A Prayer for Animals

Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our friends the animals,
especially for animals who are suffering;
for animals that are overworked, underfed and cruelly treated;
for all wistful creatures in captivity that beat their wings against bars;
for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry;
for all that must be put death.
We entreat for them all Thy mercy and pity,
and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion
and gentle hands and kindly words.
Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals,
and so to share the blessings of the merciful.

Short Prayer

Lord help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that You and I together can't handle. Amen.

PRAYER VIGILS

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To be on a vigil is to be wakeful for a purpose. To the ancient Romans, that could be to stand guard, spy on the activities of a possible enemy, or prepare for a holy occasion. Originally, the desire to take part in the holy occasion is so strong that you can't wait for it to happen, which means you're so full of determination that waiting and getting ready is all you can do, to the neglect of sleep or food. You don't want to miss a second of it, you want to be there even for the preludes or the first sunbeams.

A prayer vigil (or prayer watch) happens when someone(s) get that way about praying It can be done individually, but it's usually done by a group of people who set it up to make sure there is always someone praying. The Moravians at Herrnhut were able to keep it up for over a hundred years. Most churches and ministries would have trouble doing it for a hundred hours. Today's vigils are done to hold a specific matter in prayer before God. Usually, it's to prepare for a specific action, such as reaching out in witness for Christ, starting a ministry with the poor, making a major decision, or supporting a broader Christian ministry or mission. Traditional church vigils for holy days are not really 'prayer' vigils because so much else is involved, but they do contain much prayer.

To start a vigil, someone has to want it passionately enough to get 8 or more people to commit at the start. (These early joiners help shape and lead the vigil.) That group must decide what the vigil's focus will be, and stick to it. It's important to get the full support of a church pastor. Once that is done, it's a good idea to prepare a written guide that tells what a prayer vigil is (assume they don't know), what this vigil is being done for, how long it will run, and how they can take part in it. Also, it should tell them who to talk to about it. Have one focal place for the vigil, where people know they can go to be part of it. This place can be a sanctuary or a prayer chapel, or even an outdoor site. The place must be fairly quiet, worshipful, and easy to get to. Many can be there at any one time (in fact, plan that there would be times when many will be there), but there should always be someone there for the entire vigil. Privately encourage those who can't make it there to pray at home, according to the guide's schedule. Try to involve prayer-people from other churches, especially those from churches your church doesn't normally relate to.

One last note. A two-hour event is not much of a vigil, but is instead a concert of prayer event or a long prayer meeting. To state the obvious : a vigil takes vigilance -- and puts your vigilance to the test at least a bit.

PRAYER CHAINS

Prayer chains are among the most common of prayer activities among congregations. The idea is simple: when there are prayer needs in the congregation, rather than wait until Sunday, get praying on them now by spreading the concerns by way of the telephone or text message. It's simple, and almost everyone has the time to do it. But how does it work?

(1) Ask around.

See if there isn't a prayer chain already. If there is, join it, and talk to its coordinator/leader about its expansion.

Most active churchgoers already know what a prayer chain is, though most of them have never been part of one. Tell the people in the worship services, Bible studies and small groups that you're starting one.

while there needs to be at least a few people who have a mature faith, it's also a good idea to seek a few newcomers as well. Invite the folks who drop their children off for Sunday School and then leave (that's right -- stand out there among the cars -- but be careful or you might need prayers for healing ! ). Or, invite someone who is receiving services from the church.

(2) Create prayer-chain 'trees' -- a paper outline of who will pass the prayer requests to whom, with names and phone numbers. Each 'branch' should have at least three and no more than 10 people on it; when there's more, create a new branch. This tree, with numbers, is to be given to each member of the chain.

(3) The coordinator/leader calls the first person on each branch with the message. The first one on the branch passes it to the next; if that person is unavailable, try the next one on that branch until you talk to an actual person and pass the requests along, who should pass it on to the next person on the branch. When passing along the requests, specifically say "I'm calling for the prayer chain, and these are our current requests :". Then give the message. Then end the call with a goodbye or God bless.

(4) NO CHATTING, and NO ADDING DETAILS beyond those passed along. PERIOD. Chatting and added details are the stuff of rumors, and a prayer chain must never become a rumor mill. It's true of male and female, young and old alike: the more talk, the more gossip. If you know (or think you know) further details, keep them to yourself no matter how strong the urge is to share them. It's the coordinator/leader's responsibility to speak to the person being prayed for about what to tell the prayer chain, when there is question. If it's not in the message, assume there's a reason it's not. Stick strictly to the message. Also, no word should be spread on or off the chain about who asked for the prayer; that, too, is private information. Such tight limits may sound un-friendly, but experience shows that it's extremely important.

If you've got a group of people who are 'highly-wired' (have email and use it once a day or more), then email can be a good way to chain them together, by way of a formal newsgroup or by just a cc list. This has a potential advantage in that it can more easily involve former members in distant places and time zones. For those who use PDAs and wireless phones, the 'stat' (emergency) prayers can be done through phone calls, texting, and Twitter. Twitter has shown itself especially useful for quick, arrow-type prayers, pass-alongs (when the arrow prayer is passed on to others, who pass it on to still others) and immediate situations (such as auto accidents and critical illnesses).

Prayer to support evangelism

Lots of churches talk about evangelism, outreach, etc. blah blah blah, but few actually do much of it. There are lots of reasons for that. But one of the key reasons may be that we're not praying for the Spirit to bear witness to those that do not believe.

One way to put such prayers into practice is to make a simple ritual for it. At your church's altar, prayer station, or other dedicated place for prayer, have a small area with pad and pen, a basket and candles. Then tell people how to use this area : write down the name of someone you care about who is 'missing' from the faith, put that name into the basket, pray for them to have faith in Christ, and then light a candle for them. The prayer circles/chains/ministries of the church will also pray for each of the 'missing' persons in the basket. The candle gives each participant a way to 'act out' their prayer, with the newly-lit candle as a symbol of the light of Christ lighting up the lives of the non-believer. The hope and expectation is that the participants keep praying for the 'missing' person, and maybe even find the courage to use natural opportunities for bearing a more specific witness for Christ.

Another way is to hold specialized prayer meetings. For instance, hold prayer nights for educators, health workers, legal professionals, high school students, or sales staffers. Hold them at appropriate locations other than church grounds, to better build bridges to them. Get the word out about the special night and invite broadly everyone in that field. The purpose is to pray about the needs of that specialized concern; this is no time to lay an evangelistic gospel rap on them or to hand out tracts. But it is a place where people in that specialty can see others eagerly and openly bringing their full Christian faith to bear on their field. And that can be a good living witness. Even if they don't believe, they may want to pray, and they may want the prayers of others. That's a start; the Spirit will use it.

intercessory prayer

Intercessory prayer is one of the most powerful petitions to God that there is available to the sincere biblical believer.

It is powerful in that it focuses on that which is beyond the pray-er. Much of our petitions to God are centered on ourselves. They have to do with our needs and wants.

Intercessory prayer is the go-between offering to heaven’s throne. We put self aside for the good of another.

America’s need right now is for those who truly believe in the power of prayer to be go-betweens for the nation and God’s mercy seat.

This means earnest, heart-felt prayer. It is sacrificial prayer. It may call for prayer and fasting. It is more than ritual. It is more than liturgy. It is the agonizing of the soul on behalf of this country.

