Prayers

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Prayer for Artists

Vienna Cobb Anderson

Bless the creators, O God of creation,
who by their gifts make the world
a more joyful and beautiful realm.
Through their labors
they teach us to see more clearly
the truth around us.
In their inspiration
they call forth wonder and awe
in our own living.
In their hope and vision
they remind us
that life is holy.
Bless all who create in your image,
O God of creation.
Pour your Spirit upon them
that their hearts may sing
and their works be fulfilling.
Amen.

[phkrause]

To Always Pray

Jim & Kaye Johns

Father, I'm praying for myself and others (name one or more) in my circle of family and friends to grow in our prayer lives...

May we be people of prayer, asking not only for our daily needs to be met but praying for others. May we ask, seek, and knock with right motives, living lives of obedience that are pleasing to You so we may receive whatever we ask. (Matthew 6:11; 1 Samuel 12:23; Matthew 7:7–8; James 4:2–3; 1 John 3:21–22)

May our prayers be set before You like incense as we pray without ceasing, praying always without giving up—boldly and with persistence. Help us come before Your throne of grace with confidence and be able to pray as Elijah prayed—fervently, effectively. May we be watchmen on the wall, standing our ground in prayer. (Psalm 141:2a; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 18:1–5; 11:5–8; Hebrews 4:16; James 5:16b; Ezekiel 33:7; Ephesians 6:10–18)

Help us pray in faith, believing we have received what we've asked because we've prayed according to Your will. May our faith be so strong it amazes You! (Mark 11:22–24; 1 John 5:14–15; Matthew 8:5–13)

Help us to grow strong in prayer. In Jesus' name, amen.

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For a Sick Child

Anonymous

Heavenly Father, watch with us over your child _____, and grant that he/she may be restored to that perfect health which it is yours alone to give; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

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Prayer for Travelers

Anonymous

For those who travel on land, on water, or in the air [or through outer space], let us pray to the Lord.
Lord, have mercy.

 

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Prayer for the Nation

Anonymous

God of ages,
in your sight nations rise and fall,
and pass through times of peril.
Now when our land is troubled,
be near to judge and save.
May leaders be led by your wisdom;
may they search your will and see it clearly.
If we have turned from your way,
help us to reverse our ways and repent.
Give us your light and your truth to guide us;
through Jesus Christ,
who is Lord of this world, and our Savior. Amen.

[phkrause]

Praise God

Psalms 150: 1-6

Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp!

Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

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Grant Us Your Salvation

Anonymous

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

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For Someone Who Is Ill

Anonymous

Almighty God our heavenly Father, graciously comfort your servant _______ in his suffering, and bless the means made use of for his cure. Fill his heart with confidence that, though at times he may be afraid, he yet may put his trust in you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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For Those Suffering From Depression

Beliefnet member Simba590

Dear Lord,
For all the times in our lives when things DO seem right,
when we have that moment of clarity
when we feel there is hope, when the sun shines down upon us
and warms our face and reminds us that
life IS a gift... we thank you Lord.
Amen

[phkrause]

Praise God

Psalms 150: 1-6

Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!

Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp!

Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

 

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For Everyday Blessings

William Webber

Dear God,
Open my eyes to the beauty of this day.
The yellow of an egg yolk in a blue bowl.
The scent of bacon frying in the pan.
The soft caress of the morning breeze.
The sound of children at play.
Awaken my senses.
Let me see, hear, and feel the beauty around me.
And be aware of the presence of the Great Artist in my everyday world.

 

ps:and for those of us who don't eat pork, just replace the bacon with stripples.

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To Have Strong Marriages

Jim & Kaye Johns

Father, I'm praying for all those in my immediate and extended family who are married (name them)...

