Growth

Lord, help me grow and demonstrate signs of growth.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 234)

I've Been Away

We were out of town on vacation for about a week.  Since we got back home I have been dealing with computer problems.  My computer for access to the Internet is broken and can't be fixed.  I'm trying to make a laptop on loan work for Internet access.  That's not going well.

God, give me the courage to allow spiritual experiences to be part of my life.

 

Help Others

Lord, help us to help others.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 296)

Emotional & Spiritual Health

Make me sensitive to the state of my emotional and spiritual health, I pray.  (Food For Thought, 15 June)

Value of Time

God help me to value my time and life.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 20 June)

Search me, O God and know my heart today, try me, O Savior, know my thoughts I pray.  See if there be, some wicked way in me, cleanse me from every sin and set me free.  (Edwin Orr, Daily Guideposts, 9 Mar 1977)

Generous Spirit

Guide me about when and how to give.  Help me live with a generous spirit toward others and myself.  Thank You for all the generosity You've shown me.  (Melody Beattie, 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact, Week 46, Day 7)

Make Me Unafraid

Make me unafraid, Lord, that I may touch life at all its facets, all of my life.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 30 Jan 1977)

Air Conditioning

Lord, thank you for the blessing of air conditioning, for the people who build the units and for the men who install and maintain them for us.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 12 Jul 2006)

True Spirit of Discernment

Father, I ask that You will lead me to friends and advisors who have a true spirit of discernment rather than to those who will always seek to please me with their opinions.  (Garrie F. Williams, Welcome, Holy Spirit, 31 Jan)

Relationships

Father, help me to see people through Your eyes, as people You love.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 275)

Remind me, God, to pray for others throughout the hours of my day.  (Sue Monk Kidd, Daily Guideposts, 9 May 1983)

Forcing Things

God, help me stop trying so hard to force things into place.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 4 June)

Letting Go

God, help me let go of everything that is blocking me from fully and joyfully living my life today.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 9 June)

Sustain Me

Sustain me, Holy Spirit, strengthen me, support me, supply me with Thy matchless power.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 13 Mar 1977)

Today's Golden Opportunities

Don't Let me miss today's golden opportunities, God.  (Van Vaner, Daily Guideposts, 11 May 1983)

God, help me learn to enjoy the people and experiences in my life.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 8 June)

Pray For Our Country

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.  (Psalm 33:12)

Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for the memory of all those who laid the foundation of this land.  We ask Your blessings upon the generation[s] yet unborn who shall take this nation and shall establish the kingdom of God on this earth.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.  (Norman Vincent Peale, Positive Thinking For Every Day of the Year, July 4th)

Stamina to Persevere

Please give me the stamina to persevere in doing Your will.  Teach me the difference between giving up and letting go.  Whenever I get discouraged, please send me guidance and hope.  (Melody Beattie, 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact, Week 45, Day 7)

Strengthen My Faith

Lord, strengthen my faith when I am weakened by doubts.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 3 mar 1977)

Growth

Father, help me to grow today ... and every day. (Phyllis Hobe, Daily Guideposts, 10 May 1983)

Thank You For the Life

Thank You for the life that You have given me to live.  (Food For Thought, 30 May)

God, help me stay serene, confident, and joyful as I go through my day.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 6 June)

 

Aging Gracefully

Lord, thank You for the strength to age gracefully.  Help me to make each year a wiser one.  (Patricia Lorenz, Daily Guideposts, 31 Jan 2000)

Positive Things in Life

Lord, help me to see the positive things in life, and give me the words to express my appreciation.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 3 Jun 1983)

Negative Feelings

Let my negative feelings lead me to positive outlets.  (Zona B. Davis, Daily Guideposts, 31 May 1983)

Worry & Resentment

God, keep me from the exhausting practice of worry and resentment.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 3 June)

Your Blessings

Forgiving Lord, thank You for blessing me, even when I do not ask for or deserve Your blessings.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 29)

Praise to You

Praise to You, O God, for preserving my life in pleasant and troubled times.  (Robert Long, Christ in Our Home, Day 285)

Help Me Read, Study and Profess

O Holy One, help me read, study, receive and profess the Christian faith as contained in the scriptures.  (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2000, 11 March)

Give me the faith to believe, Lord, even when the visible evidence fills me with doubt.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 12 March 1978)

I Need Thee

I need Thee, O I need Thee, every hour I need Thee.  (Annie S. Hawks, hymn, in Daily Guideposts, 16 May 1982)

Seeing Beyond

Lord, enable me to see beyond what seems to be.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 27 May, adapted)

Dear God, in my quest to do my best, help me to be patient with myself.  (Scott Walker, Daily Guideposts, 30 Jan 2000)

Dysfunctional Challenges

God, help me let go of my need to involve myself in dysfunctional challenges.  (after Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 7 June)

Have pity on me Lord!

Sickness As An Excuse

Lord, don't let me use sickness as an excuse for avoiding a difficult chore.  (Daily Guideposts, 16 Mar 1977)

Lord, it all depends on You.  (After Daily Guideposts, 18 Mar 1977)

Chase Away the Darkness

Shine Your light, O Lord, and chase away the darkness and despair ... (Christ in Our Home, Day 189)

Grant me the courage to trust You completely.  (Food For Thought, 3 April)

When I Make a Mess

Lord, when I make a mess of my life, forgive me.  (Drue Duke, Daily Guideposts, 28 Mar 2001)

Make Us Worthy

We thank You that we have been forgiven and pray that You will make us worthy of what Christ has done for us.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 159)

Lord, remove my fear!