Intercessory prayer is not the same as prayers for yourself, or for 'enlightenment', or for spiritual gifts, or for guidance, or any personal matter, or any glittering generality. Intercession is not just praying for someone else's needs. Intercession is praying with the real hope and real intent that God would step in and act for the positive advancement of some specific other person(s) or other entity. It is trusting God to act, even if it's not in the manner or timing we seek. God wants us to ask, even urgently. It is casting our weakness before God's strength, and (at its best) having a bit of God's passion burn in us.

Intercession In the Bible

The Bible has many cases of people standing up for others before God. The most striking example is Abraham. He took the initiative to step forward before God on behalf of his neighbors in Sodom and its area. He cared enough to do it, even though he knew how thoroughly wicked Sodom was, and knew how furious God was about it (which explains why he was so careful in speaking to God about it). Moses also stepped in when God was angry, standing in the gap in the most literal sense : offering his own life for that of his nation. (Thankfully, God didn't take him up on the offer.) It was part of the role of a prophet not just to speak what God speaks, but to speak with God for the people of Israel. A fine example is the exchange between the prophet Habakkuk and God, where the prophet asks for God to act against injustice, but God replies about a coming doom. Isaiah prayed with King Hezekiah to save the nation from defeat and destruction at the hands of Assyria, and the armies were suddenly turned back (see Isaiah ch. 36-39). The master builder Nehemiah prayed to God to bring about the rebuilding of Jerusalem and of his people. As they took their concerns to God, the key motivation behind these giants of faith was compassion. They loved the people, the culture, the faith with a love like God's love, and it burned in them so much that they dared to take on God on their behalf. Unlike the gods of the lore of most other lands, this God did not zap them with lightning or turn them into half-beasts. God listened to their cries -- not by ignoring the wrongdoings which got the divine wrath kindled in the first place, but by saving at least some of the people and bringing them back to where they belonged.

The New Testament has its cases of intercessory prayer. Jesus was the prime example of an intercessor. He interceded in prayer for God to bless and protect His followers. At the cross, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Indeed, His whole life, His whole reason for being born, was to be a living intercession, a giving of His life to span the rift caused by our rebellion against God. Others followed Jesus' example. Stephen's last words were an intercession on behalf of those who were killing him. Paul prayed constantly for the struggling young church, for character, behavior, witness, and wisdom. It is Paul's regular intercession for the church and its people which sets the usual pattern for our own intercessory prayers. And Epaphras was the 'prayer wrestler' for the church in Colossae.

Even at its earliest, the young church was praying for people : for safe travel, praying that people might know Christ through other peoples' witness, praying for healing and health, for rescue, for wisdom, for childbirth, for spiritual growth, for marriages -- asking God to bring benefit or blessing to people other than themselves. The others were not always beloved; they prayed for their political leaders, some of whom were out to kill them. But they knew their God was merciful and was intimately involved with what was going on in the world. And they knew they were called by God to share in that involvement.

Gifted Intercession

Anyone can pray for others and step in with God on their behalf. But some people are gifted at intercession. They have an ear and a passion for the needs of others, and take them before God even when those other people reject God. An intercessor's heart is touched for those in need, not so much on their side as by their side and on their behalf. They have a burden for that person. They persevere. They let the Spirit give them comfort about it, instead of worrying. And when word of results comes, they celebrate and are happy about it. If that sounds like you, then you may be a gifted intercessor.

Sometimes, someone is led to be an intercessor for a specific person or mission or task. Such people are valuable even beyond donors. Such intercessors sometimes get a strong sense of coming danger about whom they're praying for. They often report they're driven to their knees to pray about something they can't otherwise have known was happening. Sounds weird, but it's true.

Intercessors also pray for world, national, and local political leaders. This follows in the tradition of the early church's prayers for the Roman authorities. Some people actually think it's good to pray against evildoers and oppressive leaders, even to pray for their death. Not that God would pay any attention to you if you did. But such thinking poisons your attitude. Pray rather that the Spirit would lead them or change them. When James and John asked for permission to do harm to their enemies by praying for divine acts of judgement, Jesus reminded them of why He was there (and they, too):

"For the Son of Man did not come to destroy peoples' lives, but to save them."

(Luke 9:56)

Intercessory prayer aims to build people into what God wants of them, not to tear them down.

Power Of Prayer

I knew someone who told me an intriguing story about a prayer that was answered. Many years ago Judy became a widow after her husband passed away, leaving her alone to raise her three daughters. She greatly missed her deceased husband, and for a number of years she struggled to take care of her family as a single parent. It was not easy. She was lonely and with all her responsibilities she despaired of ever finding another husband to share her life with. She told me that one evening years ago she was feeling especially depressed. Judy was a religious person, and she knelt in prayer asking God if she would ever remarry again or if she was destined to be forever alone.

Suddenly, a vision appeared before her. In her darkened room she was astonished to see the face of a man with a mustache and wearing glasses. This apparition lingered for a few seconds and was gone. She did not understand what she saw, but she had a feeling of peace.

A few months later a new neighbor moved into a home a few houses down from where Judy lived. He was the exact man she had seen in her vision, including glasses and mustache. To make a long story short, they got together and were eventually married, and are still married to this day.

A true story.

Some conclusions about Judy’s story.

How should we view Judy’s story? It certainly could be God answering her prayer, a blessing letting her know everything was going to be ok. Yet, perhaps there was more to her vision, and prayer in general.

For every prayer that is answered, many are not. Why was Judy’s prayer answered? I personally don’t believe God plays favorites, answering one prayer but denying others, for reasons we cannot understand. We could say God works in mysterious ways and leave it at that. Yet, I am bothered by the seemingly arbitrary nature of prayer. I think we are all equal before God. Is there a way to explain this?

Judy’s vision could be a divine answer to prayer, but it might also have been a psychic insight, a premonition, and a glimpse into the future. Her intense focused desire might have pierced the veil allowing sight into the Invisible World. It seems the theology of the individual does not matter when it comes to prayer. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Pagans, all religions have answered prayers.

There could be a way to remove the problem of favoritism from prayer. What if instead of God directly deciding the status of every prayer, it is up to us? It fits in with the concept of free will.

The Bible has a curious approach to prayer. There has to be active participation to get results. It seems the more faith, belief, passion and determination one has with their prayer, the more likely will be a positive outcome. Curious. In a way the power of prayer seems similar to the Law of Attraction. Both require a modified state of mind combined with emotional intensity. These passages from the Bible below could apply to the law of attraction. The law of attraction suggests what/how we think is what we will attract into our lives. Positive thoughts attract positive results, negativity does likewise. Here are examples from the Bible that sound like the law of attraction to me, and if a prayer is answered depends on our choices.

Mark 9:23

“Everything is possible for him who believes”

James 1:7

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;

Phillipians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

1 Corinthians 14:15

So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind

Mark 11:22-25

“‘Have faith in God,’ Jesus answered. ‘I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, “Go, throw yourself into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Prayer, the law of attraction, and magic may all be the same thing. There seems to be a process in the spiritual world where we all have access to spiritual powers. This process seems to work for anyone and everyone regardless of their theology. Spiritual favortism is not involved, but free will is central. We have to choose to use our spiritual gifts and to learn how to use them effectively. We have to knock on the door!

