Prayer for Today - July 2014

[MajestyJo]

JULY

As you walk beside me, Lord,
lead me to recognise you
in all those you place into my life
this day.

From Praying Each Day

Let us pray:
If countries disagree, Lord,
and if negotiations break down,
“going to war”
has sometimes been seen
as a way of “saving face”.
In the same way,
there are times
when matters get out of hand
as individuals disagree strongly,
and feel they need to “save face”.
In my own small part of the world
may I learn ways, Lord,
of being a peacemaker,
of helping people
to see that there are alternatives
to hostility,
and there are ways
of “saving face”
in a decent and human way,
without there being
a break-up of relationships.
Help me
to be a channel of your peace
this day. Amen.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

God our Father,
in the Bible you tell me
to “choose life and not death”.
Inspire me
in the choices I will make today
- that I may choose
what is positive and life-giving
and good.
So help me to protect and defend myself
from influences that are not good.
Keep me on the right path
to choose values
that are lasting and beneficial.
Keep my eyes open
whenever there is injustice,
that I may be willing
to stand with those
who are treated unfairly,
and defend those who need support.
Deliver us, Lord, from all that is evil.
Amen.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Lord God,
may all of your creation
- from the vastness
of mighty stars and planets
to the lowliness
of the smallest living creature I can see
- remind me
to live in wonder and appreciation
of all that is around me. Amen.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

God our Father,
I can think of mistakes I have made
and the attitude
that I have sometimes had.
May I not become so independent
that I think I know it all
and no longer need others,
but may I always
have true friends around me
who are willing
to point me in the right direction.
May I be ready to apologise
when things go wrong,
and be ready to learn
from my mistakes,
finding humour in my situation
and having the ability and good sense
to laugh at myself.
May I grow in wisdom each day.
Amen.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus,
we hear you say
that, “of course”, you want to heal us
of what is not good in our lives.
Touch us today
that we may experience your healing
and the fullness of your life.
Amen.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

God our Father,
you made each of us
unique and unrepeatable.
Inspire me to live in such a way
that I respect others
and am ready to learn
from all who are part of my life
this day.
Amen.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

For all that we should have thought
and have not thought;
For all that we should have said
and have not said;
For all that we should have done,
and have not done;
we ask forgiveness, Lord.
For all that we should not have thought
but have thought;
For all that we should not have said
but have said;
For all that we should not have done,
but have done;
we ask forgiveness, Lord.
Amen

This is an excerpt from the page of this date in
‘Praying Each Day of the Year’,
a 3-volume book
by Nicholas Hutchinson, FSC.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Lord our God,
we pray for the strength
to hold to our convictions.
We pray, too,
for the courage and determination
to stand
with those who suffer from injustice.
In all that we do, Lord,
inspire us to act justly,
love tenderly,
and walk humbly with you, our God.
Amen.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Loving Lord,
these individuals we have heard about
were ordinary people.
They spent years
making choices each day
about small ordinary things.
Their positive and life-giving attitude
eventually led to serious decisions
about standing
with the poor and the underprivileged
and those treated unjustly.
Inspire us, Lord,
to choose wisely
in the ordinary circumstances
of our daily lives.
Having then chosen wisely
in small things,
inspire us
with courage and generosity
when we must make
more important decisions. Amen.

[MajestyJo]

Regular prayer not available at usual source.

This version of the Serenity prayer was sent to me by a good friend. Enjoy it.


The Serenity Prayer

GOD...
With the saying of this word, I am admitting the existence of a Higher Power; a being far greater than I.

GRANT...
With the repeating of this second word, I am admitting that a Higher Power is an authority who can bestow and give.

ME...
I am asking something for myself. If I ask, I shall be given. It is not wrong to ask for betterment of myself, for with the improvement of my character, people around me will be made happier.

the SERENITY...
I am asking for calmness, composure and peace in my life which will enable me to think straight and govern myself properly.

to ACCEPT.....
I am resigning myself to conditions as they are right now, rather than fight for how I want them to be.

the THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE...
I am accepting my lot in life as it is. Until I have the courage to change any part of my life I don't like, I must accept it without resentment.

COURAGE...
I am asking for conditions to be different, and for me to have the faith I need to make the changes in myself.

to CHANGE...
I am asking for a quality of spirit to become aware of those things I do that do not serve me in my recovery.

the THINGS I CAN...
I am asking for my Higher Power's guidance in making the right decisions. Everything in my life is not perfect, I must continue to face reality and constantly work towards continued growth and recovery.

WISDOM....
I am asking HP to give me the ability to form sound judgments in any and all matters.

to KNOW...
I want to be able to understand clearly and see the reality in any situation.

the DIFFERENCE...
I want to see things differently in my life so there can be some distinction. I need to sense a definite value in love over selfishness, where my will gets in the way of my Higher Power's will.

GOD BLESS

Posted by Lildee on another site in 2005

The Serenity Prayer has been a valuable tool in my recovery and has been a rescuer many times over, and has never grown old, never worn out, and is always there.

I embrace change today. I learned a long time ago that without it, I don't grow unless I do. I also discovered that what stood me in good stead at the beginning of my program, is no longer of service in today. Hopefully, I will continue to grow and look for new ways to connect with the God of my understanding. This prayer has been a big part of that conscious contact.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:
God our Father,
it seems obvious to many
that people of all races
and people of all religions and none
are brothers and sisters
of one another.
We ask
that justice and peace may grow
in the hearts and minds
of each individual,
that we may treat others
in the same way
as we wish to be treated.
Rather than thinking over bad things
that have happened in the past,
may we grow
in the freedom, the courage
and the generosity
to place past events into your hands.
Teach us
how to break the cycle of hatred
by being generous and caring
towards those
who have done us harm,
resisting evil
and conquering it with good. Amen.

✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥✥

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Lord,
I want to be responsible
for my own life,
and I want to make positive choices
each day.
Inspire me
to get my priorities right
and be generous
in my care and concern for others.
In busy days and casual days
remind me, too,
of my basic human need
for personal time
and quiet and space,
and lead me to respect
the personal needs
that others also have.
Amen.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Lord, I ask that you inspire me
always to do my best
- not comparing myself with others,
but only with myself.
Lead me, Lord,
to discover and use
my own talents to the full.
May I live in such a way
that I help others
to experience success,
as well as praising them
for the good use of their abilities
- looking not so much
at the degree of achievement
but at the effort put in.
Stop me from judging people
or jumping to conclusions
about them,
but lead me
to respect and accept others
for who they are,
focussing on the positive
rather than the negative.
Amen.

[MajestyJo]

4 Let us pray:

Lord,
I do not want to be selfish.
I do realise how important it is
to value and appreciate myself,
and I know
that I need genuine love for myself
if I am fully to love others.
Remind me
of the importance
of keeping time and space and quiet
for myself,
and remind me to respect
the personal needs of others, too.
Lord God,
you who call me by my name,
I thank you for making me
who I am.
Inspire me to grow
as a genuine and sincere person
with a positive attitude,
right values,
and a generous spirit. Amen.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray:

Lord, I need to keep an eye
on the small things in my life
as well as the bigger issues,
because my thoughts
become my attitude,
my attitude becomes my words,
my words become my actions,
and my actions form my character.
Be there, Lord,
in that instant before every thought,
that I may choose wisely
my thoughts and my attitude,
my words and my actions,
so that I grow
as the person you call me to be.
Amen.