Expectations

God, help me set myself free from ridiculous and unnecessary expectations.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go)

Those Who Are Alone

Lord, be with those who are alone in their troubles.  (Millie Stamm, Meditation Moments, 31 May)

Living in the Past

Lord, protect me from being so enamored by the past that I fail to move ahead.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 156)

Show me how to make each day of my life count for You, Lord.  (Carol Knapp, Daily Guideposts, 29 Mar 2005)

My Limit

I've reached my limit; You take it from here.  (Andrew Attaway, Daily Guideposts, 14 March 2005)

Calm my anxiety.

Direct my decisions.

Helping By Listening

Thank You, God, for giving me the chance to help by listening to others.  (Oscar Greene, Daily Guideposts, 17 Apr 2005, adapted)

God, I'm lost.  Please give me direction.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 21 Apr 2006)

Give Me Insight

Today, Lord, give me the insight to see my mistakes and the courage to correct them.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 15 Mar 1978)

Give me success today.

Sharing Our Blessings

We have so much, and we need so little.  Forgive us our excesses, Lord, and give us generous hearts with which to share our many blessings.  (Fay Angus, Daily Guideposts, 13 March 2001)

I pray that I may not fall into the error of anticipating trouble.  If it should come, let me meet it with equanimity and love.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 13 March)

Generosity of Friends

Thank You Lord, for the generosity of friends.  (after Rick Hamlin, Daily Guideposts, 28 Mar 2000)

Father We Ask You

Father, we pray for those who are sick and ask you to fill them with hope.  We pray for those who are lost in grief and ask you to fill them with comfort.  We pray for those whose spirits are exhausted and ask you to fill them with unending grace.  (Moravian Daily Texts - 2001, 28 March)

Unfavorable Events

Lord, give me the inner strength to react calmly to unfavorable events.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 27 Mar 1977)

Miracle of Each Individual

Help me to recognize the miracle of each individual.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 106)

Guardian Angels

Lord, thank You for the guardian angels who have made a difference in my life.  And help me to make a difference in the lives of those around me.  (Pablo Diaz, Daily Guideposts, 17 March 2005)

Memorial Day

Lord, today we remember with fondness and gratitude our ancestors and family members who have gone to their rest.  May those who have given their lives in the service of this country rest in peace knowing that their sacrifice wasn't in vain.  Amen.

Accept the Trials

Lord, help me accept the trials in my life and see Your goodness.  (Mary Brown, Daily Guideposts, 18 April 2005)

 

Things That Could Harm Me

Lord, help me avoid things that could harm me.  (Dan R. Dick, Devotions for Dieters, 7 May)

God, help me lighten up!  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 19 March)

God, help me let go of my need to be afraid.  Replace it with a need to be at peace.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 7 May)

Dysfunctional Drama

God, help me let go of my need for dysfunctional drama in my life.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 2 March)

 

Let Go of Negativity

God help me to let go of negativity.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 16 March)

Lord, help me keep things in perspective. (after Christ in Our Home, Day 134)

Keeping Things in Perspective

Lord, I'm grateful for the people You send me to help me keep things in perspective when I can't do it myself.  (after Melody Beattie, 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact, Week 49, Day 6)

Perfectionism

God, help me let go of perfectionism.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 13 April)

Lord, give me stamina to withstand prolonged mental and physical strain without losing my power.  (after Taylor & Crain, Angel Wisdom, 4 February)

Limits

God, help me set myself free from the limits that other people put on me.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 9 April)

God, defend me!  (after Dan R. Dick, Devotions for Dieters)

Make Your Presence Known

Lord, make Your presence known to me.  Help me to call on you as I struggle, as I worry about the problems of everyday living.  Thank You for Your promise to be with me always.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 120)

Teach me how to give.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 21 January)

Keep Me From Putting Off

Keep me from putting off the things I should do today, Father.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 28 Mar 1977)

Dear Lord, thank You for our rich inheritance.  (Zona B. Davis, Daily Guideposts, 9 Mar 1980)

Keeping Me Straight

Thank You for keeping me straight yesterday.  Please help me stay straight today.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 4 May)

Thank You, Lord, for bringing me this far.  (Dan R. Dick, Devotions for Dieters, 31 March)

Our Times Are In Your Hands

Lord God, we thank You for reminding us that our times are in Your hands.  May our plans be acceptable to Your will and purpose for our lives.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 210)

Heal me, O God, from my own thoughts.  (after Marshall D. Johnson in Christ in Our Home, Day 219)

Let Go of the Need to Create Drama

God, help me let go of my need to create drama to have a life.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 1 March)

Praise to You, O God, for preserving my life in pleasant and troubled times.  (Christ in Our Homes Day 211)

Our Mothers

Lord, thank You for the blessing of our wonderful loving mothers.

