C o n t a c t

 S i t e

 L i n k s

Life Journey Reflections » Prayers

Prayers

Dear God,

As I lay in bed that night, lost in my thoughts and confusion, I heard a voice from deep within – a voice that I remembered from my childhood – only then, I didn’t know it was you.

“I am here, I am all around you, you are not alone, and you are no longer a victim”

Your embracing words have liberated me from the foggy place I was in. I knew it was time.
I now know the “Seed of Christ” was already planted in me as a child; it just needed the right conditions to grow. Lying dormant for twenty-five years or more – is that possible?

Sometimes a tree seed needs harsh treatment to germinate - fire, cold, acid or abrasion. Maybe it was the same for my seed – hard to explain in human terms.

The sin I committed twelve years ago – the sin that has plagued me all this time – was that the work of Satan abusing my free will? Did Satan not know my seed was already there? Did he not realize if he hurt me he would hurt my seed and thus encourage Christ to grow in me? I do not need answers right now, for I know I am forgiven. But maybe one day you will be able to help me understand this long journey I have taken to reach you. Your presence within me, gave me courage to fight back. You gave me fortitude, even if I didn’t know it then. For that I am eternally grateful.

I cannot thank enough my husband John for believing in me at this time. Had he let me go I would probably never have made a journey this far. Thank you for helping him along a path that was very painful for him to tread.

My seed suffered, but my seed was strong, my seed was viable, it was blessed by Christ. It had the power to overcome the enemy. It remained in me. It lasted the journey with me. It was waiting, waiting for the light to reach it.

It needed a messenger to deliver this light. Someone to guide me in the latter stages of my journey. You took me to him through John. You could foresee at last your master plan coming to fruition. (Thank you Graeme. Thank you for the gentle nudges! Thank you for all your guidance. I am very grateful.)

My seed is no longer dormant. My seed has started to grow and as I head out of that once darkened room into the light – it is here that I can nurture this seedling and watch it develop into something beautiful. I feel like a child, waiting with great anticipation, waiting with a pounding heart… but I know I need to be patient. It will need protection from adversities, it will need the right conditions to flourish within me, but with your guidance I believe we can make this happen together.

My thirst for knowledge about you is somewhat hard to comprehend right now, even if it does feel so right to search. I find great comfort in reading about you even if sometimes I don’t fully understand all I read. And although I don’t know what lies ahead, I pray you will guide me along the right track and help me in any way you can to understand the Christian Faith.

In return I will give you my total commitment, my devotion and practice all I believe to be right to the best ability I can.

I feel blessed to know you at last.

Suzy

Ps Will you please help me sleep tonight by giving me the strength to resist temptation in picking up another book!
Thankyou

Suzie P
30/07/10

Dear Lord

My heart unfolds to You with all my burning desire
To thank You for your immeasurable love
To thank You for your ever presence
That makes me soar beyond my wildest dreams.
And when I am rendered speechless
I take comfort in your rich embrace
That shields me from the outer shell
To bring me to your inner shell
No words are needed, just love
Just love and comforting thoughts
Ears open but speechless
Listening to love
Feeling love
Giving love
Help me to rest in that love
In the name of Jesus Christ Our Lord
Amen

Suzie P
22/10/10

I will listen to you with all my heart
And seek your guidance in times of doubt
I will let my heart be open
And fear you in all Your glory.

I will let my eyes search for those in need
Let my voice speak in comforting words
I will listen to the lost
And pray for those that seek light.

I will not neglect the lonely
And love the loveless with all my heart
I will spare the time for those that hear not
And lend an eye for those that see not

I will not stray from the narrow path
Nor let my heart be weakened by the blind
I will remain a faithful servant
Unto the day of eternity

(Inspired by Matt. 13)

Suzie P

·A Prayer, When you Cannot Pray:
O my Father, I have moments of deep unrest--
Moments when I know not what to ask
for reason of the very excess
of my wants.
I have in these hours no words for You;
no conscious prayers for You.
My prayer seems purely worldly;
I want only the wings of a dove that
I may flee away.

Yet all the time
You have accepted my unrest as a prayer
You have interpreted its cry for a dove's
wings as a cry for You,
You have received the nameless
longing of my heart as the intercessions
of Your Spirit.

They are not yet the intercessions of my spirit.

I know not what I ask.
But You know what I ask, O my God.
You know the name of that need which
lies beneath my speechless groan.
You know that, because I am made in Your
image, I can find rest only in what gives
rest to you;

Therefore You have counted my unrest
unto me for righteousness and have
called my groaning Your Spirit's prayer.

Amen.