Rosary Prayer

If you’ve never prayed the Rosary before, this article will give you the basics; and, if you’re returning to the Rosary after a long time away, you can use this article as a “refresher course.” Keep in mind, though, that there are no “Rosary police” checking up on you to make sure that you’re doing it “the right way.”

In the long run, you may pray the Rosary however you prefer to pray it. The main objective of the Rosary is the same as any method of prayer—to nourish your intimacy with the triune God and with the communion of saints in this world and the next. So whatever serves that purpose is good.

If you want to pray the Rosary in the customary manner, however, there is a traditional way to go about it. The prayers of the Rosary will be provided here, in case you don’t already know them.

Because praying the Rosary involves repetitive prayer, it’s a good idea to have a rosary. If you don’t have a religious goods store in your area, you can find several sources on the Internet—some of which even offer free rosaries.

There are two basic ways to pray the Rosary—alone or with one or more people. If you are praying the Rosary with others, the custom is for one person to lead the group, primarily by saying the first half of each prayer and announcing each of the mysteries. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll assume here that you are praying the Rosary by yourself. If you join a group, most likely many of those present will understand how to pray the Rosary as a group, so all you’ll need to do is follow along. When praying the Rosary alone, you may either recite the prayers aloud or say them silently—it’s up to you.

The rosary consists of six Our Father beads and five decades (sets of ten) Hail Mary Beads plus one set of three Hail Mary beads. The Apostles’ Creed is said on the crucifix, and the Glory Be is said on the chain or knot after each set of Hail Marys. The Hail, Holy Queen is said at the end of the Rosary. Here’s how to go about it. You may be surprised when you see how easy it really is:

Make the Sign of the Cross

You begin the Rosary by making the sign of the cross using the small crucifix on the rosary. Simply hold the crucifix on your rosary with your fingers and trace the sign of the cross on your forehead, your chest, and then your left and right shoulders while saying,

In the name of the Father [forehead], and of the Son [chest], and of the Holy [left shoulder] Spirit [right shoulder]. Amen.

Say the Apostles’ Creed

Still holding the crucifix, pray the Apostles’ Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. From thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Say the Our Father

Holding the first bead of your rosary (the bead closest to the crucifix), pray the Our Father:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.

(If you came, or are coming, to Catholicism from a Protestant tradition, remember that Catholics say a doxology—“For the kingdom, and the power, and the glory are yours now and forever”—only in the context of the Mass, and then it is separated from the Our Father by a prayer said by the priest.)

Say Three Hail Marys

Next, hold each of the three beads in the next series one at a time, and pray a Hail Mary for each bead:

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee (you). Blessed art thou (are you) among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy (your) womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Say the Glory Be/Doxology

Holding the chain or knot that comes after the series of three Hail Mary beads, pray the Glory Be:

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, it is now and ever shall be, world without end. (now and forever.) Amen.

If you like, you can say the following lines at the end of each Glory Be:

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of thy (your) mercy. Amen.

It’s up to you whether you use this prayer, or not. If it appeals to you, go ahead and say it. If not, skip it.

Say the Five Decades

The next set of prayers—consisting of an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be—is repeated five times, once for each mystery of the Rosary. While holding the next, single bead, announce the first mystery of the kind you are praying today—joyful, sorrowful, glorious, or luminous. For example, “The first joyful mystery, the annunciation.” Theoretically, the idea is to meditate or reflect upon this mystery while praying an Our Father, ten Hail Marys, and a Glory Be. If you can do that, great. If not, don’t worry about it. Personally, I suspect that the repetitive nature of the Rosary actually short-circuits conscious reflection on anything—let alone a mystery of faith—and acts something like a mantra does in the meditation methods of Zen Buddhism. The Rosary gives the fingers and tongue something to do, so that your mind and heart can “go deep,” as it were, in wordless prayer.

After announcing the first mystery, and still holding the single bead, pray the Our Father. For each of the ten beads in the first decade of the Rosary, say one Hail Mary. When you reach the chain or knot after the tenth Hail Mary bead, say one Glory Be. Then hold the next single bead, announce the next mystery, say an Our Father, say the next set of ten Hail Marys, and say another Glory Be. Do this until you finish all five decades.

Say the Hail, Holy Queen/Salve Regina

When you have completed the fifth decade of the Rosary and said the final Glory Be, say the Hail, Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee (you) do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; (the children of Eve;) to thee (you) do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale (valley) of tears. (in this land of exile.) Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine (your) eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile, (lead us home at last and) show unto us the blessed fruit of thy (your) womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

If you wish, you may also add this final verse-and-response prayer:

V: Pray for us, O holy mother of God,

R: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

And that’s it. That’s all there is to praying the Rosary. After you have prayed the Rosary a few times, you’ll know how easy it is. The more you pray the Rosary, however, the deeper you’ll get into it and the more you’ll discover its spiritual riches.

An excerpt from The Rosary Handbook by Mitch Finley.

Prayer For Our NAtion

Our Father, up in Heaven,

hear this fervent prayer

May the people of all nations

be united in thy care.

For earth's peace and man's salvation

can come only by Thy grace

And not through bombs and missiles

and our quest for outer space.

For until all men recognize

that "The Battle is the Lord's"

And peace on earth cannot be won

with strategy and swords.

We will go on vainly fighting,

as we have in ages past

Finding only empty victories

and a peace that cannot last.

But we've grown so rich and mighty

and so arrogantly strong,

We no longer ask in humbleness

"God, show us where we're wrong"

We have come to trust completely

in the power of man-made things,

Unmindful of God's mighty power

and that He Is "King of Kings"

We have turned our eyes away from Him

to go our selfish way,

And money, power and pleasure

are the gods we serve today.

And the good green earth God gave us

to peacefully enjoy,

Through greed and fear and hatred

we are seeking to destroy.

Oh, Father, up in heaven,

stir and wake our sleeping souls,

Renew our faith and lift us up

and give us higher goals.

And grant us heavenly guidance

as war threatens us again

For, more than guided missiles,

all the world needs guided men.

- Helen Steiner Rice

A Prayer For My Husband

On humble knees he prays for me

and thanks the Lord for everything.

Though he has seen love slip away

from those he loves, he still smiles today.

In silent moods, he cries the tears

for joy he's found throughout the years.

Though he has known a hellish life,

he whispers such love to me, his wife.

With prideful heart, he held the world

when he held the hands of his little boys & girl.

Though he has felt the loss of his dreams,

he still says they can do anything.

With sorrow close, he views the news

and wonders why so many lose.

Though he has lost through pain and death,

his heart still cares for all the rest.

Unloveable he's viewed himself;

his vanity stored on a shelf.

Though he's been taken advantage of,

his heart is unaltered by Greater love.

Dear God, in my humility,

please open his eyes so he can see,

that I'm in awe of what he's done

with a broken life, and what he's become.

For in his eyes, he's unworthy of

the blessings born of his woman's love.

Please lift him up, and let him know

he's the greatest man I have ever known.