Right Thought and Right Action

Help me practice right thought and right action.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 13 March)

Useless Thoughts and Habits

Guide me as I leave behind useless thoughts and habits.  (After Food For Thought, 20 March)

When I am indecisive, Lord, help me pick a course and take the first step.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 31 Jan 1977)

Vain Words and Actions

Keep me from vain words and actions.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 28 Mar 1978)

God, help me appreciate my loved ones more and fret about their petty annoyance less.  (Alma Barkman, Daily Guideposts, 29 Mar 2001)

Let Me Find Happiness

Dear, Lord, let me find happiness in making other people happy.  (Daily Guideposts, 11 Jan 1980)

Fill me just now with power anew, power to pray and power to do!  (Albert S. Reitz, hymn, Daily Guideposts, 30 Jan 1980)

My Shortcomings

Help me see my shortcomings, Lord, and help me change.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 12 Apr 1977)

God, grant me compassion for myself and others.  Help me learn to be gentle with broken hearts, including my own.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 20 January)

The Gifts of Love

Lord, help me remember the gifts of love that have enriched my life, and help me to give generously to others.  (Kenneth Chafin, Daily Guideposts, 10 Apr 2001)

Thank You For Today

God, thank You for giving me today, and all that it will contain.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 28 Jan 1977)

 

Living Your Own Life

I pray that I may learn it is not my function to direct or control another person, however close to me.  I will also cease to be a crutch.  I can live nobody's life but my own.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 12 March)

Help us honor each person's knowledge as a gift from You.  (Moravian Daily Texts - 2001, 6 March)

Good Morning, Lord

Good Morning, Lord.  Keep me company through the hours ahead.  Let me share Your love with others today.  And thank You for giving me this wonderful life!  (Doris Haase, Daily Guideposts, 7 Jan 1983)

Daily Strength for Daily Needs

Give me daily strength for daily needs.  (after Jo Petty, The One Year Book of Personal Prayer, 4 April)

Gracious Redeemer, help me to live each moment with the prospect of eternity before me.

Lord, help me to deal with discouragement.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 8 May 1977)

Lord, guide me as I make decisions.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 27 March 2006)

Vuglar Leaders

Let us not follow vulgar leaders who exploit the fear of death, and promise the bliss of salvation.  If we are truly happy, they will have nothing to offer us.  (Deng Ming-Dao, 365 Tao, Day 20)

Lord, help me see the changes in my life as part of Your master design.  (Eric Fellman, Daily Guideposts, 25 Jan 2005)

Help me to show gratitude in the way I treat others.  (after Moravian Daily Texts - 2001, 3 Feb)

Help Me See the Beauty

God, help me see the beauty and the good in life.  (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 30 January)

Give me the strength and faith to live Your word each day.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 152, adapted)

Lord, thank You for being with me in difficult times, even when I'm not aware of Your presence.  (Kenneth Chafin, Daily Guideposts, 11 Apr 2001)

Free me from self-centered worry, Lord.

Free me from self-centered worry, Lord.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 14 March 1977)

God, protect me from negative influences... (Melody Beattie, More Language of Letting Go, 29 January)

Father, don't let inertia rob me of the wonders that are waiting.  (Daily Guideposts, 8 February 1980)

Take my anxious thoughts, Lord...

Take my anxious thoughts, Lord, and let me concentrate on the tasks at hand.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 13 Apr 1977)

 

O God, help me listen before I speak.  (Christ in Our Home, back of the book)

Father in heaven, teach us ...

Father in heaven, teach us what freedom is and how to use it.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 187)

I pray that I may bear the small crosses - the ordinary, humble burdens of life - as well as I am able.  (after Daily Guideposts, 5 Apr 1979)

Calm my frantic pace.  (Isable Wolseley, Daily Guideposts, 9 Feb 2001)

Lord, give me the honesty to admit past mistakes and the courage to go back and correct them.  (Arthur Gordon, Daily Guideposts, 10 Apr 1984)

Lord, keep me looking for the highest and best, and help me focus my energies on those things that are most important.  (Eric Fellman, Daily Guideposts, 14 Apr 2000)

I pray that each day may advance my steps on the road to understanding; that I may leave nothing undone that could have changed the course of my life for the better.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 7 February)

Charged with your power, Lord, I know I can cope with my problems.  (Marilyn Morgan Helleberg, Daily Guideposts, 9 Jan 1979)

Thank You, God, for the people in my life who get me moving in the directions I ought to go.  (Carol Knapp, 29 Mar 2005, probably Daily Guideposts)

Help me use this time with our friends to renew body, mind, and spirit.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 153, adapted)

Habakkuk

You got ready to use your bow, ready to shoot your arrows.  ... At the flash of your speeding arrows and the gleam of your shining spear, the sun and the moon stood still.

