Prayer to just "be"

       
                    In the misty gloom of the woods today, I suddenly discovered a moment to just be.  I was able to breathe in the all-too-rare silence and experience the peace of the real world that is Creation. I spend too much time inhaling and absorbing the noise of the artificial world, the world that doesn't contain You, the world that chips away at my soul. YES, there are exponential multiples of grief and need in that other world, the one that I live in ~ war, poverty, brutality, hunger, anger, and so   many   -isms.  I get lost in trying to sort out where I'm called first.  And yet, there are as many moments of love and beauty ~ grandchildren, family, friends, music, art, nature, and, even memories.  Today, I remembered You and took a moment to just be in the real world where there is always You.  I must come back more often for quiet, peace, solace, joy, and soul-fueling for the other place.  Maybe I can even learn to bring more of You with me.   amen. 

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution

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Prayer for Feeling Helpless

                          OMG, All I can do is wait.     Waiting is one of the most difficult things in life to do.  I cannot help.  I cannot do anything useful. I cannot change the outcome.  All I can do is wait.  Please help me get out of what I'm feeling and be available for what is coming.  The clock is ticking; the time is passing, what is the answer?  OMG, help me DO whatever is best.  Help me get out of the way and BE what and where I'm needed.  amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as

they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayer for Bitter Weather

                     Dear Ruler of the Universe ~ how do we cope with such extreme weather?  Please send your warming grace to those whose very lives are at stake from homelessness and poverty in this brutal, frigid weather.  We pray also for those who respond to their needs by being outdoors - Firefighters, EMTs, Paramedics, Police.  Care for those whose livelihoods also require them to be outside - postal workers, utility workers and repairers, sea rescuers, and all others we can't name.  Bless all the caregivers who are doing what they can to care for the elderly, the sick, and others not able to care for themselves. Where it is flooding, let the waters recede. Where the wind howls, may it be calmed.  And where the ice overwhelms, let the thaw be gentle. Please help us keep the heat on, the pipes warm, and the children safe.  Dear Lord, we beseech You.   Amen. Amen.    

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution

as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People: Epiphany!

              EPIPHANY! 

      The dictionary definition is a sudden intuitive understanding; an appearance of God. For Christians, it is the celebration of the sudden appearance or manifestation of Jesus.  The traditional image for many are the "Three Kings", the "Magi", or "The Wise Men" who traveled to present their offerings in recognition of the Divinity of the Infant and unwittingly giving Herod a heads up that something dangerous to his power was nearby.  The travelers' gifts were symbolic of their understanding of the momentous occasion of the long-awaited birth of the King of the Jews:  gold to symbolize Kingship, the sweet burning frankincense honors the Child's Divinity, and the bitter myrrh as a foretelling of what is to come. 

        Once a significant marker of the end of the Christmas season as the Twelfth Night, in recent times the "holiday" celebration of Epiphany is more often merely a mention on the calendar. There is the occasional parish that centers on children and youth searching for the token inside a "Three Kings Cake."  It's time for us to engage again.  The glory of God is with us!  Let us each experience an Epiphany and grow along with this Holy Child.  Find the Light of Christ, even if only a single beam, and Follow.  Where is the Star leading YOU?

Prayers of the People 2^nd Sunday after Christmas, Readings for Epiphany

Readings:  Is 60:1-6; Ps 72:1-7, 10-14; Ephesians 3:1-12; Mt 2:1-12

~ Holy Child of God, the darkness of our past is pierced by the brightness of Your dawn.  Lift our eyes to see, and open our hearts to feel the blessings of Your Radiance.

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, You have come to us that we may rejoice in the blessings You bring and flourish in Your love as we humbly and gratefully serve You. 

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, the Wisest of the Wise came to You with profound joy to acknowledge this auspicious Birth.  May those who govern in our names also come to You to receive and deliver Your Rich Wisdom to this world with peace, justice, and mercy, and rid the world of brutality, poverty, and despair.  We pray especially for those we have elected for our local and national positions: (add your petitions here) 

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, shine Your Healing Light on those who are ill and on those who love and care for them. Shield them from fear and pain and guide them to Your peace and comfort.  We pray especially for: (add your petitions here) 

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, even in our Joy at Your Sacred Birth, we are saddened by the loss of those we love.  Shepherd us through our grief and warm our hearts with Your Grace until we come to know that those we mourn live again with You. We prayer especially for: (add your petitions here) 

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, sanctify the Leaders of Your Church and give them Your Vision and Strength to defend the poor and provide deliverance to the needy.  Let Your Leaders enfold and embolden the rest of us to live our lives in order to prosper all of Your People, for Your Glory and with all confidence in our Faith in You.  We pray especially for:  (add your petitions here) 

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

~ Holy Child of God, we know we are precious in Your sight.  Let us feel the Love in Your Holy Heart written on our own from the rising of Your Star until the moon is no more.

