My Prayer List -- Or Prayer Narrative

I have a prayer on my PDA, which I use a couple of times each day -- around lunch I go to the Sanctuary and pray in solitude; and at night as I walk in my neighborhood.

It takes about 15 minutes to say this prayer, but it may also take over an hour to engage the prayer, as each phrase can often lead me into further prayer. I have actual names in my prayer -- and often find myself praying over these names for quite a long time as I move through this prayer. I've removed the names here.

It is a weaving together of ancient, modern, and personally written prayers.

There is no "amen" at the end. Amen is to be said in public worship, as a way of saying, "I agree." Unfortunately, it has become a way of saying, "Goodbye" to God and shutting Him out of our minds, preventing us from learning to "pray without ceasing" as Scripture teaches us to do.

For what it is worth, I share it with you...

FOCUSING PRAYERS

O Almighty God,
who pours out on all who desire it
the spirit of grace and of supplication:
Deliver me, when I draw near to you
from coldness of heart and wanderings of mind,
that with steadfast thoughts and kindled affections I may
worship you in spirit and in truth.


O God the Father, creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy on me.
O God the Son, redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on me.
O God the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide,
Have mercy on me.
Holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity,
three persons and one God,
Have mercy on me.

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you
in thought,
word,
and deed,
by what I have done,
and by what I have left undone.
I have not loved you with my whole heart;
I have not loved my neighbors as myself.
I am truly sorry and I humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ
have mercy on me and forgive me;
that I may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways.


PRAYERS FOR DELIVERANCE
From all spiritual blindness;
from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy;
from envy, hatred, and malice;
and from all want of charity,
Good Lord, deliver me.

From all deadly sin;
and from the deceits of the world,
the flesh, and the devil,
Good Lord, deliver me.

From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism;
from hardness of heart,
and contempt for your Word and commandments,
Good Lord, deliver me.

From earthquake and storm;
from drought, fire, and flood;
from strong wind, tornado and hurricane;
from epidemic, pestilence, and famine;
from civil strife and violence;
from terrorism and crime;
from war and murder;
and from dying suddenly and unprepared,
Good Lord, deliver me.

In my times of trouble;
in my times of prosperity;
in the hour of death,
and on the day of judgment,
Good Lord, deliver me.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION
Receive my prayers, O Lord my God.
Hear me, good Lord.

FOR THE CHURCH
Govern and direct your holy church;
fill it with love and truth;
and grant it that unity which is your will.
Be especially with my congregation
that it may enjoy peace, unity and purity.
Heal our elders from their recent strife.
Bless our staff, especially ....
Guide our Sunday School teachers, musicians and all who work to lead your people in our church.
Bless the current work being done on our stewardship drive and our budget process.
Guide the Nomination process for new elders.
Be with the Sunrise Church and the Hollywood Church
that they may secure new pastors.
Be with the First Church of Miami
in their time of discernment.
Be with the Westminster Church,
in their time of grief.
Be with those churches of our area damaged by Hurricane Wilma
that they may continue your good work.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

Enlighten all ministers, elders and deacons
with true knowledge and understanding of your Word,
that by their preaching and living
they may declare it clearly
and show its truth.
Be especially with ...
Raise up new ministers for our churches.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

Encourage and prosper your servants
who spread the gospel in all the world,
and send out laborers into the harvest.
Be with Harry in Guatemala,
Marilyn and Dave in Peru,
Alan in India,
Bill in Kenya…
Hear my prayer, good Lord.