Lord, I know I have a part to play.  Please help me make all my notes sweet.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 23 Mar 2006)

Lord, keep me fit.  (Sue Monk Kidd, Daily Guideposts, 24 Mar 1980)

Give me daily guidance in meeting my problems.  (Daily Guideposts, 3 February 1979)

Sustain me, Lord, when I am tempted to give up.  (Food For Thought, 4 February)

Help me to remember to plan.  (Food For Thought, 15 March)

Bring what I need to know into my conscious mind, so I can [deal with it and] be free of it.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 2 April)

God of mercy, send Your healing streams to all who are sick and in pain.  (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2000, 5 April)

God, let me be gentle with myself and others.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 9 February)

Teach me to develop the courage, strength, obedience, and discipline to act on what I know to be true.  (Iyanla Vanzant, Faith in the Valley, p. 103)

 

Dear Father, please help me concentrate on today and not worry about tomorrow or yesterday.  (Norman Vincent Peale, Daily Guideposts, 31 Mar 1979)

Let me never forget to be grateful for the good things in my life ... (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 6 February)

Easter Sunday

Glory Hallelujah!  The angels rolled the stone away.  Christ the Lord is Risen Today!  Happy Easter.

Lord, be with me in the work I do today.  (Norman Vincent Peale, Daily Guideposts, 4 Feb 1980)

Praise to You, O God, for preserving my life in both pleasant and troubled times.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 45)

Lord, help me be quiet long enough today to hear Your voice.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 4 Apr 1978)

Taxing Time

Lord, this is a taxing time.  Please help me get through it.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 14 Apr 2006)

Help me let go of my need to be anxious, upset, and harried.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 1 April)

Lord, give me the grace to help others at their point of need.  (Daily Guideposts, 2 Apr 1980)

Lord, help me to keep my fears from turning little problems into imaginary giants.  (Sharon Foster, Daily Guideposts, 13 Mar 2000)

Dear God, each day let me look for ways around my limitations.  (Brenda Wilbee, Daily Guideposts, 11 Mar 2000)

Lord, help me to do something today.  (after Karent Barber, Daily Guideposts, 31 Mar 2001)

God, help us to bear the troubles and testing which lie before us that we may be true followers of Your spirit.  Give us patience and perseverance lest we grow weary and fainthearted.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 84)

Lord, we have this problem, You know what it is without our telling.  Please guide us in the right direction.  Make us receptive to Your will.  We thank You for this help that You are now giving us.  (Norman Vincent Peale,  Daily Guideposts, 5 Mar 2005)

I'm reporting for duty.  (Karen Casey, Keepers of the Wisdom, 5 March)

O Lord, help me turn from all the destructive forces in my life and walk with You.  (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2000, 7 March)

Comfort me in time of trouble.  (Christ in Our Home, 8 March)

Lord, help me act with courage and faith as I move, forward through this day.  (Madge Harrah, Daily Guideposts, 22 Feb 2000)

God, help me face and solve my problems today.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 22 February)

Teach me to conserve my resources.  (Food For Thought, 28 February)

Help me to not fear change.  (after Christ in Our Home, day 119)

Lord, I want to win the battle, I surrender.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 1 Mar 2006)

Teach me to be a better steward of Your gifts.  (after Christ in Our Home, Day 90)

Keep my conscience clear.  (Lincoln's Devotional, Day 24)

Lord, teach me to heed the promptings from Your spirit within.  (Carol Knapp, Daily Guideposts, 18 Feb 2005)

May I be a blessing to those with whom I come in contact.  (Moravian Daily Texts - 2001, 18 Feb)

Thank You, Lord, for the books that bring us close to so many wonderful people.  (Phyliss Hobe, Daily Guideposts, Feb 2000)

Do not allow my shortcomings to overwhelm me ... (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2000, 5 March)

I pray that I may bear the small crosses - the ordinary humble burdens of life - as well as I'm able.  (after Daily Guideposts, 5 Apr 1979)

Lord, when we confront the end of a life segment, may we view it as simply a time in between, until the next chapter of Your plan unfolds.  (Daily Guideposts, 5 Apr 1980)

Thank You for this day.  (Food For Thought, 10 December)

Help me to be open today for whatever surprising encounters my Lord has in store for me.  Let me recognize the new within the old, hope within despair.  Keep my path to heaven clear before me, for I would not lose my way.  (Dorothy Minchim-Conn, Glimpses of God, 6 December)

Let no falsehood, however attractive, tempt me ... (Dorothy Minchim-Conn, Glimpses of God, 11 December)

Tarry within my soul, O Lord.  Inspire my thoughts; suggest my decisions.  Order my doings and give me insight into my actions for You are my Lord and my God.  (Moravian Daily Texts - 2001, 11 January)

Lord, thank You for the signal of mental or emotional pain.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 13 Jan 2006)

God help me to avoid the temptation to deceive myself by justifying my actions when they are wrong.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 14 January)

Lord, help me avoid the trap of impulsive decisions that may have tragic consequences.  (Garrie F. Williams, Welcome, Holy Spirit, 13 January)

Lord, deliver me from the hell of overeating.  (Food For Thought, 13 January)

Make me mindful of my place in Your wonderful plan. (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2000, 13 January)

 

Lord,as the subtracting goes on in my life, help me to add up the ways it transforms me into someone wonderfully new. (Karen Barber, Daily Guideposts, 16 Jan 2000)

Help me to understand more clearly Your will for my life.  (after Christ in Our Home, Day 100)

... let my life today be the channel through which some little portion of Thy divine love and pity may reach the lives that are nearest to my own.  (John Baillie, A Diary of Private Prayer, Day 2)

Lord Jesus, I've chosen the wrong road and right now I ask you to forgive me.  Today I choose life by choosing Your way.  Please deliver me from the bondage and fill me with Your Holy Spirit.  (Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, From Faith to Faith, 8 April)

