Thursday, December 31, 2009

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)

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

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)

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

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)

Monday, December 28, 2009

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)

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Boundaries


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

Friday, December 25, 2009

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)

Thursday, December 24, 2009

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)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

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)

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

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)

Monday, December 21, 2009

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)

Sunday, December 20, 2009

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)

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Wintertime Is Snow Time


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

Friday, December 18, 2009

Help Me


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

Thursday, December 17, 2009

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)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

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)

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

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)

Monday, December 14, 2009

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)

Sunday, December 13, 2009

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)

Saturday, December 12, 2009

I Give Up

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

Friday, December 11, 2009

Mistakes

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

Thursday, December 10, 2009

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)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

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)

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

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.

Monday, December 7, 2009

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)

Sunday, December 6, 2009

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)

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Changing Seasons


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

Friday, December 4, 2009

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)

Thursday, December 3, 2009

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)

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Guidance


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