God's Word on That

Tag: god

  • Prayer For Graces

    St Francis of Assisi, the most beloved of all saints, gives us the immortal words of humility and kindness.

    O Lord our Messiah, may we have Your mind and Your Spirit. Make us instruments of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury pardon; where there is discord, union; 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 we 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 ourselves pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

    O heavenly Father, in whom we live and move and have our being: take from us all pride and vanity, all boasting and forwardness, and give us the true strength that shows itself by gentleness, true understanding that shows itself by simplicity, and true wisdom that shows itself by humility. O Father, who has filled the world with beauty: open our eyes to behold Your gracious hand in all Your works, that rejoicing in Your whole creation we may learn to serve You with gladness. Give us grace to be generous toward others and stern with ourselves.

    When we draw near to You, dearest Father, deliver us from coldness of heart and wandering of mind, that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections we may worship You in spirit and in truth as You deserve. Hear our prayers, O Lord, and consider our desires. Give unto us true humility, a meek and quiet spirit, a loving, friendly, holy and useful manner of life, bearing the burdens of our neighbors, denying ourselves, and studying to benefit others and to please You in all things. Grant us to be gentle and easy to be entreated, slow to anger, and readily prepared for every good work.

    Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. I am weak in faith; strengthen me. I am cold in love; warm me; at times I doubt and am unable to trust You altogether, renew my trust in You. Take from me all doubt and mistrust. Lift my thoughts up to You in heaven and make me to know that all things are possible to us who believe in Your Son, our Redeemer.

  • Prayer For Courage

    Nowhere in Scripture do we find anyone praying for courage. “Lord, give me courage to face this situation.” God tells us multiple times to “be of good courage” (Deuteronomy 31:6, 7, 23; Joshua 1:6-9; 2 Chronicles 32:7), but never “ask Me for courage”. Even Jesus exhorted His disciples, “Take courage” (Matthew 14:27; Mark 6:50). I can only think then that courage is on our part, while strength and wisdom and fortitude come to us from our Heavenly Father.

    Be of good courage and He will strengthen your heart. Wait I say on the Lord. (Psalm 27:14)

    O God, make me ready to face what I must – prepared, trained, unafraid, willing – in the faith that if I do my utmost, my effort will not be lost. O God, with whom nothing shall be impossible: please teach me to build my courage, so I may meet whatever You send me with serenity and peace, and never fail to think brave thoughts, to speak brave words, and to do brave deeds. I ask this in the name of Him who died for me, my Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

    Dear Father in heaven, I come to You and ask Your divine protection and gracious guidance. By the precious blood of Your Son You have bought me and made me Your own. You have assured me that the very hairs of my head are all numbered. Trusting in Your promise and relying on Your grace I confidently ask You to guard me against all danger and deliver me from all evil of body and soul. Yet it is Your will and not my own that I would serve.

    O Jesus, my Redeemer, let me never forget what it cost You to redeem me, so that the memory of Your bitter suffering and death may keep me from sin and wickedness. Wash me daily in Your blood, cleanse me from all my transgressions and iniquities, and by Your grace enable me to follow in Your footsteps, so You never need to be ashamed of me.

    O Holy Ghost, strengthen me in the hour of temptation. Keep me pure in heart and chaste in body, obedient to my superiors, considerate to all my fellow warriors in Christ, a living example of true Christian faith.

    O God of my salvation, let me be and remain Your own in time and eternity. Amen.

  • Prayer For Our Neighbors

    Eternal Father, enthroned in suns and stars yet near to the lowly and the contrite, hear us now as we pray, not for ourselves but for our neighbors.

    Let us pray for those around us. We are the light in our own personal sphere.

    As You have been mindful of us, so make us always mindful of You, for our times are in Your hands. Lord of the secret soul, who knows our infirmities before we ask and our blindness in the asking, we pray for all needy ones. Come like dawn upon all sadness, as a cool hand upon fevered sickness, as springs of water in deserts of despair, and be pleased, we pray, to hold our loved ones in Your care.

