Tuesday, January 31, 2006

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)

Monday, January 30, 2006

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

Sunday, January 29, 2006

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

Saturday, January 28, 2006

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)

Thursday, January 26, 2006

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

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

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)

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

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) 

Monday, January 23, 2006

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)

Friday, January 20, 2006

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

Thursday, January 19, 2006

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)

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

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

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

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)

Sunday, January 15, 2006

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)

Friday, January 13, 2006

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)

Thursday, January 12, 2006

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)

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

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

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

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

Monday, January 9, 2006

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

Sunday, January 8, 2006

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)

Saturday, January 7, 2006

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)

Friday, January 6, 2006

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.)

 

Thursday, January 5, 2006

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)

Tuesday, January 3, 2006

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)

Monday, January 2, 2006

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)

Sunday, January 1, 2006

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)