Prayer: No Intercessors

Ah, Lord God, give Your servant an understanding mind.

We as a nation have become guilty by the blood we have shed. We are defiled by the modern idols we have made of consumerism and entertainment. We have brought our days near, the appointed times of our years has come.

You, O Lord, have made us a reproach to the nations, a mockery to all the countries near and far. Our name is defiled among the nations. We are full of tumult. And, yet, Your people, Your intercessors, are as those who sleep, as those who rest. Rouse us from our torpor. Open our eyes to see the lateness of the hour. Grant an understanding, discerning and wise mind, O God. Fill us with Your compassion and grace.

1 Kings 3.9; Ezekiel 22.4-5; Mark 14.41

Prayer: A Ruin, Ruin, Ruin

I confess that several things have caught my attention these past few days:

• A Port of Newport engineer announcing the price of steel went up 27% last quarter and is expected to go up 20% next quarter.
• A local bread maker announcing that she will no longer sell through retail outlets but only through the farmer's market because the price of wheat is so high.
• Government intervention into Wall Street.
• Zimbabwe's election mess.

Then my readings for today:

Things shall not remain as they are...a ruin, ruin, ruin I will make it...Ezekiel 21.26-27

...and if the Lord had no cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He chose, He shortened the days. Mark 13.20

Lord, have mercy...

Prayer: The Shema Contemplated

To love You with all my heart -- what would that feel like?

To love You with all my soul -- how would that change my perception of the world around me?

To love You with all my mind -- what new thoughts would be entertained?

To love You with all my strength -- what new projects would I choose to pick up?

To love my neighbor as myself -- how would my relationships change?

May I embrace these two greatest commands and change my corner of the world.

Prayer: Something Which Has Cost Me Nothing

Ah, Lord God, You have said that Your House

Shall be called a House of Prayer for all nations

Call every craftsman in whose mind You have put skill

Call everyone whose heart You have stirred up to do this work

Bring together all those who are willing to pay the price

O Lord, how can we offer to You that which has cost us nothing?

Exodus 36.2; 2 Samuel 24.24; Mark 11.17

Prayer: Your Word on My Tongue

O Lord God, stir my heart and move my spirit

Speak to me and through me

Place Your Word on my tongue

I cast away all my transgressions I have committed

Make a new heart and a new spirit within me

I turn and step into Your eternal life

I hear Your Voice and take heart

I get up and come to You

My King and my God

Exodus 35.21; 2 Samuel 23.2; Ezekiel 18.31-32; Mark 10.49

Prayer: You Are My Lamp

May the people among whom I dwell be able to see You work mightily through me

For You are my lamp, O Lord, You light up the darkness around me

Your Way, O Lord, is perfect

Your Word, O Lord, proves true

Be a shield about me; I take refuge in You

Bring low the high tree

Make high the low tree

Dry up the green tree

Make the dry tree flourish

Grant eyes to see Jesus only

Exodus 34.10; 2 Samuel 22.31; Ezekiel 17.24; Mark 9.8

Prayer: Known by Name

O God, thank You for being a personal God
Thank You for knowing me by name
Thank You for remembering Your covenant with me
Establish for me an everlasting covenant
May I stir up my own remembrance
And call You by Name

Exodus 33.17; Ezekiel 16.60; Mark 8.18

Prayer: A Woman of Peace & Faith

O Lord, I come to You
May I be a woman of peace and faith and wisdom
May Your light ever shine forth through my heart and life

Exodus 32.26; Mark 7.24

Prayer: Come Away

Come
Come away by yourself
Come to a desolate place
Rest awhile
Be filled with the Spirit of God
With ability and intelligence
With knowledge and all craftsmanship

Come. . .
Before you come apart

Exodus 31.3; Mark 6.31

Prayer: Come What May...I Will Run...

Father God, King Eternal
May I run this race out of great love for You
Never forgetting all You have done for me

Thank You for Your mercy, love and compassion
May I share all these graces with those around me
Come what may

2 Samuel 18.23; Mark 5.19

Prayer: Release the Secret of the Kingdom

People everywhere are hungry, weary, and thirsty
Speak the Word, O Lord
Open to them the Secret of the Kingdom
You alone are Lord of the Harvest
Open my mouth to tell of Your wonder

Your love and grace

1 Samuel 17.29; Ezekiel 12.25; Mark 4.11, 40

Prayer: Stones of Remembrance

So many times I allow those things which people do to become stones in my way
Yet, You say that You see what was done for harm
And You repay me with good
May I trust Your economy
May I not look at the actions of others and get discouraged
May I choose to lift up those stones upon my shoulders in prayer
And trust Your grace

You know all that comes into my mind
You know all that resides in my heart
You see every tear that falls
Remove the heart of stone
Give me a heart of flesh
Keep me walking in Your truth and Your love

May I love You with all my heart and soul, mind and strength
And love my neighbor as myself
May I not grieve You by choosing hardness of heart
May I bear Your people upon my shoulders as Stones of Remembrance.

Exodus 28.12; Ezekiel 11.5, 19-20; Mark 3.5

Prayer: I Know Not Where

Lord God Almighty, I go I know not where
I trust Your guidance and Your leading
Settle all the questions of my heart

You alone know not only the questions, but the answers as well
You see the Way ahead
I trust in You, and You alone

2 Samuel 15.20; Mark 2.8

Prayer: Cry in the Wilderness

O Lord, God, place a mark upon my forehead

May I be one who will sigh and groan

Over that which causes Your heart to grieve

Even when it seems I may be just one

Crying in the wilderness

Ezekiel 9.4; Mark 1.3

Prayer: Always

Lord God, Almighty
You are with me always
Always with me
In all I do
I thank You. . .always. . .