    Lord of the whole earth, govern our land and guide our leaders that we may be saved from low appeals to passion and fear, and instead be dedicated to the Spirit given through Your Son. Let vested interest wane and advocacy see beyond pure personal gain. Above all, help our elected officials to refrain from self-serving and to commit themselves to those things that benefit us all. Please preserve our commitment to the common good, give us joy in our citizenship, and confidence in our future.

    Most loving God, there are some who look up to me, and so I look up to You. They learn from me, and I need to be enlightened so what they learn may be only what is right and true. O God my Father, who gives food for the body and truth for the mind, so enlighten and nourish me that I may grow wise and strong to do Your will.

    O Lord of the harvest, I earnestly pray that You will send out workers into Your harvest field.

  • Prayer For A Blessed Day

    O Lord, I pray please bless all I do this day. Accept it as an act of worship and give me grace to find You in every task and duty, however small or dull it may seem to be.

    Let us take time to ask for the Lord’s blessing on our day.

    Lord, this is all my desire – to walk along the path of life You have appointed me, in steadfastness of faith, in meekness of spirit, and in gentleness of love. And because outward events have such power to scatter my thoughts and disturb the inward peace in which alone I can hear Your Spirit, please calm and settle my soul by that power which alone can bring all thoughts and desires into captivity to Christ Jesus.

    Lord God, You told me: in repentance [turning to You] and rest [abiding in You] is my salvation; and in quietness [listening for You] and in confidence [knowing You will act] is my strength. So, I turn to You, O my God, and I quietly wait for You (Isaiah 30:15).

    O God, in the midst of turmoil and confusion, when a dozen things must be done at once, when I am at the breaking point, please reach forth a steadying hand. May I find again that in quietness and confidence my strength will appear – for there I will find You. May laughter come with its saving grace, laughter which rises from a heart at peace with You.

    Keep me from inner anger, O Lord, so my words and deeds may not hinder those who need encouragement and strength. Nurture truth and generosity in me and keep me in the light of Your Presence this day.

    I am a wise person, so I turn away from anger; a fool gives full vent to anger but I am a wise person, and I keep myself under control (Proverbs 29:8, 11). Through Jesus Christ living in me, and by His power, I am quick to hear, slow to speak, and even slower to anger (James 1:19).

    O Lord, full of love and mercy, please enable me to be careful of the feelings of others. Let me beware of the hasty word, the prying question, and the indelicate allusion that hurt worse than a blow. Show me how to put the shy one at ease, and to dole out confidence by words of kindness and true interest. Keep me from blundering into the sacred paces of others. Bestow on me keen insight, that I may see at once the fitting thing to do. For Jesus’ sake I pray. Amen.

    Heavenly Father, please give me the tongue of the learned that I may know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary (Isaiah 50:4).

  • Prayer For Personal Protection

    The well-known “Breastplate Prayer” of St. Patrick has seven stanzas of invoking blessings on oneself to be empowered by God’s strength. The most famous of the stanzas states trust in God to protect a person while living a godly life.

    I arise today, through
    The strength of God to pilot me,
    The might of God to uphold me,
    The wisdom of God to teach me,
    The eye of God to watch over me,
    The ear of God to hear me,
    The word of God to give me speech,
    The hand of God to protect me,
    The shield of God to shelter me,
    The host of God to defend me against
    The snares of devils,
    Temptation of the world, and
    Everyone who mediates injury to me
    Whether far and near.

    I summon today
    All these powers between me and those evils,
    Against every cruel and merciless power
    that may oppose my body and soul,
    Against incantations of false prophets,
    Against black laws of pagandom,
    Against false laws of heretics,
    Against craft of idolatry,
    Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
    Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul;
    Christ to shield me today
    Against poison, against burning,
    Against drowning, against wounding,
    So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

    St. Paul wrote of putting on the “Armor of God” in his letter to the Ephesians (6:11) to fight sin and evil inclinations. In this day and age we don’t wear armor while living our daily lives, but the Breastplate Prayer can function as divine armor for protection against spiritual adversity.