Blessed Child, Your Star has risen! All the Glory of God is upon You and through You to all of us together.

 

The Celebrant adds:  Blessed and Holy Child of God, Your Glittering Star shows itself again as the Compass for our lives.  Let us follow the Light of Your Guidance to fulfill God’s Perfect Mystery for our lives and seek the bold path that will lead us to Eternal Life.  We ask this through Your Grace and for the Glory of God and the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  

 

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution

as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

 

 

Prayer for the Time of Waiting

A   N   T   I   C   I    P   A   T   I   O   N

   What is calling you to just wait?  Out of work, new baby, test results, the next paycheck, loan approval, diagnosis, good news, bad news, someone to love you, delayed flight...Will you cope, accept, deny, light up, flame out, smile, cry...tick,tick,tick,tick,tick,tick,tick...

Holy Spirit, Breath of God ~ breathe Your gentleness into my worried heart, my anxious head, my shaking hands.  As I inhale You deeply and slowly into my body and hold  1,   2,   3,   4,   5,   6  Your lightness fills my soul and soothes the fever of my impatience. As I exhale deeply and slowly out  1,   2,   3,   4,   5,   6     the turbulence of uncertainty is calmed and the ticking of time passing is quieter.  I repeat this process as long as I must while Your soothing presence enfolds me; Your cooling countenance carries me.  Whatever the outcome, You walk with me and strengthen my resolve.  Breathe on me Breath of God, fill me with life anew...  

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com.

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution

as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayer for a New Year's Resolution

              That well-known Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr asks for the "Serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference." 

              The 13th century poet Rumi says "Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself." 

              Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban say in a song from the show A Chorus Line, "Kiss today goodbye, the sweetness and the sorrow...[and] point me toward tomorrow." 

               My prayer for a New Year's Resolution is:

Dear Lord, help me with all of the above

and let all that I do be in Your name and with Your love. 

Amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

The Prayers of the People ~ 1st Sunday after Christmas

These more formal prayers have been composed for Liturgical (Worship) in a Sunday service.  I hope that you will find them useful for

personal prayer or small group meditation or in your congregation.  Feel free to use and share with attribution.

If you have any questions, see the end of this page for more information.

             We're tired but still celebrating.  The "Reason for the Season" has arrived and we are still shouting out our joy and excitement.  But as with much of life, the subtle change in tone that we see in the Gospel of Matthew gives a hint of the future, and, we just may not see it until we look back. 

 

THE PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE – First Sunday after Christmas Day 

Readings:  Isaiah 63:7-9; Ps 148:1-14; Hebrews 2:10-18; Matthew 2:13-23

 

~ Holy Sanctifier, You have come to us and call us Your sisters and brothers.  You come to help all children of Abraham.

 

Jesus our Brother, Jesus our Savior, we praise your holy name.  We praise you, Lord from the Heavens!

~ Holy Sanctifier, You are incarnated from the abundance of God’s steadfast love.  You become like us through God’s mercy to destroy the power and fear of death. 

Jesus our Brother, Jesus our Savior, we praise your holy name.  We praise you, Lord from the Heavens!

~ Holy Sanctifier, our merciful and faithful High Priest, guide those who govern in this world in the ways of Justice, Mercy, and Freedom from wars among all peoples.  We pray especially for our local and national representatives: (add your own petitions here)

Jesus our Brother, Jesus our Savior, we praise your holy name.  We praise you, and serve you, Lord from the Heavens!

~ Holy Sanctifier, lay Your healing hands on all who are ill and their caregivers.  Give us, your sisters and brothers, hope in our distress and the release from pain, fear, and sadness.  We pray especially for: (add your own petitions here)

 

Jesus our Brother, Jesus our Savior, we praise your holy name.  We praise you, and beseech you, Lord from the Heavens!

 

~ Holy Sanctifier, we, with Rachel, weep for those who have left this earthly plane to live in eternal love and glory.  Hold us close in our grief and save us in this time of trial.  We pray especially for: (add your own petitions here)

Jesus our Brother, Jesus our Savior, we praise your holy name.  We praise you, our Consoler from the Heavens!

~ Holy Sanctifier, bestow Your Grace-filled Wisdom on the leaders of Your Church as they work together and with us, the People of Your Church, as we go out to do the work You have given us to do.  We pray especially for: (add your own petitions here)

Jesus our Brother, Jesus our Savior, we praise your holy name.  We praise you, we serve you, we glorify you, Lord from the Heavens!

 

The Celebrant adds:  Lord Jesus our Christ, You are the Word of God made Flesh for our Redemption. Your Holy Light glows again in our hearts and calls us to be new prophets in this world. Let us commit ourselves to new life in Your service, to the Glory of God with the Holy Spirit.   Amen.

 

 

Feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space.

You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com 

 All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution

as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.