A Prayer For My Husband To Be

Dear Father in Heaven,

Today I say a special prayer for the man You have chosen to be my husband. Although I do not know his name, I know he will be perfect for me. You are the creator the universe and everything inside of it including me, so I know You will pick just the one that is right for me. Until that time, I will be patient and wait on You. Be with him today and help him to hunger and thirst for You and want to follow Your way in everything... God mold him to be a Godly man in all he does. Help him to have the courage to be a leader and a good example to all those around him. Fill him with love, patience, joy and kindness... help him to be gentle when he needs to be, and forceful as needed.. help him to always be in control of his self in everyway. Help him to remain strong, resisting satan when he tempts him in whatever way. Heal his heart of any brokenness and restore him fully. Help him to be a man of his word and be trustworthy in all things. Keep his body healthy. Help him to be successful in his work. Remind him often of Your priorities in his life.

Help me Father to prepare myself in whatever way I need to for this man you have chosen for me. Help me now to be faithful to him in everyway. Help me to give myself fully and completely to the work You want me to do. Help me not to be anxious for anything. Fill me with the peace of knowing You have this and the rest of my life completely under control and it is not mine to worry over. Help me to be a good steward of all You have given me. To be a good example to those around me and in my workplace. Fill me up fully and completely in You, lacking nothing and wanting for nothing. Help me to resist satan in all he does to pull me away from my focus on You. Help me to thirst and hunger for time spent with You and in Your word.... I pray all this in Your Son's name. Amen

Guardian Angel Prayer

Angel of God, My Guardian Dear

to whom God's love commits me here.

Ever this day be at my side

to light and guard and rule and guide.

Amen.

Designing Your Own Life of Prayer

The practice of prayer can be comfortable, challenging, easy or difficult. Like human relationships, our relationships with God will go through many stages as we become more intimate. Sometimes the relationship will fill us with great joy, other times it will seem boring and stale. Sometimes the relationship will be as natural as breathing. Sometimes it will demand hard work and require a lot of time and energy. We may even have times when we break our relationship with God, going our own way, paying no attention to God or to prayer. But God does not turn away. God keeps calling. And after a time, a longing wells up in us to return to God. This longing is a sign of faithfulness, for our hearts have been touched; we have heard God's call.

Our longing will lead us to God, back to the life of prayer. Rather than berating ourselves for having lost our way, we can celebrate that we have found our way again. Like the woman who lost one of her ten silver coins and called her friends and neighbors together to rejoice (Luke 15:8-10), we can know joy when we return to the life of prayer.

As you think about and plan for your own life of prayer, be in prayer. Let the spirit guide you. Prayer forms can be combined or adapted for your own special needs. You may discover a unique style that grows out of your past experience, your present circumstances and your longing for God.

In designing your own prayer life, the following questions may guide you:

* What is the easiest and most natural form of prayer for you?

* What would be a realistic rhythm of prayer for you? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Would it be possible to schedule a yearly retreat?

* Remember times you have wandered from your practice of prayer. What was the experience of being lost and then finding your way again?

Prayer of the Heart

In 19th century Russia, a lone peasant wondered around his country in search of the answer to one compelling question: "How does one pray constantly?" He writes anonymously of his journey and his discoveries in the classic book, The Way of the Pilgrim. Although we differ greatly in time and place and situation, the Pilgrim's teachings are relevant for us today.

The Pilgrim discovered as he walked, talking to people, reading and praying, that one prayer, repeated over and over and over again moved from his lips, to his mind, to his heart. After long periods of repetition, the prayer was as constant as his heartbeat. His heart was praying constantly. The prayer the Pilgrim used was "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me."

The Pilgrim chose this particular phrase for he believed that these six words held the full truth of the Gospel message. You might choose another short prayer that holds more meaning for you such as "Dear God, hold me close," or "Gracious God, grant me peace," or "Jesus, my brother, walk with me."

When you have chosen your prayer, begin to repeat it over and over again. Be creative about when you practice. Pray your prayer as you run errands, as you wait in lines, as you do chores. Pray your prayer as you are going to sleep and as you awake. Speak the words out loud when you have the chance, or silently in your mind. Keep praying and wait and watch for the time when you realize that your prayer has moved to your heart, and begins to pray itself. Be patient. The Pilgrim teaches us that all our hearts are willing and able and eager to pray constantly.

Unanswered Prayers

countless people on the mystery and agony of unanswered prayer.

If the request is wrong, God will say, "No."

Like us, the disciples made inappropriate requests of Jesus, and he said, "No."

Illustration: In this lengthy illustration, Hybels describes a time when the board of elders at his church prayed fervently for a person to fill a staff position. Once they had decided who they wanted to join the team, Bill sat down to lunch with the man and prayed that God would provide the right opportunity for him to make the offer. He sensed God saying, "No." Later, the elders discovered that the man had deception in his life and he would indeed have been a bad fit for the job.

If the timing is wrong, God will say, "Slow."

Like children, we dislike the words, "Not yet," as God shakes his head at us.

God has reasons for his "Not yets;" we must not insist we know better than he.

If you are wrong, God will say, "Grow."

Relational discord will cut us off from close fellowship with God.

When we disobey, God says, "Why should I honor your requests when you don't honor mine?"

When the timing is right, God will say, "Let's go!"

God wants to move that mountain for us; to change that circumstance; to answer that prayer.

You'll be amazed at how often God will say, "Let's go!"

Unanswered Prayers

"Why do prayers go unanswered? Christians are rightly puzzled when they pray and their prayer seems to go unanswered. On this page you'll get some understanding into why your prayers don't always receive an answer!"

It is not unusual for people to be puzzled by unanswered prayer. They believe they have offered their prayers sincerely in faith and then when apparently their petition goes unanswered they are puzzled.

Here is one note I received by email from a lady asking about prayer,

"Pastor Simon, why doesn't prayer work to your advantage all the time? For instance if you are praying for the sick and they are not healed. They continue to suffer and then die!"

(Content of this section: An Old Testament scripture about God hearing His people when they pray)

The following is my reply to her question and her expression of concern about unanswered prayer.

God has no problem about answering your prayers or hearing them. He delights in receiving your requests and showing you His goodness so that you will know His care for you.

The following are two scriptures - one from the Old Testament and the other from the New - about God hearing us:

Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words."

Daniel 10:12 - NKJV

(Content of this section: A New Testament scripture about God hearing us when we pray)

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

1 John 5:14-15 - NKJV

(Content of this section: Pinpointing what is the main problem causing prayer seemingly to go unanswered)

The problem then is not with God hearing and answering. What is it then? It is that we here have a lot of problems about how we "draw down" His resources from His answer in the heavenly realm into our situations in this earthly realm.

Jesus recognised this would be a problem for us and with this perhaps in mind He spent much time during His earthly ministry teaching His disciples and the people around Him about the principles of prayer and how to receive the desire we request of God.

For a good class on "drawing down" see my class entitled

"Word Power"

. This in the Bible Study. It's in Stage 5.

(Content of this section: Rising above the adverse conditions surrounding us in order to receive from God)

There is no holding back by God of peace, goodness and well-being but we in this earth realm struggle with receiving.

It is not that God is making things difficult for us to receive from Him but rather the conditions we are surrounded by work strongly against us.

For this reason, we have to learn how to deal with these conditions and overcome them. This takes time as we mature in Christ and grow into His stature. None have made it yet - even Paul confessed he hadn't!

Paul instructed us on this process of maturing and growing,

He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11-13 - NKJV

(Content of this section: A starting point for learning the principles of receiving answers to prayer)

Your desires and petitions can all be answered by prayer to God the Father but you will have to progressively learn more from Jesus about how God's answers can reach earth's need.