Because you prayed:
Because you prayed...
God touched our weary bodies with His power,
and gave us strength for many a trying hour
in which we might have faltered, had not you,
our intercessors, faithful been and true.

Because you prayed...
God touched our lips with coals from altar fire.
gave Spirit fullness, and did so inspire
that when we spoke, sin-blinded souls did see;
sin chains were broken; captives were made free.

Because you prayed...
the "dwellers in the dark" have found the light.
the glad Good News has banished heathen night;
the message of the cross so long delayed,
bas brought them life at last - because you prayed.

Thank you Lord
for the freedom You give me,
for my clear renewed consciousness.
Help me Lord
to be strong in Your freedom,
and not to take on a bondage.
Give me wisdom
to know if it is a bondage,
or if my brother is just weak.
- Elizabeth Sunderland

A Mother's Prayer:
Father in Heaven, make me wise,
So that my gaze may never meet
A question in my children's eyes;
God keep me always kind and sweet.

And patient, too, before their need;
Let each vexation know its place,
Let gentleness be all my creed,
Let laughter live upon my face!

A mother's day is very long,
There are so many things to do!
But never let me lose my song
Before the hardest day is through.

I got up early one morning
and rushed right into the day,
I had so much to accomplish
that I didn't have time to pray;
Problems came tumbling about,
and heavier came every task.
Why doesn't God me? I wondered,
He answered - "You didn't ask."

I wanted to see joy and beauty,
but the day dragged on,
grey and bleak.
I wondered why God didn't show me.
He said - "But you didn't seek."

I tried to come into God's presence;
I used all the keys at the lock,
God gently and lovingly chided -
"My child, you didn't knock."

I woke up early this morning
and paused before entering the day,
I had so much to accomplish that
I HAD TO TAKE TIME TO PRAY.

Tears in Prayer: G.D. 1985
Oh the cleansing flow of tears in prayer,
As we at last, lay ourselves, bare
Healing comes with blest relief,
Gone are the thoughts of unbelief.

Oh the cleansing flow of tears in prayer,
How they make my soul aware,
Of the deep and reaching love,
That only comes from God above.

Oh the cleansing flow of tears in prayer,
They bring sweet fragrances to the air,
It lingers now, and we grasp hold,
The feeling now in us, is bold.

Lord, bring me back to this place again,
Fill my life and take the pain,
Let me see that through it all,
You only want my all in all.

I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for you or laid aside for you;
exalted for you or brought low for you;
let me be full, let me be empty;
let me have all things, let me have nothing;
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine and I am yours,
to the glory and praise of your name. Amen.

A world in which faith comes hard:
Lord,
we pray for this modern world
in which faith comes hard,
where people find it difficult
to raise their eyes
above the material things
which are so necessary to life.

We pray for those
who find it hard to believe
because they have too many things,
and for those who find it hard
because they haven't enough.

We pray for those
who have more to eat than they need,
and those who are dying from lack of food.

We pray for parents
who, because of their poverty,
and a lack of concern on the part of others,
must watch their children die.

We pray for those
who suffer from disease, from confusion
and guilt, from depression and fear.

We pray for those
who face each day with dread,
because their lives are so dominated
by the power of others.

We pray for those
who are so lonely that life is robbed
of all loveliness and hope.

Lord, we pray because our love for you
is a love for One whose compassion
embraces all human suffering.

We pray because you are in our midst,
and have made people in their need
present to us, and us aware of them.

We pray because you call us as
your disciples to reach out from ourselves
to all our fellow human beings.

Amen

A Trilogy in Prayer

Sweet Spirit of God,
My heart cries out of its depths to know you more,
To be close to your touch.
To be swept away by you
If but for a moment
And to be embalmed in your love tide
that is a salve to my very soul.

Beautiful Jesus my Saviour
I take you at your word
when you said you would bear up my stumbling
prayers to your Father,
Even though at times my mouth opens and
through grief and pain no words come out.

Gracious Father, take these my words or
whatever from Jesus, treat me mercifully
as you said you would and accept me,
I pray, as me, in my unworthiness.
And I know that because of your son Jesus
you see in my wretchedness a beautiful creation.

I humbly pray,
Amen.

G. Dawson

Lord, you are my strength,
How can I understand the calm that
surrounds me.

Lord, I praised you then, and I will now,
How can I? I say in the circumstances.

Lord, I love you, you know,
Is this you strengthening that love?

Lord, I rest in knowing

You are in control.

24/10/85 G. Dawson

A Prayer of St Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me show love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled, as to console;
Not so much to be understood as
To understand;
Not so much to be loved
As to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
It is in dying that we awaken to Eternal Life.

© Focal Point Yarra Valley 2009