Lord, as I now draw nearer to You
I am aware of the poverty of my love
I have been generous with my love for myself
And things of this earth
Yet miserly in my love for my neighbor
Lord, transform my heart!
I ask not merely to love those easy to love
Help me to love those who are unlovable
Make me sensitive to the needs of others
Not on the basis of exchange
But in all unconditional giving.
Teach me to love others
The way they want to be loved
And not my own selfish view of loving
Most of all grant me the grace to love You
Above all things and all others.
Amen.
Bible Inspiration: 1 John 4:8
The man without love has known nothing of God, for God is love.
Lord, remind me
That when life’s circumstance lifts me up
This false sense of self- sufficiency
Can just as easily be lost in conceit.
Like an errant child
I blame You with my every failure
Even as I credit myself with every success.
I raise myself above all else
Posing and putting on airs
Forgetting the One God
Whose power and love
Has brought me there.
Save me from my blindness and myself.
Take this success, to be Your own.
Amen.
Bible Inspiration: Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
Life seems full of stresses Lord
My busy home, my harried work
Sometimes I fear for myself
Torn between one tension and another
I lose my nerve and feel the need to get away
Enfold me Lord
Shield me from the frailty of my spirit
Protect me from my own powerless will
Free me from all anxieties and doubts
Give me the vigor to push on
And continue with the mission
You have chosen me to task
Help me remember Lord
That You are there beside me
And if I fall at times
Be there to carry me.
Amen.
Bible Inspiration: Deuteronomy 31:8
It is the Lord who marches before you; he will be with you and will never fail you..
Lord, thank You for the stillness
When I can relax before You
And lay my impatience with other people
Smooth the furrows from my brow
The lines from my face,
The frustrations from my heart
The heavy loads from my mind
The searing irritations from my soul.
I ask for the graciousness of patience
The ability to relax when I must wait.
May a quiet heart and mind attend to me.
Make straight my path.
Wrest every short temper
With a sense of humor.
Amen.
Bible Inspiration: Proverbs 14:29
The patient man shows much good sense but the quick-tempered man displays folly at its height.
God grant me serenity
To accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can
And wisdom to know the difference
Living one day at a time
Enjoying one moment at a time
Accepting hardships as a pathway to peace
Taking as Jesus did this sinful world as it is
Not as I would have it
Trusting that You will make all things right
If I surrender to Your will
So that I may be happy in this life
And supremely happy with You
Forever in the next.
Amen.
Bible Inspiration: Sirach 20:22
Joy of heart is life to a man, gladness gives him lengthy days.
Lord, let me not think of my own advantage
But more for my fellowman and Your will.
Bless me with the right intention
Restrain me from trying to govern
Other people’s lives.
Prevent me from using friendship
To make comfortable my own ego
From seeking pleasure and convenience
At the expense of other people’s misery
Let me aspire for great works
Not for the spotlight of which
I can never be big enough to stand in.
Pull me away from useless consolations
Give me the pure intention
So I may find a deep interior peace.
Amen.
Bible Inspiration: Colossians 3:17
Whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through him.
Lord, joy is a gift meant for sharing
To spread warmth and happiness around
Bless me with a cheerful heart
That looks at the bright side of life
Bless me with a cheerful disposition
With a ready smile on my lips
To bring new life, hope and courage
To the hearts of the weary and overburdened
A smile costs nothing but creates much
For it is something of no good to anyone
Till it is given away.
Should I meet someone too tired to smile
Let me give him one of mine
For nobody needs a smile so much
As someone who has none left to give.
Amen.
Bible Inspiration: Sirach 13:25
The sign of a good heart is a cheerful countenance; withdrawn and perplexed is the laborious schemer.
Lord, true source of light and wisdom
Let a ray of Your brilliance
Penetrate my understanding
Grant me a retentive memory
And the ability to grasp things
Correctly and completely.
Let me be convincing in my explanations
Steadfast and unwavering in my presentations
Give me Your confidence
To trust my God-given capabilities.
Help me with each task at hand
Guide me through its completion.
Amen.
Bible Inspiration: Hebrews 13:6
Thus we may say with confidence: The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Lord, strengthen me to do the right thing
Let no personal ambition
Blind me to opportunism
Help me from falling into hypocrisy
Wherever I find it
Give me divine common sense
And a selflessness that will make me think
Of service and not gain
Give me the courage to lead
Without the folly of man-made schemes
Give me the faith to seek Your inspired plan
And finding it, to propose it
Knowing that when it is God-inspired,
You will remove all obstacles
Mould me into a shining example
Worthy of Your leadership.
Amen.
Bible Inspiration: Romans 15:1
We the strong and liberated, should bear the weakness of those who are not strong.