Year-End Inventory

O Lord, my year's work is over, bless all that I have done right, and forgive all that has been wrong. Grant me the peace and rest that come from Thee above. (Adapted by REH from a Franciscan Prayer)

Constructive Living

I pray that I may try to bring something good into every situation today. I pray that I may be constructive in living today. (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 23 December)

What I Used To Be

I may not be what I ought to be and I may not be what I'm going to be, but thank God I'm not what I used to be! (African American Christian prayer in Upper Room Disciplines - 2006, 20 November)

Give Me Peace

Dear heavenly Father, I need to feel Your loving presence here beside me, walking with me through this difficult day. Speak to my heart as I wait in silence, meditating on Your word. Give me the peace only You can give. (Kay Arthur, Search My Heart, O God, 7 December)

Boundaries

Lord, help me recognize where to set the boundaries in my life. (Ric Engram, Pace Yourself, 19 December)

Christmas Day

Lord, on this Christmas Day, bless with comfort those separated from their loved ones. (Gail Thorell Schilling, Daily Guideposts - 2006, 25 December)

God, help me enjoy and cherish this holiday. If my situation is less than ideal, help me take what's good and let go of the rest. (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 25 December)

Guide My Giving

Today, God, guide me in my giving. Help me give to others in healthy ways. Help me give what feels right, what feels good, what feels clean, and what I can afford. (Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go, 13 December)

Prayer is a Necessary Condition

One can live without prayer either when he is possessed by his passions or when his life is completely dedicated to God. But for a person who is fighting his passion and yet far from fulfilling his duty, prayer is a necessary condition of life. (Anonymous in A Calendar of Wisdom, Leo Tolstoy, 21 December)

Forgive Me

Forgive me, Father, for trying to find solutions in my own strength and in the wisdom of men. I turn to You now with the confidence of a child, trusting You to meet my need beyond all that I ask or imagine. (Kay Arthur, Search My Heart, O God, 4 December)

Judging

Lord, keep me from judging others. Grant me patience and understanding and the wisdom to love every moment of every day that You've given me. (Edward Grinnan in Daily Guideposts - 2006, 19 December)

Tasks of the Holidays

I am worn out, dear Lord, from trying to juggle all of the tasks of the holidays. I confess that my family has become increasingly caught up in the commercial side of Christmas. Show me, please, what I need to change so that our family can experience the true joy of Christmas as You intended. (Kay Arthur, Search My Heart, O God, 20 December)

Wintertime Is Snow Time

Lord, make everyone willing to slow down and accept the beauty of the snow.

Help Me

Lord, help me deal with the pain I experience in my life today. (Ric Engram, Pace Yourself, 11 December)

Just For Today

Just for today, be God on earth. Love somebody. Help somebody. Touch somebody. Guide somebody. Feed somebody. Support somebody. Forgive somebody. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today!, 14 December)

Thankfulness

Lord, I'm thankful for this season when thankfulness and love is on everyone's lips. (adapted from Rick Hamlin in Daily Guideposts - 2006, 23 November)

Power of Government

Until such time as people reject the power of government to govern, to tax, to legislate, and to punish, war will never stop. War is the consequence of the government's power. (Anonymous, in A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy, 25 November)

Life of the Spirit

Try to see the life of the spirit as a calm place, shut away from the tumult of the world. Think of your spiritual home as a place filled with peace, serenity, and contentment. Go to this place to meditate and gain the strength to carry you through the day's problems. Go back daily and whenever you are weary of the world. (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 14 December)

Meditation and Prayer

And when we turn away from meditation and prayer, we likewise deprive our minds, our emotions, and our intuitions of vitally needed support. (From page 97 of 12 Steps and 12 Traditions found in Daily Reflections, 15 November)

I Give Up

God, I give up. I cannot make it happen. (Kay Arthur, Search My Heart, O God, 6 December)

Mistakes

Mistakes help you to grow in character and spirituality. (Susan Smith-Jones, Choose to Live Each Fully, Day 325)

Spiritual Path

God, help me find the spiritual path in the choices I make today. Help me to turn away from self-pity. (Touchstones, 3 December)

The Will of God

I pray that I may do the will of God. I pray that I may gain new spiritual power. (Alan L. Roeck, Look To This Day, 7 December)

Your Blessings

Lord, we ask for your blessings today on our neighbor undergoing medical testing and for the young mother caring for a sick child.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they, too, have their story.
(Max Ehrmann, dated 1927, "Desiderata," found in One Day at a Time in Al-Anon, 7 December)

I Am Blessed

I am blessed as I bless others, and blessings come back to me multiplied.
(Colleen Zuck, et al., Daily Word For Healing, p. 281)

Changing Seasons

Thank You, God, for the changing seasons and for my ever-changing life. (Daily Reflections, 23 November)

Traditions

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught ...

Lord, thank You for the traditions that bind our family together. (II Thessalonians 2:15 and Daily Guideposts - 2006, 17 November)

For Whom Do You Pray?

Photo: Mr. Dickie (Double day-lily in our yard)

For whom do you regularly pray? Who else needs your prayers? (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2006, 26 November)

Guidance

I ask God for guidance and strength in releasing ... [my detrimental] habits and leaving them behind. (Daily Word for Healing, p. 283)