The best place to start in the Bible with this learning is with the passage in Mark chapter 11 verses 22-25. Each phrase in this teaching describes a principle for receiving answers to prayer.

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God.

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses."

Mark 11:22-25 - NKJV

Prayers For Father

Most gracious Heavenly Father,

We thank you for our earthly fathers, those to whom you have entrusted the responsibility to provide loving protection of their families and guidance of their children. We thank you, also, for our priests and bishops, whose spiritual fatherhood is so vital to the faith of your people.

May our earthly fathers imitate the manly courage of Abraham, Jesse and Joseph, and all the holy fathers of the past in providing wise counsel to the children you have given to their care. And may our spiritual fathers be guided by the examples of Saints Peter and Paul, all the Apostles and their saintly successors. Give them valiant faith in the face of confusion and conflict, hope in time of trouble and sorrow, and steadfast love for you, for their families, and for all your people throughout the world.

Assist all fathers of families, all spiritual fathers, and all Christian men, that through your Grace they may steadily grow in holiness and in knowledge and understanding of your Truth. May they generously impart this knowledge to those who rely on them.

As you, our Heavenly Father, so loved the world, sending your only Son to be our Savior and Redeemer, we ask you to help all men to imitate His fatherly gentleness and mercy toward those who are weak; His humility, perfect obedience to your Will, and fearless witness to your Truth. May their lives be examples to all of heroic faithfulness to you.

We ask your blessing on all those to whom you have entrusted fatherhood. May your Holy Spirit constantly inspire them with justice and mercy, wisdom and strength, fidelity and self-giving love. May they receive your Grace abundantly in this earthly life, and may they look forward to eternal joy in your presence in the life to come.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, your Son and Our Lord, AMEN.

Mother's Day Prayers

Thank You, Holy Father,

for Your special gift of mothers;

for the example of Your unconditional love they share with their children.

Thank You for the mother who lets her child know without doubt he or she is loved,

and for the child who returns that love.

Lord, today we pray You will protect and guide mothers everywhere;

that You will grant them Your wisdom in loving and teaching their children.

Today, may children everywhere remember the warm caresses and whispers in the night;

the tears dried and Band-Aids, the peach cobbler, the laughter;

and the blood curdling scream, "No!" at the brink of danger.

Thank You for the mothers who played with us, taught us, nurtured us,

fed us, listened to us and tried to understand us.

Today, may we remember Mom's beauty when we were young;

and her loveliness discovered as we aged.

Lord, today draw especially close the mothers who are alone,

for whatever reason;

and grant them Your comfort, Your pleasure, Your peace.

And, Lord, for children who are alone, because of distance, death, or indifference,

may good memories flood their minds.

And if there is not a good memory,

may forgiveness burst forth from their hearts

and revive in them long lost joy.

Thank you particularly for phone calls today,

and for a shared "I Love You."

Today as we honor, celebrate, or simply reflect on the woman who gave us birth,

or who adopted us into her heart.

We thank You, Lord, for life,

and for Mom!

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Prayers For Marriage Restoration

Many marriages are dissolving for a plethora of reasons! Many are and have been “unequally yoked” from the very beginning. Many have embraced worldly concepts and the idea of “what is good for me” takes precedent. It is important to continue to ignite the flames of love, honor, comittment, communication, respect, passion and understanding! Many couples allow marriage to become a secondary priority and treat it accordingly. Slowly, but surely they begin to allow their needs to be met outside the marriage as well! Many have allowed manipulation and deception to embed itself in the relationship that only smothers intimacy! Many have behaved so repulsively towards one another that respect and sensitivity have been cast into the sea of unforgiveness! Many have allowed domestic violence and abuse! Many are bound by compulsion and ambivalence that only serves to vamp the very life out of one another… Instead of building a healthy home environment. They build a marital nest of confusion, pain and unhappiness. Marriage was never meant to be a competition of wills nor a degrading of one another’s character. Divorce comes about because of the hardness of the heart. Divorce is leaving many casualties!

Life presents many challenges as well as Celebrations! Marriage is about learning how to commit to someone who you can learn to be transparent with. To build and share an ongoing growing, loving, lasting mutually satisfying physical, emotional and spiritual relationship. To nurture, one another and give each other healthy space as well. To have one another’s best interest at heart. To celebrate and encourage each other through the challenges that life presents from time to time. To together live your lives to please God an allow him to use you to spread that love to others! Just think how life would be if this was really the case! God really has a marvelous workable plan for marriage! Instead, God’s design for marriage is constantly being pushed to the background! Too many instead embrace infidelity and alternative sexual relationships…..

If you are at a place in life and you know that your marriage is not all that it is meant to be… Or if you are having an affair either emotional or physical … Or if you never really thought about the vows you made or the seriousness of marriage…. Or if you have let anything and everyone come between you... Know it will not just get better on its own. Marriage like anything else of value takes work! You must do something , don’t continue to live in a mystic haze of unhappiness! Repent! Which simply means to CHANGE it! Keep in mind you can only change yourself! Think about it! Had you ever really thought about God knows what’s up? You are not fooling Him! Start by giving the courtesy that you extend to your friends, coworkers, acquaintances, lover, strangers or whoever to the one who you supposedly committed to Love, Honor, Trust and……

Again and I think it is worth repeating that divorce comes about because the hardening of the heart. Here is what the WORD of God says: “And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” And JESUS answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote this precept. But from the beginning of the Creation, GOD made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so they are not longer two, but one flesh. There fore what GOD has joined together, let Not man separate…” Mark 10

Take some time and really think about where you are going in your marriage? Have you taken a detour? Pray this prayer or pray your own prayer if you are seeking restoration for your marriage! It is your heart that the Lord is concerned with. Not how you make things appear to others. Embrace the powerfulness of TRUTH! It is here you will discover the TRUE LOVE that can only come from being connected to God! Life is precious! You can never ever really be happy when you jump from relationship to relationship without dissolving the former conflict. It just builds up and gains momentum and at some point those issues will appear again. Give yourself the gift of breaking the cycle of dysfunctional and sometimes generational unhappy relationships. It’s never too late! Commence to commit to discover and learn healthier relational dynamics then implement them in your marriage NOW! Pledge to committing to the building of a lasting, secure, committed, satisfying, realistic, rewarding, marriage where Love, Respect and mutual concern take the helm. And let "Jesus take the Wheel!” Begin to give up “Me-ness for We-ness!

Father,

We first want to say Thank You for being our God and our Father! We Thank You Lord, that we have You to come to at anytime, anywhere and in any and every situation. Lord we Thank You for Your precious Son Jesus Christ who sacrificed His life that we may live life to its fullest. Lord, we come in the name of Jesus asking that you would open the pathway for healing for ________ (name of spouse and his wife ( husband) and restore their marriage. As your servant Lord I come realizing that you know what the needs are here. Without saying Lord you alone know what is going on, and all that has ever happened!

Lord, I pray that you will allow healing and reconciliation to take place. That whatever hurts or disappointments they have experienced can be mended through the power of your undying eternal Love. We realize Father that they cannot change anything that has happened. But, they can go forth together keeping, renewing and once again honoring their vows. Father we realize that much spiritual warfare is about them. We realize that it wants to divide and separate them. We ask Lord that they invite you into the messiness to bring about order! Lord we realize that ALL of your promises are true. We ask that you endow them with the necessary strength and wisdom to endure.