Protect our marriages. May each husband be strong in his faith, yielded to the Lord, loving, kind, and considerate. May they all be men of prayer and students of the Word—in every way the leaders and examples they are meant to be. May they love their wives as they love their own bodies, and may their wives respect and love them. (Matthew 8:5–10; Romans 12:1; John 13:34; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Peter 3:7; Psalm 119:15; Ephesians 5:33)

May each wife be her husband's help and support, the one who makes him complete. Help them all be submissive, strong, God-fearing, generous, and wise. May their husbands have confidence in them as they watch over the household, and may their husbands and children call them blessed. (Genesis 2:18; Ephesians 5:22; Proverbs 31:25, 30b, 20, 26, 27, 28)

May husbands and wives be protected from the evil one, who wants to destroy marriages and disrupt families. Help them to live in the shelter of Your presence, protected under the refuge of Your wings. (John 17:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; John 10:10; Psalm 91:1–4, 14–16)

Keep their marriages free from the influence of the world.

In Jesus' name, amen.

 

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Prayer for God's Guidance

Sarum Breviary, 1085 C.E.

We beseech Thee, O Lord, let our hearts be graciously enlightened by Thy holy radiance, that we may serve Thee without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life; that so we may escape the darkness of this world, and by Thy guidance attain the land of eternal brightness; through Thy mercy, O blessed Lord, Who doest live and govern all things, world without end. Amen.

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Prayer for a Summer Day

Author Unknown

Long warm days...
The pace of life slows...
A time for picnics and rest in the shade...

Lord,
help me to rest a while in the cooling shade of your presence.
Slow down my restless heart and fill me with gentle compassion for all your people.
Amen.

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Lord's Prayer for the Military Wife

Unknown?

Lord, Grant me the greatness of heart to see,
the difference in duty and his love for me.
Give me the understanding to know,
That when duty calls he must go.
Give me a task to do each day,
to fill the time when he is away,
And Lord, when duty is in the field,
Please protect him and be his shield.

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Prayer for Baptism Day (Adult)

Genesis 2:18-24

Living and Loving Father,

I praise and thank You with my heart for the liberation You have given me from the clutches of sin and Satan. By Your death on the Cross of Calvary, You have put my old life with its sin and judgement to death forever, and endowed me with a new life that is abounding with joy.

Father, I commit this Baptism Day into Your most precious and loving hands. I believe that by Your crucifixion on the Cross, my old self was rendered powerless and I was freed from all sin. You were raised from the dead that I too may live a life victorious and overcoming all evil.

Father, this day, I rededicate myself to live in You and live a life for Your glory. I remember the day when I was baptized and washed off all my sins. Lord, it is Your grace that I must be counted worthy to be called Your child. Help me to keep Your commandments. Renew my strength this day that I may be strong in faith and increase in zeal. Preserve me for the glorious day of Your coming. I believe Your Word which says, "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ". Let this day be the beginning. Lead me into greater spiritual depths even in the coming days. In Jesus' precious name I pray.

Amen.

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For the Poor and Neglected

Anonymous

Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor and neglected persons whom it would be easy for us to forget: the homeless and the destitute, the old and the sick, and all who have none to care for them. Help us to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy. Grant this, Father, for the love of your Son, who for our sake became poor, Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Firefighter's Prayer

Author Unknown

When I am called to duty, God,
wherever flames may rage,
give me strength to save a life,
whatever be its age.
Help me embrace a little child
before it is too late,
or save an older person from
the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert,
and hear the weakest shout,
quickly and efficiently
to put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling,
to give the best in me,
to guard my friend and neighbor,
and protect his property.
And if according to Your will
I must answer death's call,
bless with your protecting hand,
my family one and all.

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Prayer for Life's Journey

Anonymous

O God, Who has commanded that no man should be idle, give us grace to employ all our talents and faculties in the service appointed to us; that, whatsoever our hand findeth to do, we may do it with our might. Cheerfully may we go on in the road which Thou hast marked out, not desiring too earnestly that it should be either more smooth or more wide; but daily seeking our way by Thy light, may we trust ourselves and the issue of our journey, to Thee the Fountain of Joy, and sing songs of praise as we go along. Then, O Lord, receive us at the gate of life, which Thou hast opened for us in Christ Jesus.