Exodus 25.19; Matthew 28.21

Prayer: Aware, Ever Aware

Forgive, O Lord, when pride buds.
You have given me all things
You know my every need
All I have needed, Your hand has supplied
And if this were not enough, You would give much more
May I eat and drink, and go about my ordinary day

Aware of Your Presence
Looking for Your face in all I do
Aware, ever aware of Your blessing

Exodus 24.11; 2 Samuel 12.8; Ezekiel 7.10

Prayer: Sojourner

I am a poor, wayfaring pilgrim
While traveling through this world below.
There is no sickness, toil, nor danger
In that bright land to which I go.

Grant me eyes to see a fellow sojourner
So I may encourage them on their journey.
May I comfort others with the comfort You have given me.
At every moment, in every situation,
You have been the intimate, attentive, and encouraging Friend.
Teach me to be such a friend for fellow sojourners on the Way.

Exodus 23

Prayer: Blessed Be

Blessed be Christ; Faithful & True
Master, I long to be like You
Faithful in little, Faithful in much
Reaching others with Your healing touch

Matthew 25.21,29

Prayer: Designed Obsolescence

Lord God, I thank You
And praise You for the constancy of Your Word.
In a world that designs in obsolescence and disposability
Your Word is lasting
Your Word is life.

Matthew 24.35

Prayer: Heartfelt Hearing

Lord God, all Your words that You speak to me
May I receive them in my heart
And hear them with my ear
And practice them in my life.
May Your Word truly be the Living
And active Word in my heart and life.
Grant, I pray, heartfelt hearing.

Exodus 20.6; 2 Samuel 8.14; Ezekiel 3.10

Prayer: Called & Chosen

Ah, Lord God, You bore me up on eagles' wings and brought me to Yourself.
You took me from the pasture, from following the sheep and have been with me wherever I have gone.
You have cut off all my enemies and have brought me to this place and built me a house.
You have called me to be a Kingdom priest, a Holy one in Your nation of peoples.
You say that many are called but few are chosen.
Teach me, O Holy God, to be all that You have called me to be.
May I walk as one of Your chosen on this earth.

Exodus 19.4,6; 2 Samuel 7; Matthew 22.14

Prayer: Making Merry

Blessed be the Lord God Almighty!
I will make merry before You when I see Your rainbow in the sky
knowing that not only is it a covenant reminder,
but that it is the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of the Lord according to Ezekiel.
This, O Lord, is Your doing and it is marvelous in our eyes!

Exodus 18.6; Ezekiel 1.28; Matthew 21.41

Prayer: Make Me A Servant

Make me a servant, humble and meek;
Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.
And may the prayer of my heart always be:
Make me a servant, make me a servant,
Make me a servant today.

May I lift up the hands of Your servants who are weak and weary and worn.
May I rouse up myself and move under Your banner.
Restore us to Yourself, O Lord, rather than to our own selfish ends.
May we be willing to follow Your example of willing servitude.

Exodus 17.12; 2 Samuel 5.20,24; Lamentations 5.21; Matthew 20.20-28

Prayer: Out of Every Adversity

You, O Lord, have redeemed my life out of every adversity.
I come to you morning by morning to gather strength and sustenance for the journey.
I confess that some days the way seems rough and steep;
But You, O Lord, do guard Your sheep
And lead me safely to green pasture.
Nothing is impossible for You!

Exodus 16.21; 2 Samuel 4.9; Matthew 19.26

Prayer: Great is Thy Faithfulness

But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
His mercies never come to an end;
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I hope in Him."
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
to the soul that seeks Him.
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

You have led in Your love the people You have redeemed;
You have guided them by Your strength to Your holy abode.

Lamentations 3.21-26; Exodus 15.13

Prayer: Benediction

May you fear not;

May you stand firm;

May you see the Lord work on your behalf today;

May you merely watch in silence as you see God's hand at work on your behalf;

May you be blessed by the Lord;

May the Lord show you His steadfast love and faithfulness;

May your hands be strong and your heart valiant;

May you rise up and go forward without fear;

May you lift up your eyes and see no one, save Jesus only.

Exodus 14.13-14; 2 Samuel 2.5-7; Matthew 17.7-8

Prayer: Renewal

Renew my mind
Renew my spirit
Set my mind on the things of God rather than men
Do not let me be an hindrance to Your Kingdom due to short-sightedness
May I weep over the things that make You weep
Break my heart with the things that break Your heart, O God

Lamentations 1. 12,16; Matthew 16.23

Prayer: Dining Regularly at the King's Table

Ah, Lord God, may I dine regularly at Your table rather than feeding on the hopelessness offered by so many in our world today. You remind me that what comes out of my mouth proceeds from the heart. May my heart feast upon Your goodness so I may offer live giving words to those battered by this world's woes.

Jeremiah 52.33; Matthew 15.18,19

Prayer: Trust & Be Not Afraid

When all around me are bitter in soul
And waves and billows toss and roll
I will trust and be not afraid
For You are Guardian of my Soul

Exodus 11.3; 1 Samuel 30.6; Matthew 14.27

Prayer: Secrets of the Kingdom

O Lord God, I humble myself before You. Open my mind and heart and eyes to the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. You have given me much...so much more than I could have imagined. May I be a faithful scribe who is trained for Your Kingdom, and discover and share treasures both new and old from the abundance You have given.

Matthew 13.11-12, 52

Prayer: Life Bruises

Life bruises
But You do not allow us to be broken
Joy is dimmed by hurts and fears
But You do not allow our wick to be snuffed out
You bring justice to victory
You, our Hope, our King

Exodus 7.16; Matthew 12.20-21