Father we ask that you would knit their hearts closely together and allow nothing else to come between them. Lord we ask that they both take personal inventory, repent and seek forgiveness for any wrong doing. We pray that they extend love and patience to one another and that the lines of communication, sensitivity as well as understanding are once again opened. We ask that you will allow all the pain, hurt and disappointment to begin to subside. Lord we ask that forgiveness is welcomed by each of them. Lord we ask that you would allow your JOY to flow once again from heart to heart between them. Father we ask that you direct them as they seek you first in building trust, transparency and both physical and emotional intimacy. Father we pray peace over their household. Lord we Thank You for being who You are and we realize that all the power, honor and glory belongs to You now and forever, and for this we give you the PRAISE. In the WONDERFUL name of JESUS ....…

Prayer For Marriage

Marriage Prayer by Jewel Diamond Taylor

"Thank you Lord for teaching us how to make You the center of our marriage. Humble us to grow beyond our ego, pride and past hurts. Help us to establish and grow the love Christ in us to show each other kindness, trust, patience, forgiveness and divine love. Help me Lord to honor the qualities of my mate. Teach me how to pray for my spouse.

Empower me with courage to speak up for anything out of order in our relationship. Soften my tongue and heart where it has become like stone. Strengthen my flesh and self-esteem where it has become weak.

Whenever we lose the gratitude and passion for each other, guide us in ways to relight the candle of passion that can burn out from stress and time. Bless us to not only see, but honor one another. Help us to not only listen, but hear each other. Bless us to not only cherish one another, but nourish each other's dreams and spiritual gifts.

We surrender our marriage and our personal power struggles to You. Teach us to be less controlling and more collaborative in our decisions and problem solving skills. Quicken our minds so we may know how to please, protect and provide for each other. Bless our union to grow stronger, wiser, peaceful and committed. Bring into our circle of friends, examples of healthy committed marriages. Let our children, family and friends see Christ through our example.

Thank you Lord for covering our home with your grace, mercy and favor. Today is a new day that I choose to love, respect and serve my spouse. Give us both the wisdom, patience, love and faith not to give up on each other."

Marriage Prayer

The Marriage Prayer by Aaron Isaac Guadarrama Oh Heavenly Father, I have found favor in your eyes, Truly, Lord you have blessed me. Today my heart has become one with my wife, Forever be one, living for you Father for eternity. I've waited for this moment to arrive; I've waited patiently to drink the cup of love. In Holy matrimony, today my Lord, You have brought us together from above. There she is, as radiant I had dreamed and imagined, My new beloved wife. Here I am, before you Father, As her new husband, thank you for your blessings, My Lord guide us as we begin our new lives. This beautiful gift you have given me I will treasure, I will hold and guard dear to my heart. I will not take for granted of your love for us Father, You are the center of our attention Indeed the most important part. Our faith, our hope, our love is in you, We recognize Father you are the marriage builder. My deep love for her can only come from my true first love, The One died on the cross Who made both of our lives brand new, Thank you for our salvation, my precious Savior. Lord, I know today, saying I do, were more than just words, Was more than just a saying ritual in the wedding ceremony. To have and to hold, For richer and for poorer, In sickness and in health, Till death separates us, Lord I pray, I honor what is Sacred, I pray that I live up to my testimony. Lord, words can not express the gratitude of my heart the love I have for you, The answered prayers and blessings you keep pouring like new shower rains. There is nothing too small or too great that you can not see us through, I know you will watch over this marriage that was planned and made in heaven. Yes Lord; guide us with your hand, As we walk together with you side by side. Today a new chapter is unfolded; a new journey begins, Thank you Heavenly Father, for my lovely bride, my sacred gift, In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Marriage Prayers and Blessings

Lord, help us to remember when we first met and the strong love that grew between us.

To work that love into practical things so nothing can divide us.

We ask for words both kind and loving, and for hearts always ready to ask forgiveness as well as to forgive.

Dear Lord, we put our marriage into Your hands.

Amen."

Prayer for Job

Prayer for those seeking employment Momma has many requests for prayers, some are for healing, some for wisdom, some for comfort but lately, many are for employment. Momma Explains and Prays: I am a big believer in prayer, a small prayer, a long prayer , in community or in solitude, prayer is my way of reaching out of myself and toward a higher plain. It is a comfort and solace, an invitation and celebration. Prayer is our communication with the God who made us. Lately, many friends, family and acquaintances have asked for prayers to aid in their search for a job. I add each one to my requests. Since the economy is very challenging at this time and many are frightened and concerned for their future, I offer the following prayer from Catholic Prayers. It really speaks to all hearts no matter their church affiliation. I hope it will bring comfort to many of you who are suffering in this economic clime. God's peace and direction be yours. Prayer for Job Seeker Gracious and loving God, you know our need for meaningful work. Send your Holy Spirit to guide those who are searching for employment. Help them to recognize the gifts and talents you have given them. Deepen their desire to follow your will. Inspire them as they contact potential employers. Give them patience as they wait for responses. Shelter them from feelings of rejection. Protect them from discouragement. Give them courage to overcome fear. Shower on them the graces they need to persevere. Let this time of searching become an opportunity to grow in faith, to cultivate the virtue of hope, and to experience your healing love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

prayer before the exam

"Dear God
Today I will take my examination
which is so important to me
Though I am nervous.Im not afraid
Because I know that as I write my answers
It is your hands that work

And now,As I take this examination
Please enlighten my mind
to able to answer correctly
and to recall everything that I have studied.
I will do my best in this exam and to you God
I will entrust my fate
I know that whatever will be the result,
it is according to your will.

You have watched me
As I worked hard to study for this exam
Although I dont feel very confident
And that I dont know if I am prepared
I truly believe that you would give me what I deserve
I deserve to pass this exam,God.

I am happy that today you are with me
For with you I will win this battle
And as I close my eyes and feel your presence
In this examination room
You put confidence to my heart
Amen."

Prayer for Exam

"Dear Lord,

Sometimes I feel a little strange praying
to you because of an exam.
It doesn't really seem all that significant
when you consider the 'big picture.'
But right now, the test looms so large
that it is all I can see before me.

I pray to you for three things:
- the strength to handle the pressure that I feel,
- the confidence to feel secure
in my knowledge and preparation,
- and the ability to keep an appropriate
perspective on it all.
Help me to keep in mind what is really important,
even as I focus all of my time and energy
on this test in the immediate future. Amen"

7 P's Of Prayer

PATIENT

Patience actually refers to the period after praying. Wait patiently, even if you can’t see immediate results. Rest assured that God will answer you, in one way or another. When I was in college, after each exam I had to wait for the results. Waiting wasn’t easy but I knew in my heart I had done my bit. I had tried my hardest and now it was time to lay back and wait. Do what depends on you and God will do what depends on Him.

PERSEVERENT

Keep praying. Don’t give up. Persevere in your act of communication with God. When you feel like giving up, ask God for help to go on. When you feel you can’t pray, ask him to help you with that too. Whatever your feelings are, talk to God about them. Whatever you need, ask for it. Patience and perseverance are very important in any human activity. Without them, you will never cross that edge to achieving the best performances.