My Faith Has Found a Resting Place

I need no other argument,
I need no other plea;
It is enough that Jesus died,
And that He died for me.
(Lidie H. Edmunds, hymn)

... make me willing to leave the settling of accounts in Your hands.  (Dorothy Minchim-Conn, Glimpses of God, 10 August)

Thank You for my life.  (Melody Beattie, 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact, Week 7, Day 7)

Thank You for the assurance of inner peace as I trust in You right now.  (Garrie F. Williams, Welcome, Holy Spirit, 15 January)

God, guide me to make right decisions.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 13 January)

O God, help me to stay fit and to make healthy choices. ... Let me value my health and strive to stay as fit as I am able.  (Good News Day by Day, 12 August)

By Your grace, may I maintain my integrity in all situations.  (Food For Thought, 10 August)

Lord, I need to slow down.  I'm a slow learner.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 8 Aug 2005)

Lord, give me the strength and wisdom to persevere ... (Three Minutes a Day, Vol. 27, adapted 12 Dec)

Thank You, Jesus, for answering the prayers that I have yet to pray.  (Carol Zimmermann, Daily Guideposts, 6 Dec 1981)

Transform my anger, Lord, I let it go now.  (Marilyn Morgan Helleberg, Daily Guideposts, 10 Aug 1988)

God, help me mind my own business today.  (A Life of My Own, 9 August)

Book Recommendation

If you are interested in learning more about setting boundaries and how becoming better at it could improve your relationships I'd like to recommend the book, Where to Draw the Line - How to Set Healthy Boundaries Every Day, by Anne Katherine.   ISBN 0-684-86806-7

Lord, today I would live simply and walk quietly, restfully listening to Your voice and learning to say "no" to whatever stands in the way of my being my best for You.  (Daily Guideposts, 11 Feb 1979)

O Lord, enter our home and make it a fit place for You to abide.  Bless all the people who live about our doorstep.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 46)

105th Anniversary

Today is the 105th Anniversary of the birth of my mother, Ruth.

Lord, may she rest in peace.

 

WebLog Second Anniversary

Today is the second anniversary of my Arrow Prayers web log.  I have enjoyed posting one or more short prayers on most days during the last two years.  Doing the reading to find the prayers has been educational and helpful to me.  I appreciate that AOL provides a place for folks to post their online journals.  Thank you to everyone who posted comments to a daily entry or sent me an Email with your comments and encouragement.  (The visitor count as of today was 1,815.)

Father, help me to remember others in prayer and to speak words of love [and encouragement] to them.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 148)

Don't let me get discouraged, Lord, even when the results are less than I hoped for.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 24 March 1977)

I pray that no act of deliberate disobedience will manifest itself in me.  (after Garrie F. Williams, Welcome, Holy Spirit, 13 February)

Take my lips and keep them true, filled with messages from You.  (Hymn)

Make me humble enough to accept a new and more rational view of my life.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 13 February)

Help me with this! (Van Varner, Daily Guideposts, 17 Feb 2001)

Lord, guide me this day.

 

Govern every decision I shall have to make, no matter how great or small.  (Dorothy Minchim-Conn, Glimpses of God, 14 October)

Lord, help me maintain a healthy mind, body and spirit.  (Three Minutes a Day, Vol. 37, 20 October)

Take the broken fragments of my life, God, and create a new purpose, a new meaning to my journey down here on earth.  (Dorothy Minchim-Conn, Glimpses of God, 8 November)

Keep me from self-pity, Lord, and raise my sights.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 13 Feb 1983)

Father, help me to find Your plan for my life in every detail.  (16 Feb 1979)

Lord, keep me ever mindful, I can't hear You, if I'm talking.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 11 Feb 2006)

Good Shepherd, be with me now and when I walk through the valley of death to be with You eternally.  (after Day 2, in Christ in Our Home)

Lord, let me see today, and each duty in this day, as You see it.  (A Gentle Spirit, 3 November)

O God, help me believe Your hand is guiding me through good times and bad.  (Christ in Our Home - Light for Today, 13 Mar 2006)

Numbered Days

Please remind me that my days are numbered.  Teach me that my time here in this life is precious so that I will not waste it.  Help me to recognize how precious every moment is so that I spend it doing those things that will bring me closer to You.  In the time I have left, please teach me how to serve You, Dear God.  Teach me how to give joyously, share willingly, and love totally.  Remind me that I cannot serve in greed, doubt, fear or anger.  Fill my soul with Your light, so that your bountiful blessings will shine through my soul into the world.  Each day that I awake, I pray that You will be present in my thoughts, my words, and all of my deeds.  I ask that every moment that I have left in this life be a channel through which some measure of Your love and light may reach those with whom I come into contact.  (Iyanla Vanzant, Faith in the Valley, p. 186)

Today, I pray for the wisdom to build a better tomorrow on the mistakes and experience of yesterday.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 5 January)

Father, let me help others in the way You help me, quietly, and without having to receive praise.  (Betty R. Graham, Daily Guideposts, 27 Dec 1981)

Thank You, God, for memories we hold dear, for blessings You've sent year after year.  (Fred Bauer, Daily Guideposts, 29 Dec 2004)

