Unlike all my other posts at this website, this is not a recording of a message.
These are just my favorite prayers.
Prayer by Yellow Hawk, Sioux Chief
Oh great spirit whose voice I hear in the winds and whose breath gives life to all the world – hear me. I come before you. I am one of your children. I am small and weak. I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made, my ears sharp to hear your voice. Make me wise so that I may know the things you have taught my people, the lesson you have hidden in every leaf and rock.
I seek strength not to be superior to my brothers, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy, myself. Make me ever ready to come to you, with clean hands and straight eyes, so when life fades as a fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame.
Prayer of Saint 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
And 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
Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
23rd Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Craig’s Prayer
Thank you for making the universe.
Thank you for making me a part of it.
Thank you for providing me with all that I need, and more.
You are the light upon me,
the heat within me,
and the time that carries me along.
I want to see clearly, and act peacefully,
be true to myself,
and forgive those who trespass against me.
Help me want what you want.
Help me like me.
Help me do what’s light.
Love your poem, “help me do what’s light” esp. So perfect. keep sharing, we need more of it in the world.
Oh my gosh, Patti-Ann. Thanks for your fun comment. I much appreciate the encouragement. Really. Let’s encourage each other!
I am an instrument of peace.
Where there is hatred, I sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy
May I not so much seek to be consoled
as to console
to be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love
Amen.
Thanks for the simple Saint Francis prayer, Martha.
I love it.
Wonderful, wonderful you, Craig! I was going to mention that John O’Donohue suggests, as an exercise in finding our place in the world, that we all write our own prayer. And you’ve already done it. And done it wonderfully! Thank you for making my day and inspiring me all over again!
Wonderful, wonderful you, Jim!
Thanks so much for your comment.
Wow!
Craig, This was an exceptional worship experience for me and your words on Prayer really expanded my centering down. Thanks for your efforts to build this faith community and the wider need for understanding and acceptance.
Oh my gosh, Brown.
Thank you.
And for anyone reading, Brown is referring to the message I brought on January 6, 2019. In that message I mentioned these five prayers.
Flash prayer right now: thank you Brown and others who have commented here.
Thanks for sharing these. If you do not have a copy already, you might enjoy Eknath Easwaran’s Timeless Wisdom, Passages for meditation from the world’s saints & sages. The first two prayers you listed (two of my favorites) are in that and there are many other beautiful ones.
Thanks Cindy! So nice to hear from you.