FOR OUR NATION
Rule the hearts of your servants,
the President of the United States, and all others in authority,
that they may do justice, and love mercy,
and walk in the ways of truth.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

Bless and defend all who strive for our safety and protection,
and shield them in all dangers and adversities.
Be especially with ...
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

Grant wisdom and insight to those who govern me,
and to judges and magistrates the grace to execute justice with mercy.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

FOR ALL PEOPLE
To all nations grant unity, peace, and concord,
Bringing an end to all wars in this troubled world,
and to all people give freedom, dignity, food, and shelter.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

That you would make wars to cease in all the world;
give to all nations unity, peace, and concord;
and grant freedom, dignity, food, shelter, health care and education to all people.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

That we may have strength and skill to conserve the resources of the earth,
and wisdom to use them well.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

Enlighten with your Spirit all who teach
and all who learn.
Bless especially my wife in her classes, and all who teach with her.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

Come to the help of all who are in danger, necessity, and trouble;
protect all who travel by land, sea, air or space.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

Strengthen and preserve all women who are in childbirth,
and all young children,
and comfort the aged, the bereaved, and the lonely.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

Defend and provide for the widowed and the orphaned,
the refugees and the homeless,
the unemployed,
and all who are desolate and oppressed.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

Heal those who are sick in mind, body or spirit,
and give skill and compassion to all who care for them.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.

Teach me to love and forgive my enemies,
those who persecute me,
those who slander me,
those who take advantage of me,
and those I are struggling to love as you would have us to love.
Watch over especially ....
and all others who wish ill of me.
Hear my prayer, good Lord.


PRAYERS FOR MY FAMILY
Eternal God,
look with favor upon my wife and our marriage,
Give us wisdom and devotion
in our common life,
that we may be to each other
a strength in need,
a counselor in perplexity,
a comfort in sorrow,
and a companion in joy.
Grant that our wills
may be so knit together in your will,
and our spirits in your Spirit,
that we may grow in love and peace
with you and with each other
all the days of our lives.
Give us the grace,
when we hurt each other,
to recognize and confess our fault,
and to seek each other's forgiveness
and yours.
Make our life together
a sign of Christ's love
to this sinful and broken world,
that unity may overcome estrangement,
forgiveness heal guilt,
and joy conquer despair.
Give us such fulfillment of our mutual love
that we may reach out in concern for others.

Watch over our two sons, O Lord.
As their days increase, bless and guide them wherever they may be.
Strengthen them when they stand;
comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful;
raise them up if they falls;
and in their hearts may your peace which passes understanding
abide all the days of their lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

TRANSITION PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on me.
Christ, have mercy on me.
Lord, have mercy on me.

A THANKSGIVING
I give thanks to you, for your love is everlasting

Thank you, God, for the good world;
for things great and small, beautiful and awesome;
for seen and unseen splendors;
for the sun in the day, and the moon and stars at night;
for clear skies and cloudy days;
for butterflies, birds, and all creatures you have made;
for the universe filled with beauty.

Thank you, God, for human life;
for talking and moving and thinking together;
for common hopes and hardships shared from birth until our dying;

Thank you, God, for work to do and strength to work;
for the comradeship of labor;
for exchanges of good humor and encouragement;

Thank you, God, for marriage;
for the mystery and joy of flesh made one;
for mutual forgiveness and burdens shared;
for secrets kept in love.

Thank you, God, for family;
for living together and eating together;
for family amusements and family pleasures;

Thank you, God, for children;
for their energy and curiosity;
for their brave play and startling frankness;
for their sudden sympathies;

Thank you, God, for the young;
for their high hopes;
for their irreverence toward worn-out values;
for their search for freedom;
for their solemn vows;

Thank you, God, for growing up and growing old;
for wisdom deepened by experience;
for rest in leisure;
and for time made precious by its passing;

Thank you, God, for your help in times of doubt and sorrow;
for healing our diseases;
for preserving us in temptation and danger;

Thank you, God, for the church into which I have been called;
for the good news I receive and proclaim by Word and Sacrament;
for our life together in the Lord;

We praise you, God, for your Holy Spirit,
who guides our steps and brings us gifts of faith and love;
who prays in us and prompts our grateful worship;

We praise you, God, above all for your Son Jesus Christ,
who lived and died and lives again for our salvation;
for our hope in him;
and for the joy of serving him;

We thank and praise you, Eternal God,
for all your goodness to me and my family.


CONCLUDING PRAYER

O Lord, support me all the day long
until the shadows lengthen
and the evening comes
and the busy world is hushed,
and the fever of life is over,
and my work is done.
Then, in your mercy,
grant me a safe lodging,
and a holy rest,
and peace at the last;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.