Teach me the use of silence.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 12 February)

Let my eating habits reflect Your will Lord, and not my own.  (Doris Haase, Daily Guideposts, 28 Aug 1985)

God grant that I may never urge anyone to take any action but the constructive one ... (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 1 Nov)

Martin Luther

The fewer words, the better prayer.  (Martin Luther)

Lord, thank You for the little wonders of my life that are shadows of Your glory.  (Andrew Attaway, Daily Guideposts, 27 Dec 2004)

O Lord, let me not live to be useless!  (Bishop John de Stratford)

Lord, grant me the wisdom to leave behind that which is past and lost, and to be grateful for those things I have.  (Frances E. Wilson, Daily Guideposts, 16 Oct 1981)

God, help me to provide for my family as You have provided for me.  (Good News Day by Day, 25 October)

O Lord, let not the sins of yesterday be repeated in the life of today, or set a bad example for tomorrow.  (Moravian Daily Texts - 2001, 10 January)

God, save me from myself.  (Food For Thought, 2 January)

Help me hear with joy Your promises for the future.  (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2000, 2 January)

Father, help us to use Your gift of food as You intended we should use it -- wisely and well.  (Tammy Rider, Daily Guideposts, 29 Sep 1988)

Help me to do only what needs to be done by me today.  (A Life of My Own, 26 October)

Lord, help me stop talking long enough to hear You.  (Daily Guideposts, 29 Oct 1981)

106th Birthday Anniversary

Today is the 106th anniversary of the birth of my father, Edward Charles Henthorn.  May he rest in peace.

Help me not to fret and worry about little things - trivialities and petty obsessions. (Moravian Daily Texts - 2001, 13 February)

Lord Jesus, help me to see others clearly, as you see them, and to believe the best about them.  (Helen Grace Lescheid, Daily Guideposts, 13 Feb 2001)

Lord, thank You for the gift of today.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions withall kinds of prayer and requests ... (Ephesians 6:18 NIV)

Help me stop creating chaos and crisis.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 27 December)

Help me, God, to remember that my suffering, whatever it may be, is only temporary.  It may last a day, a week, or a year, or even to the day I die.  But freedom and joy lie beyond.  (Dorothy Minchim-Comm, Glimpses of God, 18 December)

Prayer for Understanding

Lord, let me see ______ [name a person] through Your eyes, in a fresh, new, admiring way.  (Carol Knapp, Daily Guideposts, 18 Dec 1991)

Lord, help me make the right choices in life, even when the choices are difficult or uncomfortable.  (Eric Fellman, Daily Guideposts, 6 Dec 1988)

Creator, bless our families.  (Three Minutes a Day, Vol. 37, 13 Dec)

I am trusting Thee to guide me; Thou alone shalt lead, every day and hour supplying all my need.

May the stress and strain of life not break me, but make me stronger for Jesus' sake. (Daily Moravian Texts - 2001, 20 January)

 

May the healing power of Christ restore harmony and peace to my entire being as I close my eyes in blessed slumber.  (Mary Sue Taylor, Prayer for Daybreak and Day's End, Vol. 2, p. 179)

God, direct me to wholesome and healthy ways to solve and dissolve my uncontrolled anger.  (Charles Swindoll)

I pray for the willingness to be patient.  (Anne Wilson Schaef, Meditations for Living in Balance, 11 March)

Thank You, God, for Your wise and generous answers to my prayers.  (Kjerstin Easton, Daily Guideposts, 20 Jan 2005)

Convictions

Lord, if I have convictions, help me to stand by them, no matter what.  (Dave Franco, Daily Guideposts, 17 January 2001)

God, show me the areas where acting "as if" could help set the stage for the reality I desire.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 17 January)

I pray for the wisdom to take a rational and tolerant attitude toward whatever troubles I must face today.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 15 January)

Lord, thank You for the ties to friends and family that weave me together with loved ones far away.  (Gail Thorell Schilling, Daily Guideposts, 29 July 2004)

Do not let me forget my illness.  (Food For Thought, 10 July)

Please take me the rest of the way ... (Dorothy Minchin-Comm, Glimpses of God, 11 June)

Restore me to a sane and reasonable way of thinking so I can deal with my family relationships with love and understanding.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 6 July)

Today, Lord, I will take a break from solving world problems.  (Mary Sue Taylor, Prayer for Daybreak and Day's End, Vol. II, p. 315)

Good Shepherd, preserve me from my all-too-human tendencies to depression, fear, and despair.  (Dorothy Minchin-Comm, Glimpses of God, 29 June)

God make me entirely ready for the removal of my faults, that I may receive light on my problems and their true causes.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 20 Jun)

Please don't let me be stupid again today.  (Dorothy Minchin-Comm, Glimpses of God, 30 Jun)

I thank you for hearing my prayers, and I ask You to manifest Your glory in my life.  (Christ in Our Home, Day 53)

Our Heavenly Father, You have put us into this world in the midst of troubles.  You have also given us assurance that You are our refuge and our strength and our very present help in time of trouble.  Therefore, by following Your guidance and by living with You, we can become experts in the handling of troubles.  And for this we give thanks through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
(Norman Vincent Peale, Positive Thinking for Every Day of the Year, 18 Feb)

For blessings, known and unknown, remembered and forgotten, I give Thee thanks.