  • Forms of Prayer

    We fail when we try to obey God in our own power.  We were never called to live this supernatural life by natural means!

    Different forms, but all are communication.

    In Fr Peter John Calmeron’s book, Lord, Teach Us To Pray, he writes:

    Prayer purifies and refines our life as it filters out the distractions, deceptions, and delusions of the world.  Prayer alerts us that we are not alone in this life of faith. For prayer not only draws us close to God, but it unites us to every other holy one who loves God as we do.  Prayer gently reminds us God can never be reached by thoughts alone.  It is only through lived love that God can be reached.  We need the embrace of prayer to find the truth and happiness for which we never stop searching.

    The mysterious encounter of prayer takes five basic forms: 

    1. Adoration exalts the greatness of God, the Creator and Sustainer, in the spirit of humility and homage.  The gracious generosity of God compels us to bless the One who remains the source of every blessing in life.
    2. Petition acknowledges our dependency on God the Father, especially as it prompts us to turn back to Him in a spirit of repentance and contrition, asking for forgiveness.
    3. Intercession is prayer through which we entrust ourselves to God’s mercy, especially by placing before the Father the concerns of others in need.
    4. Thanksgiving is prayer that gives voice to the gratitude that befits every mature and honest person, especially as it calls to mind the redeeming deeds of Jesus that saved us and set us free.
    5. Praise, as the Catechism explains, “lauds God for His own sake and gives Him glory, quite beyond what He does, but simply because He is.”

    In short, these five different forms of prayer enable us to love God for what He has created, for His compassionate mercy, for His presence and assistance in our lives, for His redemptive tenderness, and for God Himself.

    NEVER forget the power of prayer, for it is the very foundation that enables us to go from faith to faith and glory to glory!

  • After This Manner Pray

    Andrew Murray’s study on the model prayer Jesus gave us covers the basic points we need to remember while reciting it. (Matthew 6:9).

    First is the wonderful revelation that the Son came to earth to make: His Father is also our Father. The knowledge of God’s father-love is the highest lesson, calling for a personal relationship to the living God. And, in true worship, the Father must be all – only as we yield ourselves to be led of Him will the Father be hallowed in our lives.

    Remember: the heir of the King has no higher ambition than the glory of his father’s kingdom. So the coming of the kingdom is the one great event on which the revelation of the Father’s glory and salvation of the world both depend. So the Master teaches us to pray for it.

    The Master then teaches us to ask that God’s Will be done in the spirit of adoring submission and ready obedience. Faith accepts the Father’s love; obedience accepts the Father’s Will. Consecration to God and His Will gives wonderful liberty in prayer for temporal things; the whole earthly life is given into His loving care.

    As bread is the first need of the body, so forgiveness is the first need for the soul. In each prayer I make, I must be able to say “I know of no one whom I do not heartily love.” [Not easily said for this author, much less for me to actually do…] In three petitions all our personal needs are comprehended. Prayer for bread and pardon must be accompanied by surrender to live in holy obedience to the Father’s Will. The believing prayer in everything is to be kept by the power of the indwelling Spirit from the power of the evil one.

    Therefore, let His Name and Kingdom and Will have first place in our love to Him. Then His providing and pardoning and keeping love will be our sure portion. Such prayer will indeed be an interchange of love, always bringing us back in trust and worship to Him who is not only the Beginning but also the End.

  • Jesus’ First Lesson

    Andrew Murray’s first lesson for us on prayer is that Jesus directs us to speak to “Our Father”.

    God our Father knows our needs, and He is more than willing to provide – upon our asking.

    The chief thing Jesus teaches is the “Fatherliness” of God. Three times He uses the name Father. Jesus directs us to meet our Father as the first and primary thing in prayer. Thus each thought or petition we breathe out will be simple, heartfelt, childlike trust in the Father.

    As a father pities his child, so the Lord pities us. Do not be thinking of how little you have to bring to God, but of how much He wants to give you. The Father’s exceptional loving heart will give light and warmth to you. Depend upon it. Not on strong or fervent feeling of prayer does the blessings depend, but upon the love and power of the Father to whom we entrust our needs.