 

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Marriage Prayer

Heather Kopp

Dear God,
We forget sometimes that marriage started in Your mind, that it is indeed a "heavenly" idea. Make our eyes sensitive to all the good You've given in our marriage, and help us to be spouses who bring You glory. We thank You for bringing us together. We do believe, Lord, that we are one!
Amen.

 

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Rear View Mirror

Anonymous

As drivers of automobiles, we know the rear view mirrors on cars were established to assist us in identifying blind spots while driving to eliminate accidents most of the time. We can name a few times that we may not have used that rear view mirror while driving. I know I can. Why do we use the rear view mirror more often in life than we do while driving? We often keep watch over the things that may have happened in the past more often than we should. We give those situations and circumstances more attention than we do what is happening in the present and what we are expecting to take place in the future. Why is that? Do we feel because of our past mistakes we are not worthy to have a promising future? Do we have a hard time letting go? Do we have difficulty forgiving others and ourselves? Yes, we do. How do we overcome this obstacle, take the leap of faith and move forward into what has been prepared for us? We must learn how to use the rear view mirror of life as a tool to be used to remember lessons learned, not to dwell on and get stuck reliving the same mistakes. We must begin to understand that we are not perfect people and the mistakes that are made in life can be used to make us stronger and wiser. It’s time to stop looking back in your life’s rear view mirror, turn around and look forward. Let’s start today. How can you see where you are going when you are always looking back?

Father God, give me the ability to let go of the mistakes I have made in the past, forgive myself and others. Teach me to stop looking back and start looking forward to what You have prepared for me.

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College-Bound Blessing

Linda Shepherd

I have held you close. Now as you fly into
adulthood, bound to open books and discover
worlds, I release you. But not without one final
prayer: Prosper not only in your studies, but
prosper in knowing God more richly.

I will not be there to catch you when you fall. But
God will catch you when I can't.
Depend on Him and learn to trust Him.
You are not alone. Knowing this,
my empty nest will not seem so lonely.
My heart will soar as I watch you take wing.

 

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To Live in Obedience

Jim & Kaye Johns

Father, I'm praying for (name one or more) and others in my circle of family or friends to choose to live in obedience to the Word...

Help them be those who faithfully obey You. May they desire to obey You and what You ask of us in Your Word as an expression of their love for Jesus. Your Word says we are slaves to what we obey, so I ask You to help them become slaves to obedience, the obedience that leads to right living and holiness. (Deuteronomy 28:11a; John 14:15; Romans 6:16, 18, 19b)

Open their eyes to see the wonderful truths of the Bible, and teach them to choose the way of truth, setting their hearts to live as You say we should live. May they be eager to learn what You want them to do, for You have set their hearts free! (Psalm 119:18, 30, 32)

Teach them to follow Your commands; help them to understand them. Give them the desire to obey You with all their hearts. Take away their foolish desires. (Psalm 119:33–34, 37)

May they love You and follow Your commands, for they're not too difficult. In every weakness, Christ, who was obedient even to death, is their strength! And You'll be faithful to bring them through every temptation. (1 John 5:2; Philippians 4:13; 2:8b; 1 Corinthians 10:13)

In Jesus' name, amen.

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Prayer for Meaningful Work

Vienna Cobb Anderson

Loving God, you made us co-creators in the process of your creation, blessing us with wisdom, reason, creativity, and skill. Bless all who seek meaningful employment that they may provide for the well-being of their families. Let those who have more than they need for life's necessities be moved to use their wealth to create new opportunities for others. Let those who have skills be open to sharing the riches of their knowledge with those who seek the opportunity to learn. Let us all learn from one another, for you have blessed every human being with a gift for the benefit of the common good. And thereby enable us by the power of your Holy Spirit to build up the body of Christ on this earth that your name be proclaimed and blessed through the good work of all; in Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

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Prayer for Those With Dementia

Vienna Cobb Anderson

Pour your grace, O loving God,
upon all suffering with dementia.
It is frustrating
not to find a word;
it is fearful
to lose one's memories.
Bless them with patience,
a loving and supporting family,
and days of hope and accomplishment.
In Christ's name we pray.
Amen.