Creator of all gifts, I praise You for the mind You have given me.  Let me do nothing to impair its function in any way.  Show me, Lord, how to improve it daily.  (Dorothy Minchin-Comm, Glimpses of God, 26 Dec)

Something to Think About

It's okay to make a mistake.  Just don't make a career out of reviewing it.  (Barry L., Yesterday's Tomorrows, p. 137)

O Lord, be gracious to me. (Psalm 41)

Book Recommendations

I just finished reading two self-help books which are written to be read one page at a time during an entire year. I have read and enjoyed other books by the same authors.  I'd like to recommend both of these books.  The one by Karen Casey would be particularly useful to anyone about to retire or already retired.

Daily Meditations - Keepers of the Wisdom - Reflections from Lives Well Lived, by Karen Casey, published by Hazelden, Order No. 5553, ISBN 1-56838-117-4, copyright 1996

Meditations for Living in Balance - Daily Solutions For People Who Do Too Much, by Anne Wilson Schaef, published by HarperSanFrancisco, ISBN 0-06-251643-4, copyright 2000

 

Valentine's Day

Today, by Your Holy Spirit, please keep out hearts alive and strong so that our lives may be a reflection of Your will.  (after Garrie F. Williams, Welcome, Holy Spirit, 20 January)

Father, I follow You trustingly into this day... (Patricia Houck Sprinkle, Daily Guideposts, 20 May 1985)

Forsake me not, O Lord.  Hold me up, and I shall be safe.  (Charles H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, 25 May a.m.)

In death as life be Thou my guide.  (Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) in the Hymn - Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me)

Lord, let me look at my own faults before I criticize another today.  (Linda Nuekrug, Daily Guideposts, 5 Feb 2005)

... face the proposition that either God is everything or else He is nothing.  God either is, or He isn't!  (Alcoholic Anonymous, p. 53)

Lord, keep me ever mindful, I can't hear You, if I'm talking.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 11 Feb 2006)

Flood my heart with forgiveness, loving God, so that I may walk in peace with my fellow beings.  (Mary Sue Taylor, Prayer for Daybreak and Day's End, p. 171)

Make in my heart a quiet place, and come and dwell within.  (John Oxenham, hymn)

Help me treat my body as Your temple.  (The Upper Room Disciplines, 15 Jan 2000)

The Wedding Cake Exchange

Wedding Cake Exchange

Today I wanted to refresh my memory about something I'd read in the June 30th entry in How Can I Live by Kay Arthur.  On this day, Mrs. Arthur writes about exchanging cake at the wedding party.  For a full account of entering into a covenant begin reading with the June 1st entry.  On that day she begin writing about covenants and the elaborate steps that entering into a covenant entailed in Biblical days.  There are strong similarities between the ritual of the Holy Communion and the steps followed in an ordinary covenant.  This is because the Communion represents the New Covenant between God and his people. The June 30th entry in the book outlines the history of exchanging bread as part of the covenant ceremony.

Here's what Kay Arthur wrote about the covenant meal.

After all these things had taken place, they sat down to partake of a covenant meal.  At this meal they took bread, broke it, and then placed it into the mouth of their covenant partner with these words, "You are eating me."  Then a cup of wine was offered to the covenant partner along with the words, "This is my blood; you are drinking me."  Often, unless of course they were Jews, they mingled drops of their own blood in with the wine.

Does all this ring a familiar sound?  Remember the little ceremony at the wedding reception, remember wondering if you should order the photographer's ridiculous shot of you with your mouth wide open while your mate fed you a piece of wedding cake?  Did you ever wonder where that custom came from?  Now you know.  Isn't it beautiful!  It is a picture of giving yourself to another -- unconditionally, totally, eternally.

An unqualified committal of oneself to another, this, beloved, is covenant.  This is salvation.  They are one and the same.  This is what God means when He says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:31).  It means to give yourself to Christ unconditionally, without qualification; to cease from your independent living; to become one with Christ, bone of His bone and flesh of His flesh.

Oh, there is so much more to share with you on covenant.  There are so many rich, precious gems that will so graciously adorn your salvation as their facets brilliantly reflect the light of Truth. ...

Now you know why I object to seeing any bridal couple mash cake in each other's faces.  It reflects ignorance of  long-standing covenant customs and disrespect for each other and for the marriage covenant which the bridal couple have just made.  Please give serious consideration to what Kay Arthur wrote if you are planning to exchange wedding cake as part of your wedding ceremony.  (Richard E. Henthorn, 6 Feb 2006)

Keep me from causing harm to myself or others.  (Melody Beattie, 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact, Week 11, Day 7)

May I be sensitive to the needs around me and respond appropriately.  (after Moravian Daily Texts - 2000, 3 January)

Lord, thank You for being there to lean on when I launch out into the unknown.  (Daily Guideposts, 22 Jan 2005)

May the gospel be more to me than mere words.  (adapted from Moravian Daily Texts - 24 Jan 2001)

Lord, help me to not be a captive of my fears.  (Phyllis Hobe, Daily Guideposts, 21 Jan 2005)

Lord, you know better than I know myself that I am growing older, and will someday be old.  Keep me from getting talkative, and particularly from the fatal habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of other’s pains.  But seal my lips on my own aches and pains; help me to endure them with patience.

Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people.  And give me, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.

(Anonymous, The One Year Book of Personal Prayer, 31 Jan)

Dear Lord, thanks for the discipline that helps me meet my goals.  (Rick Hamlin, Daily Guideposts, 20 Jan 2001)

Help me be kind to others and myself.  (Melody Beattie, 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact, Week 29, Day 7)

Give me the courage to walk my own path and trust You to guide others on their paths.  (Melody Beattie, 52 Weeks of Conscious Contact, Week 13, Day 7)

Thank You, Father, for the blessings You send me daily.  (Drue Duke, Daily Guideposts, 25 Jan 2001)

Father, after I plead for an answer to my own prayer, use me to answer the prayer of someone else.  (Sue Monk Kidd, Daily Guideposts, 22 Dec 1981)

I pray to remember, every day, every hour, and especially in times of crisis, that hostile behavior on my part will only add fuel to a fire that could destroy us both.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 24 January) 

I pray for the steadfastness to read, every day, something that will help me to gain understanding.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 23 January)  

Lord, help me to do my part and leave those who don't do their part to You.  (Shari Smyth, Daily Guideposts, 23 Jan 2000)

Guide me into taking the actions you want me to take.  (Melody Beattie, 52 Weeks of Conscious Living, Week 6, Day 7)

Book Recommendation

Here's a 149-page book you might enjoy reading - Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow - 12 Simple Principles by Karen Casey.  The book was published in 2005 by Conari Press.  ISBN 1-57324-213-6, for the hardbound edition.

Here's a prayer from another of Karen Casey's books, Keepers of the Wisdom.

I pray to choose my steps and words wisely.  (14 January)

All life is precious, Lord, remind us to value it each moment.  (Three Minutes a Day, Vol. 37, 7 December)

Today, I will practice prayer and meditation.  Whether I feel desperate, uneasy, or peaceful, I will make an effort to connect with my Higher Power, at least for a moment today.  (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 16 January)

I pray for the wisdom to take a rational and tolerant attitude toward whatever troubles I must face today.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 15 January)

Dear Jesus Christ, I believe that You came to give me power.  I hereby repudiate the fear I feel.  I am from this minute on a person of courage.  (Norman Vincent Peale, Positive Thinking for Everyday of the Year, 13 January)

God, make me willing to see clearly my everyday experiences, to sharpen my perception of how much there is to enjoy, even in ordinary things and happenings.  Let me be receptive.  Restore to me my capacity for wonder.  (One Day At a Time in Al-Anon, 12 January)

Lord, in the face of trials and troubles, may I show courageous persistence.  (Three Minutes A Day, Vol. 37, 20 December)

I pray that you will direct my concentration.  (Food For Thought, 18 December)

Give me strength and will power that I may return to a better state.  (Good News Day by Day, 15 December)

I pray to learn to enjoy the good that each day brings and not to be apprehensive about the future, which is in God's hands.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 8 January)

God teach me to detach my mind from what others say and do, except to draw helpful lessons and guidance from them.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 7 January)

Experiments in Prayer

Pray for whoever comes to memory.

Pray when you can't sleep at night.

Pray while taking a walk.

Pray, using a prayer list of missionaries, pastors, of the sick and sorrowing, neighbors and coworkers.

Pray while reading a newspaper -- pause and pray for accident victims, for world leaders.

Pray for the Lord to give you open doors to witness.

(Dr. Frank Laubach.  Dr. Laubach was founder the literacy program, Each One Teach One.  He was honored by the United States when a definitive postage stamp was issued showing his image.)

 

Lord, thank You for the lives of the loved ones who come into our care and for the lessons You teach us through them.  (Daily Guideposts, 26 Dec 2004)

I have lived to thank God that all my prayers have not been answered.  (Jean Ingelow)

On this day I promise God and myself that I will let go of any problem that is destroying my peace of mind.  I pray for detachment from the situation ... (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 3 January)

Speak to me this year, Lord, in the people you will send me.  (Elizabeth Sherrill, Daily Guideposts, 2 January 2001)

May I sense Your presence as I move through the day so that my actions and decisions are as You would have them.  (Moravian Daily Texts - 2001, 2 January)

New Year's Thoughts & Prayers

Lord, I pray that I have lived my life this past year in a way that pleased You.  (after Daily Wisdom for Women, 26 December)

The past is gone.  Today is full of possibilities.  With each breath I will be aware of the strength at hand.  (Each Day a New Beginning, 1 January)

Father, each day in this new year, please help me remember that You are in control of everything.  (Carol Kuyendall, Daily Guideposts, 1 Jan 2001)

Realizing that nothing can hurt me while I lean upon my Higher Power, I ask to be guided through the hours minutes of each day.  Let me remind myself to bring every problem to Him for I know He will show me the way I must go.  (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 1 January)

I resolve to live the coming year one day at a time, easing myself of the burdens of the past and the uncertainties of the future.  Whatever may come, I will meet it with a serene mind.  (source unknown)

I pray that all goes well for you.  I hope that you are strong in body, as I know you are in spirit.  (John III, 1:2, from Positive Thinking for Every Day of the Year by Norman Vincent Peale, 27 December)