Ten Prayers

In my Good Housekeeping December 2011 issue, there is an article entitled "10 Prayers To Carry You Through The Holidays."  After reading them, they are really prayers to carry you through whatever....  Thought I'd share them.  Enjoy.

1.  Give Me Simplicity: a prayer you'll never forget
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is 'thank you,' it will be enough.  (Meister Eckhart)

2.  Give Me Open Eyes: a prayer for Thanksgiving

"For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends."

(Ralph Waldo Emerson)

3.  Give Me A Break:  a morning prayer for the utterly exhausted

God, grant me the power to get out of the shower. (Monica Sheehan, from Prayers for All Occasions)

4.  Give Me Warmth:  a winter prayer

For all warm things of this season I thank you, Lord.

For the warmth of my house as I come in cold from shopping.

For the fragrant warmth of my kitchen as I turn on the oven and sift and measure and stir and bake.

For the snug warmth of the bedrooms where (finally, after much commotion) my children sleep.

For the warmth of this cut of steaming coffee in my hand as I settle down (exhausted, and at least) before the fire that dances so warm and festive on the grate.

And for warm clothes, Lord.  These slippers, this robe - all the untidy closets bursting.  That car coat tossed across a chair.  And the car itself, a warm car to take us places (once we get it started).  And those warm places:  the homes of neighbors, friends, a warm church to worship in.

And the warm people there.  The warm smiles and greetings. 

The generosity and kindness of people everywhere.

I am full of this warmth, Lord, it comforts me, it calms me.

It makes me feel a glow almost as rosy as the embers in the fireplace.

I want all people to be warm and rested and at peace.

Thank you for this blessed season of warmth in the midst of so much that is chilly and stormy. 

Let it draw all of us together against the coming cold.

("For All Warm Things," Marjorie Holmes, from Hold Me Up A Little Longer, Lord)

5.  Give Me Mindfulness: a prayer for living slowly

"God help us to live slowly

To move simply

To look softly

To allow emptiness

To let the heart create for us.

Amen."

(Michael Leunig, from When I Talk to You: A Cartoonist Talks to God)

6.  Give Me Joy: a don't-take-it-all-so-seriously prayer

Give us a sense of humor, Lord, and also things to laugh about.

Give us the grace to take a joke against ourselves,

And to see the funny side of the things we do.

Save us from annoyance, bad temper, resentfulness against our friends.

Help us to laugh even in the face of trouble.

Fill our minds with the love of Jesus; for his name's sake.

(A.G. Bullivant)

7.  Give Me Faith:  a prayer for control freaks

"If you put your whole trust in God, as you ought,

He most certainly will give you sustenance, as He doth the birds;

they come out hungry in the morning but return full to their nests."

(the prophet Muhammad)

8.  Give Me Perseverance:  "Anyway: The Paradoxical Commandments" - a prayer that's inspired everyone from Mother Teresa to Martina McBride.

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accus you of selfish ulterior motives.  Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.  Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.  Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.  Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.  Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.  Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.  Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.  Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you  have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.  Give the world the best you have anyway.

(Kent M. Keith, Ed.D.)

9.  Give Me Optimism:  a prayer for the ability to choose the sunny side of the street.

Whatsoever things are true,

Whatsoever things are honest,

Whatsoever things are just,

Whatsoever things are pure,

Whatsoever things are lovely,

Whatsoever things are of good report;

If there be any virtue,

And if there be any praise,

Think on these things.

(Philippians 4:8, the Bible, KJV)

10.  Give Me The Grace of a Silent Night:  a prayer for our dearest unspoken dreams and desires.

"I still think that the prayer without words is the best." (C.S. Lewis)