glory of your holy name

Amen.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, I so wish to prepare well for this time.
I so want to make all of me ready and attentive and available to you.
Please help me clarify and purify my intentions.
I have so many contradictory desires.
My activity seems to be so full of busyness and running after stuff that doesn't really seem to matter or last.
I know that if I give you my heart whatever I do will follow my new heart.
May all that I am today, all that I try to do today, may all my encounters, reflections, even the frustrations and failings all place my life in your hands.
Lord, my life is in your hands.
Please, let this day give you praise.

(Edward Hays)

LITTLE BOY'S PRAYER

This little boy speaks to Jesus in his nightly prayers...
In the darkness of the night the little boy slips out of bed,

Drops to his knees, shuts his big blue eyes, and bows his head.

Dear Jesus, please don't get mad for it's only me again, You know I love you and you always do what you can.

Each night I talk to you and ask the same things over and over. And I'm sure by now you know I have a new dog named Rover.

My mommy and little sister love Rover, I'm sure they do, And Jesus, "Why don't my Dad come home and love him, too?

He must not love us, Mommy, my sister and surely not me,

But I know if he saw Rover, he would love him too you see.

My friend, Jimmy across the street has a big dog,too.

Sometimes I look out my window and see things they do.

Jimmy and his dog have so much fun, 'specially with his Dad, I'm glad for him but sometimes it really makes me sad.

And Jesus, when my Dad went away it made my mommy cry. I love her so and to be the man of the house I really try,

But it is very hard and the nights are so long and dark,

And you must know how much it helps when I hear Rover bark.

Jesus, does my Dad live with you? Mommy says it is true,

And that he loves me, so would you tell him, "I love him, too.!"

Goodnight Jesus

Taken from: http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewpoetry.asp?AuthorID=3371&id=2340

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn

but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love:

So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples

may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of Peace,

as children of one Father;

to whom be dominion and glory,

now and for ever.

Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Selidikilah aku, ya Allah,

dan kenallah hatiku,

ujilah aku dan kenallah pikiran-pikiranku;

lihatlah, apakah jalanku serong,

dan tuntunlah aku di jalan yang kekal!

(Mazmur Daud)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Change my heart, o God

make it ever true.

Change my heart, o God

may I be like you

You are the potter,

I am the clay

mold me and make me

this is what I pray

(Eddy Espinosa)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with thy most gracious
favor, and further us with thy continual help;

that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in thee,

we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

My God, I am not my own but yours.

Take me for your own,

and help me in all things to do your holy will.

My God, I give myself to you,

in joy and sorrow,

in sickness and in health,

in success and in failure,

in life and in death,

in time and for eternity.

Make me and keep me your own;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Source unknown)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

We are all travellers

to work by car, bus or tram

the walk to supermarket and back again

alone, with friends or crushed

within the confines of a tube or train

we meet but rarely talk rub shoulders but stay apart

discuss the weather but never stray into deeper lines of thought.

We share our journey but little more,

with travelling an evil to be endured.

As with our spiritual walk with you

made in the company of others yet as if alone.

We talk but rarely communicate

meet yet only scratch the surface in our knowledge

about those with whom we journey and of you.

Time spent together an imposition to be endured

rather than enjoyed.

Lord of the journey

transform our travelling into opportunity

each moment to a resource and

our time together a joy

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Gracious Father, we pray for the holy Catholic Church.

Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace.

Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it;

where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it;

where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it;

for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior.

Amen.

(The Book of Common Prayer)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Almighty God our heavenly Father,

send down upon those

who hold office in Indonesia

the spirit of wisdom, charity, and justice;

that with steadfast purpose they may faithfully

serve in their offices to promote

the well-being of all people;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

(The Book of Common Prayer)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Look with pity, O heavenly Father,

upon the people in this land

who live with injustice, terror, disease,

and death as their constant companions.

Have mercy upon us.

Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors.

Strengthen those who spend their lives

establishing equal protection of the law

and equal opportunities for all.

And grant that every one of us

may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

(The Book of Common Prayer)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Set our hearts on fire with love of thee, O Christ our God,

that in that flame we may love thee with all our heart,

with all our mind, with alL our soul, and

with all our strength, and our neighbours as ourselves;

so that, keeping thy commandments, we may glorify thee,

the giver of all good gifts.

Source unknown (Eastern Orthodox)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

My Lord and my God,

take me from all that keeps me from thee.

My Lord and my God,

grant me all that leads me to thee.

My Lord and my God,

take me from myself and give me

completely to thee

Nicholas of Flue (1417-87)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Our merciful God,

Hear our prayer for all those who will die today

because of war and economic oppression, especially the children.

Prepare them for the agony, despair,

and terror of the violence that is upon them.

Comfort them and hold them close to the Abraham's bosom

as they drink deeply of the bitter cup which is forced upon them.

Wipe their tears, calm their fears, welcome them to peace and safety.

Eternal rest grant to them, and may perpetual light shine upon them.

May all rise in judgment against the wickedness

that brings this violence upon the world.

Overturn the thrones of tyranny, scatter the unjust, cast down the bloody rulers

who make the cry of the widow and orphan rise to heaven.

Give us your grace and strength to stand against the demonic powers

which prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Grant that peace with justice will come to all the world.

Amen.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

O God,

you have created us in love and saved us in mercy,

and through the bond of marriage

you have established the family

and willed that it should become

a sign of Christ's love for his Church.

Shower your blessings on this family

gathered here in your name.

Enable those who are joined by one love

to support one another

by their fervor of spirit and devotion to prayer.

Make them responsive to the needs of others

and witnesses to the faith in all they say and do.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Teach me to seek you,

and reveal yourself to me

when I seek you.

For I cannot seek you unless

you first teach me,

nor find you unless

you first reveal yourself to me.

Let me seek you in longing,

and long for you in seeking.

Let me find you in love,

and love you in finding.

--Saint Ambrose of Milan, c. 340 - 397

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

My God, I am not my own but yours.

Take me for your own,

and help me in all things to do your holy will.

My God, I give myself to you,

in joy and sorrow,

in sickness and in health,

in success and in failure,

in life and in death,

in time and for eternity.

Make me and keep me your own;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Source unknown)

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Look upon us, O Lord,

and let all the darkness of our souls vanish before the beams of thy brightness.

Fill us with holy love, and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom.

All our desire is known unto thee,

therefore perfect what thou hast begun,

and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer.

We seek thy face, turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory.

Then shall our longing be satisfied,

and our peace shall be perfect.

(St. Augustine, 354 - 430)