    “My Father knows I need it and must have it. And if there be any delay in the answer, it will teach me in quiet perseverance to simply hold on.” Sometimes we just need to be still and remind ourselves: “My Father sees, my Father hears, my Father knows.”

    Our highest joy is to know the Father rewards our faith; it’s our highest strength day by day. Knowing the Father sees my needs gives me liberty to bring every need to Him in the assurance that He supplies according to His riches.

  • The Model For All Prayer

    The model or form of all prayer, the inspiration for all praying, was given by Jesus to His disciples. If it can be taught, it is a skill that can be learned.

    Whenever you pray, say: Father, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation (Luke 11:2-4).

    What a treasure our Lord Jesus gave us when His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Once you learn to pray there is nothing, absolutely nothing, sweater than knowing you have touched the hem of His garment in prayer. It’s healing! It’s renewing! It brings a quietness and a confidence that flows over your soul like the balm of Gilead. (Kay Arthur)

    Thanks to Jesus, every single principle of prayer can be condensed into several simple sentences so we can remember them easily. The Lord’s Prayer is a collection of index sentences covering every element of prayer. When you follow principle by principle, you find yourself covering every possible aspect of prayer. Every requirement for prayer, every element of worship and praise, every perspective of intercession and petition is covered in this prayer model. It is the true pattern for all praying.

    Our Father in heaven [Worship]. Your name is holy [Allegiance]. Your kingdom come [Submission]. Your will be done here as there [Petition and Intercession]. Give us today our daily bread [Stating Need]. Forgive us our sins and teach us to forgive also [Confession]. Lead us away from temptation [Deliverance]. Deliver us from the evil one [Protection]. Yours is the glory and honor and power and might both now and forever {Thanksgiving and Praise].

    Do not be anxious about being clever or eloquent. By now you know there is nothing eloquent about my writing or my speech, yet God uses it. So relax. Let God give you insight. Then practice what you learn in prayer.

    Keep your prayer simple, short, and to the point. God doesn’t hear better just because we pray longer.

  • Praying As Jesus Taught Us

    I found a paraphrase of the “Our Father” given by St. Francis of Assisi.

    Our Father — most holy, Creator and Redeemer, Savior and Comforter.

    Who art in heaven — in the angels and saints; You give them light so they may have knowledge; You, O Lord of Light, inflame them so they may live; You, O Lord of Love, live continuously in them and fill them so they may be happy; You, O Lord, are the supreme good, the eternal good, and it is from You that all good comes, and without You no good is.

    Hallowed be Thy name — may our knowledge of You become ever clearer, so we realize the extent of Your benefits, the steadfastness of Your promises, the sublimity of Your majesty, and the depths of Your judgments.

    Your Kingdom come — so You may reign in us by Your grace and bring us to Your kingdom where we shall see You clearly, love You perfectly, be blessed in Your company, and enjoy You forever.

    Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven — so we may love You with our whole heart by always thinking of You; with our whole mind by directing our whole intention toward You and seeking Your glory in all things; and with all our strength by spending all our powers and affections of soul and body in the service of Your love alone; and may we love our neighbors as ourselves, encouraging them to love You as best we can; rejoicing at their good fortunes as if it were our own; and sympathizing with their misfortunes, while giving offense to no one.

    Give us this day our daily bread — that is, Your own beloved Son, our Lord Jesus, to remind us of the love He showed for us and to help us understand and appreciate it and everything He did or said or suffered.

    And forgive us our debts — in Your infinite mercy, and by the power of the passion of Your Son, together with the merits and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all Your saints.

    As we forgive those who have debts against us — and if we do not forgive perfectly, Lord, make us forgive perfectly, so we may indeed love our enemies for love of You, and pray fervently to You for them, returning no one evil for evil, anxious to serve everybody in You.

    And lead us not into trials and temptations — hidden or obvious, sudden or unforeseen; deliver us from all evils, past, present, and to come.

    Amen — So be it.