PERSONAL

Be personal. Use your own words. Describe how you feel in an honest and straightforward way. Remember God knows your heart anyway, so there is no need to hide anything. Let the words flow from inside and when they don’t come, remember God can see beyond words. The strength of a prayer is not measured in what you say, but in how you say it and in how you feel. Sometimes the silence is the most powerful prayer. I’ve met someone who was often lost for words when praying but her emotion was real. She told me that there were times when all she could say was “You know, my Lord. You know, my Lord.” There was no need for anything else, because, indeed, the Lord knew what she meant and what her prayer was all about.

POWERFUL

A powerful prayer can move mountains. But what makes a powerful prayer? When Jesus prayed, He prayed with authority and taught his disciples to do the same. He said: pray as if you’ve already received what you are praying for. What exactly did he mean? How can we gain that confidence? How did Jesus gain it? Through a close relationship with the Father. Through experience. The first time when we ask for something, we are reluctant because we don’t know whether we are going to get it or not. But as we learn how God works, as we learn to distinguish His voice among the confusing whispers of this world, we also learn to rely on Him. We learn to trust Him. We learn to love Him. That is what it’s all about. Faith, trust, love. We are not talking to a stranger anymore. We’re talking to our friend, to the One who knows everything about us, who loves us for who we are and wants us to have the best, here and in Eternity.

PASSIONATE

Passion is putting your heart and soul into something. You can’t be cold-hearted in prayer. It is the heat that rises up to the throne of God, it is the flame that pierces the sky and makes its way to the heart of the Father. God loves passion. As a Creator and an artist, He knows that nothing great is achieved without passion. Sometimes passion involves pain and tears, making yourself vulnerable, becoming exposed, giving everything. But it’s a risk that is worth taking. And in relationship with God, it might prove not to be a risk at all.

PROFOUND

‘Profound’ is a synonym for ‘deep’. A mountain-moving prayer has to be as deep as deep can be. Now ‘deep’ can be understood in several ways. A profound prayer can be a prayer reflecting your most hidden inner feelings; a prayer that goes much beyond the surface, into places you normally don’t reveal to anybody. A profound prayer can also refer to a prayer that plunges deeply into the causes and roots of exterior things and circumstances. Both these aspects are very important. When you ask for a miracle, you already go into ‘profound’ territory. Unknowingly, you step into a realm where faith stands face to face with physics, medicine, philosophy, history, psychology, and it has to prove stronger than any of them. It is quite a challenge! But as it has been proved many times, it can stand its ground and pass the test.

POSITIVE

We don’t know the complex mechanisms of this universe and how it all works. But we do know there is a balance between good and evil, between positive and negative. The very laws of Chemistry and Physics prove it. God doesn’t ask us to understand. But He does want us to stick to the positive side. The most minor of our thoughts can alter the balance of the universe. We’ll never know how much good we’ve brought into the world by one single positive thought, word or action. But we do know praying is one of those things that can mysteriously alter this balance. It is, in a way, like throwing stones into a river. Each time we struggle to throw further and we can watch the stone as it goes but only up to a certain point. We’ll never know how far and how deep it went beyond the surface.

Powerful Miracle of Prayers

"What makes a prayer more powerful than other? What is the secret of an answered prayer? How can we use it to bring a miracle in our life or the lives of the people around us? How can we make the best of this amazing tool God has given us? The way from ordinary to extraordinary is within our reach. There are just a few simple steps to follow. Learning to trust God is one of the most important. Having the courage to pray for a miracle is another.

And we could go on… Having the spirit and the passion of the first Christians. Being honest about everything, including our doubts, but keeping a positive outlook on all (“I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief”). Experiencing God. Becoming receptive to his voice. Persevering. Trying again and again. Having patience."

Inspirational Prayer

"Inspiration Christian Prayer- Morning Offering
Lord Jesus,

I give you my hands to do your work.
I give you my feet to go your way.
I give you my eyes to see as you do.
I give you my tongue to speak your words.
I give you my mind that you may think in me.
I give you my spirit that you may pray in me.
Above all, I give you my heart that you may love in me,
your father and all humanity.
I give you my whole self that you may grow in me,
So that it is you, Lord Jesus,
Who live and work and pray in me."

Inspirational Prayer

"Inspirational Prayers- Lead Me�
Lead me from death to life,
from lies to truth
Lead me from despair to hope
from fear to trust
Lead me from hatred to love
from war to peace
Let peace fill our heart, our world
our universe with peace.
Amen"

Inspirational Prayer

"Inspirational Prayers- Deliver Me, O Jesus
Deliver me, O Jesus,
From the desire of being loved,
From the desire of being extolled,
From the desire to being honored,
From the desire of being praised,
From the desire of being preferred,
From the desire of being consulted,
From the desire of being approved,
From the desire of being popular,
From the fear of being humiliated,
From the fear of being despised,
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
From the fear of being calumniated,
From the fear of being forgotten,
From the fear of being wronged,
From the fear of being ridiculed,
From the fear of being suspected.
Amen."

Inspirational Prayers

"Inspirational Prayers- When I Was
This prayer was often said by Mother Teresa
When I was hungry, you gave me food.
When I was thirsty you gave me drink.
Whatsoever you do to the least of my brethren,
you do it to Me.
When I was a stranger, you opened your doors.
When I was naked, you gave me clothes.
When I was tired, you gave me peace.
When I was frightened, you calmed me down.
When I was lonely, you gave me your love.
When I was sick or wounded, you took care of me.
Looking for friendship, you gave me your hand.
When I was old, you smiled at me.
When I couldn't find peace, you brought it to me.
You were on my side in times of despair,
and in the hour of joy, we were together.
Amen"

Inspirational Prayers

"Inspirational Prayers- The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever.

Amen."

Inspirational Prayer

"Inspirational Prayers- The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr

A prayer to help you in times of struggle
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship 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 reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen."

Inspirational Prayer

"Inspirational Prayers- Prayer of Mother Teresa
Dear JESUS, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go.
Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love.
Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life
may only be a radiance of Thine.

Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul.
Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus.

Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be a light to others.
the light, O Jesus, will be all from You; none of it will be mine:
it will be You shining on others through me.

Let me thus praise You in the way You love best:
by shining on those around me.
Let me preach You without preaching, not by words,
but by my example, by the catching force,
the sympathetic influence of what I do,
the evident fullness of the love my heart bears to You.
Amen."

Inspirational Prayer

"Inspirational Prayers- The Prayer of Saint Francis
Christian prayer which is attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy 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.
Amen."

Prayer circle

"Prayer circles have several different interpretations across Christianity and other religions. The most common definition of a prayer circle is where participants simply join hands in a literal circle of prayer, often as part of a vigil. Although these informal prayer circles have been practiced for centuries, their recent resurgence in popularity is frequently attributed to their use in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement. Similarly, amongst North American and specifically Native American Catholics, prayer circles have formed around Kateri Tekakwitha, who was the first Native American to be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church. Tekakwitha Conference prayer circles, called Kateri Prayer Circles, have been formed on nearly all U.S. Indian Reservations. In Islam, Muslims who make the pilgrimage to Mecca will form concentric circles around the Kaaba in prayer, and these too are commonly referred to as prayer circles.
A more modern definition of the prayer circle has recently been coined, referring to a growing number of online communities where people visit certain Web sites in order to share their thoughts and prayers with other like-minded worshippers, usually within specially-designated message board areas."

