(…continued) I would like to introduce you to some great old printed prayers, along with suggesting a way you can use these words by others to guide you in your own personal prayer.
Each of the prayers below are divided into individual petitions. Imagine yourself talking to Jesus, praying each printed petition, and then pausing at each ‘…’ to meditate on possible applications to your own life; to add your own prayers, expressing whatever might be on your heart; or, to just be silent before the Lord for a few moments before going on to the next petition.
The first prayer is by a relatively unknown American author from the first half of the 20th century, G. A. Shrigley. It is a nice prayer with which to begin one’s prayers, asking that God may open our hearts to His presence and guidance.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O Lord, amid the tumult of my days help me keep within my soul a holy place where you can dwell;… where your great and wondrous power can strengthen me;… a quiet place where you can speak to me, your strong and certain voice directing me…. At this time may I withdraw from all the feverish struggle and loud anger of the world and silently commune with you, my heavenly Father who comes to visit me and refresh me… Then, as I go out among others to face my daily tasks, may I still possess your inner peace so that nothing, neither life nor death, can ever lead me from you… Amen.
Next, a prayer of confession by Thomas Wilson (1663-1775).
Forgive me my sins, O Lord: the sins of my present and the sins of my past;… the sins of my soul and the sins of my body;… the sins I have done to please myself and the sins which I have done to please others…. Forgive me my casual sins and my deliberate sins,… and those which I have labored so to hide that I have hidden them even from myself… Forgive me them, O Lord, forgive them all; for Jesus’ sake… Amen.
We all just want to be happy, right? Here is a prayer for happiness, but perhaps not necessarily in the way we usually pray for it.
Make my life a happy one, O Lord… Not by shielding me from sorrow and pain, but by strengthening me to bear it if it comes… Not by taking hardship from me, but by taking all cowardice and fear from my heart as I meet hardships… Not by making my path easy, but by making me sturdy enough to tread any path… Not by granting unbroken sunshine, but by keeping my face bright even in the shadows… Not by making my life always pleasant, but by showing me where others need me most and by making me willing to be there and to help… O God, make my life a happy one… Amen.
Forgiveness is a huge theme in the Bible; not only God’s forgiveness of us, but also our need to forgive each other. Many people struggle with this command of Jesus to forgive others. Martin Luther was embroiled in controversy all his life and had many people to forgive of many wrongs done (along with Luther’s many sins against others that needed to be forgiven). Luther’s advice to those who are having a hard time forgiving someone, is to simply tell Jesus that they can’t do it– yet. Pause now to think about someone in your life that you are finding it difficult to forgive, and then pray:
My Lord Jesus, look at how my neighbor has injured me, slandered my honor with his talk, and interfered with my rights… I cannot tolerate this, and so I wish he were out of my way… O God, hear my complaint. I cannot feel kindly toward him, even though I know I should. See how cold and insensible I am. O Lord, I can’t help it, and so I stand forsaken… If you change me, Lord, I will be devout and have better thoughts. Otherwise, I must remain as I am. O dear God, change me by your grace… Amen.
This final prayer opens our hearts and minds to the eternal perspective that we receive in the Gospel. This prayer was written by Scottish pastor and theologian John Baillie (1886-1960).
Let me never think, O Eternal Father, that I am here to stay. Let me still remember that I am a stranger and pilgrim on the earth… For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come… Preserve me by thy grace, good Lord, from so losing myself in the joys of earth that I may have no longing left for the purer joys of heaven… Let not the happiness of this day become a snare to my all too worldly heart… And if, instead of happiness, I have today suffered any disappointment or defeat, if there has been any sorrow where I had hoped for joy, or sickness where I had looked for health, give me grace to accept it from Thy hand as a loving reminder that this is not my home… AMEN.
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