Prayer circle

Origin Of Prayer Circle

"Ritual prayer in a circle around an altar is not unique to Christianity. Ritual ceremonies around an altar are common in paganism, and ritual prayer dances around an altar were practiced by early Christians, especially Gnostics, before the practice was condemned as a heresy by the Second Council of Nicaea in 787 A.D. (See Nibley, 'The Early Christian Prayer Circle', page 41.) Much later, Protestants began conducting informal prayer circles. Sometimes these communities are developed online such as PrayerCircleOnline.com[1]"

Prayer circle

Online Prayer Circle

"With the World Wide Web's rapid growth amongst all sectors of society, many Christians and other faith-based peoples have found a niche on the Internet where they can share their prayers, thoughts and wishes with each other. It's not known who was the first to set up an online prayer circle, but today there are dozens, if not hundreds, of Web sites set up for these purposes, from large-scale sites run by The American Bible Society and Beliefnet to smaller message boards run by community churches.
An online prayer circle is often a vigil set up by a participant in honor of someone close to that participant. Larger online prayer circles are also formed in honor and remembrance of the victims of notable disasters or tragedies. Though religious in tone, online prayer circles are by and large non-denominational and at times are not even explicitly Christian."

Prayer circle

"In Mormonism, a prayer circle is a mode of prayer practiced by Mormons who have taken part in the Endowment ceremony. Established by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1842 or 1843, he called it the 'True Order of Prayer'. The ritual involves an antiphonic recitation of prayer by participants joined in a circle, usually around an altar inside a temple. Earlier Mormons had practiced conventional Protestant-type prayer circles at least as early as 1833.

In mainstream Mormonism, prayer circles since 1978 are no longer practiced outside of temples, and Mormons do not take part in prayer circles except as part of a Mormon endowment ceremony."

Celtic Prayer

"The great new resurgence of celtic spirituality has already given much to christian life. Historically speaking, it is probably not too much to claim that the Celtic Church brought literacy to Europe.

Among the most precious gifts the celtic style of prayer can offer us is a sense of, first, our own centre, then our environment, and Our Lord's connection with every part of our being, and the being that surrounds us.

Celtic Prayer is about living and complete relationship. It is designed so that our mind and our feelings should follow the direction within the prayers, and that we should feel our connectedness with the innermost being and graces which our soul, and our minds touch through those words."

A Celtic Blessing

"A Celtic Blessing
May the light of your soul guide you.
May the light of your soul bless the work that you do
with the secret love and warmth of your heart.
May you see in what you do the beauty of your own soul.
May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light
and renewal to those who work with you
and to those who see and receive your work.
May your work never weary you.
May it release within you wellsprings of
refreshment, inspiration and excitement.
May you be present in what you do.
May you never become lost in bland absences.
May the day never burden.
May dawn find you awake and alert,
approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities and promises.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected.
May your soul calm, console and renew you."

Celtic Prayer

NVOCATION FOR JUSTICE
I will go in the name of God, In likeness of deer, in likeness of horse, In likeness of serpent, in likeness of king, Stronger am I than all persons. The hand of God keeping me, The love of Christ in my veins, The strong Spirit bathing me, The Three shielding and aiding me, The Three shielding and aiding me; The hand of Spirit bathing me, The Three each step aiding me.

Celtic Prayer

PRAYER

O God, listen to my prayer Let my earnest petition come to you, for I know that you are hearing me As surely as though I saw you with mine eyes. I am placing a lock upon my heart, I am placing a lock upon my thoughts, I am placing a lock upon my lips And double-knitting them. Aught that is amiss for my soul In the pulsing of my death, May you, O God, sweep it from me And may you shield me in the blood of your love. Let no thought come to my heart, Let no sound come to my ear, Let no temptation come to my eye, Let no fragrance come to my nose, Let no fancy come to my mind, Let no ruffle come to my spirit, That is hurtful to my poor body this night, Nor ill for my soul at the hour of my death; But may you yourself, O God of life, Be at my breast, be at my back, You to me as a star, you to me as a guide, From my life's beginning to my life's closing.

Celtic Prayers

GOD'S AID
God to enfold me, God to surround me, God in my speaking, God in my thinking. God in my sleeping, God in my waking, God in my watching, God in my hoping. God in my life, God in my lips, God in my hands, God in my heart. God in my sufficing, God in my slumber God in mine ever living soul, God in mine eternity.

Celtic Prayer

THOUGHTS

God's will would I do, My own will bridle; God's due would I give, My own due yield; God's path would I travel, My own path refuse; Christ's death would I ponder, My own death remember; Christ's agony would I meditate, My love to God make warmer; Christ's cross would I carry, My own cross forget; Repentance of sin would I make, Early repentance choose; A bridle to my tongue I would put, A bridle on my thoughts I would keep God's judgement would I judge, My own judgement guard; Christ's redemption would I seize, My own ransom work; The love of Christ would I feel, My own love know

THOUGHTS

God's will would I do, My own will bridle; God's due would I give, My own due yield; God's path would I travel, My own path refuse; Christ's death would I ponder, My own death remember; Christ's agony would I meditate, My love to God make warmer; Christ's cross would I carry, My own cross forget; Repentance of sin would I make, Early repentance choose; A bridle to my tongue I would put, A bridle on my thoughts I would keep God's judgement would I judge, My own judgement guard; Christ's redemption would I seize, My own ransom work; The love of Christ would I feel, My own love know.

Celtic Prayer

COME I THIS DAY
Come I this day to the Father, Come I this day to the Son, Come I to the Holy Spirit powerful; Come I this day with God, Come I this day with Christ, Come I with the Spirit of kindly balm. God, and Spirit, and Jesus, From the crown of my head To the soles of my feet; Come I with my reputation, Come I with my testimony, Come I to you, Jesu; Jesu, shelter me.

Celtic Prayer

MY SOUL'S HEALER
My soul's Healer, Keep me at even, Keep me at morning, Keep me at noon, On rough course faring, Help and safeguard My means this night. I am tired, astray, and stumbling, Shield me from snare and sin.

Celtic Prayer

"May the blessing of light be on you - light without and light within. May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire, so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it. And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, like a candle set in the window of a house, bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm. And may the blessing of the rain be on you, may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean, and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines, and sometimes a star. And may the blessing of the earth be on you, soft under your feet as you pass along the roads, soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day; and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie out under it. May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly; up and off and on its way to God. And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly. Amen."

Forms of Prayer

Forms of Prayer

When we think of prayer we often visualize someone kneeling, hands together, eyes closed, silently reciting her/his prayers. This is only one of many forms of prayer.

Reciting traditional prayers, like The Our Father, Hail Mary or The Rosary, is one way to pray and deepen our relationship with our Lord. Since we learn many traditional prayers early on and know them by heart, sometimes it takes effort to truly reflect on what we are reciting and not just go through the motions of saying the words.

Conversational prayer is like praying freestyle. Simply talk to God as if he’s right here beside you. And really, he is. Ask him for what you need. Thank him for your blessings. Share your successes, your failures, your fears, your hopes, your dreams. Ask for guidance. Pray for those you love. For those you know need to be lifted up.

We can not only go straight to our Lord with our prayers, but we also can ask all the Saints in heaven to pray for us as well. Just like we ask those we know here on earth to pray for us.

Contemplative prayer is a form of prayer where we open our mind and our heart, our whole being, to God. Contemplative prayer goes beyond thoughts, words and emotions. It is a method of internal purification that can draw us to divine union.