Quo Vadis, Domine?

Where are you going, Lord,
To which enchanted shore,
To which unspoken world
Beyond the secret door?

Where are you going, Lord,
To which lost paradise,
To which sweet lands of old
Beyond our mortal eyes?

Where are you going, Lord,
To which ocean of light,
To which mountains of gold
Beyond our lonely night?

Where are you going, Lord,
To which brand new today
Forgotten by time's sword
Beyond the Milky Way?

Where are you going, Lord,
To which new rising suns,
Away from all the cold, 
Away from tears and guns?

Wherever you may go,
O, Lord God from above,
Can you make room for us,
The children of your love?

Written by Eliza

Buying a Wooden Prayer Box

For those who are interested in buying a wooden prayer box for themselves or as a gift, here is a website I came across, where you can order them online and pay via Paypal. The boxes are usually delivered within one week.

My Prayer Box by Heavenly Wood Works Inc.

The Orphans of This World

In God's eyes we are all the same,
He knows each one of us by name.
He calls the orphans of this world
Under His wings, far from the cold.

When you feel lonely in the night,
He'll come to you and hold you tight.
When tears burn like acid rain,
He'll come to you and soothe your pain.

You are so precious in God's eyes,
He paid for you such a high price.
He send His son into the world
To face the darkness and the cold.

To share the mortals' destiny,
To give you hope, to set you free.
The little babe Jesus was born,
For you, the orphans of this world.

A BLESSED CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

LET'S WELCOME JESUS

And the light came into the darkness... and the Word came into the world to break the silence of death...

He came and lived among us, full of grace and truth. His words healed hearts and minds, his call arose people from the death, his touch brought light to the blind.

His message was simple and full of power. His words strong and compassionate. His presence life-changing. His love for us had no limits.

He didn't come to judge or to punish, but to save and to heal. To help us find a meaning in a meaningless world. To comfort us and give us a hope in a hopeless world. He came to the orphans of this world, to make them sons and daughters of God and heirs of eternity.

He came as a humble baby, sharing all our pain and suffering in a body like ours, bearing all the burdens of our frail human frame. When the whole earth and sky was his, he chose to live and die for us out of a love that defies our understanding.

Let's welcome the baby born in Bethlehem. Let's welcome Jesus, Son of God and Son of Man, born into our world at the crossway of history to change it forever.

AMEN

Don't save it all for Christmas Day

www.christianphotos.net

There isn't enough love in the world. As Victor Hugo said, we never pray and never love too much. One single smile could make miracles and yet sometimes we grudge even that. Let the lights and the magic of Christmas change your heart this year. Smile more, even to the people you don't know. Bring a smile on sad faces by a kind word. Touch the hand of a lonely man. Pray for those who have no hope. Visit someone who's dying. Give a piece of bread to a hungry person. Make a surprise to a sick child. Give a present to someone who's forgotten. Make a woman feel loved. Make a man feel special. If you do any one of these things, you make the world a better place and you honour Jesus, who's coming into the world once again as a little baby, to live and die for us, to comfort and counsel us, to give us a creed and a meaning, to be our our Lord, our friend and our brother.

YouTube - Celine Dion - Don't save it all for christmas Day

Improving Your Prayer Life

Here you can find a few ideas on improving your prayer life. If you feel that something is not working as it should, 
don't get discouraged and don't give up. 
God can see your struggles and his heart is always with you.
Wherever you go, whatever you do, keep that in mind and
turn to him like you would turn to a friend.

Prayer Central

At the Approaching of Christmas

My Lord, I can remember Christmas as it used to be in my early years, with all its lights and all its magic. Things have changed in time and I'll never regain that magic again. The years of my childhood are gone forever and with them so many sensations and feelings that can be neither recovered nor put into words.

Please, Lord, let me feel your love this Christmas once more, let me feel how lucky I am to be your child. Remind me of the way you changed my heart and of all the miracles you've made in my life. Teach me not to take anything for granted, but to give you thanks for everything. Let me escape the daily routine and see the hidden beauty of each day.

Let the child in me take over once again, let me see the world through the innocent eyes of a child. Open my eyes to the wonders around me. There are so many miracles we pass by every day and don't even notice. Help me rediscover the world this Christmas, with all the amazing things you put in it for us to rejoice.

AMEN

Pray As You Go

This is a link that will take you to a site where you can download and listen to prayers in mp3 format. Whether you're at home or on the road, driving the car or travelling by train or by bus, you can feel closer to God by listening to these prayers.

Pray-as-you-go . . . daily prayer for your MP3 player

Longing for Intimacy

www.christianphotos.net

Right now when I’m writing this, the wind is roaring like a wild animal and the rain is tapping on my window, but neither of them can hurt me. It feels like it’s part of our genetic heritage to long for warmth and cosiness, for the sweet touch of intimacy. As I look back at my life, I can see this longing in everything I’ve done, in every step I’ve taken. The Webster dictionary defines „intimacy” as „a state of close relationship, familiarity”. Intimacy is usually between two persons, but it can go much further and deeper than that. Intimacy with yourself, with the world around you, with God. Feeling close to things and to beings. However, in order to feel close to something or someone, you need to feel that you are safe, that there is no threatening. Since we are so fragile and vulnerable, feeling safe is very important to us.

There are three images that come to mind when I think of intimacy. An evening by the fire with someone you love. Lord Jesus sharing bread and wine with his disciples. Me lying in bed with the flu. The last one sounds quite funny, but to me it is at least as important as the other two. You might think there’s no fun in catching the flu. And I’ve done it quite a lot since I was born. However, the story told inside is very different. Lying in bed with the flu means much more than blowing my nose and coughing my throat out. It is a story about love and intimacy. The love of my parents who were looking after me. The feeling that I’m safe and that nothing can harm me. The certainty that everything is under control. The unorthodox joy that I can stay at home rather than go to school. The opportunity to use my creative skills without the fear of being told of. The opportunity to write, or draw or play in the cosiness of my bed, surrounded by the people I loved, protected from all the hostility outside.

Things have changed in time but the feeling remains. It is too strong and too deep to go away. Only that now it is somehow extended. Extended to the whole world. Every time I’m scared, every time I have to take a big step and my heart is beating fast, every time I feel lost and alone, I pray to God and the feeling’s back again. In that moment I know he has answered me. I am safe. There’s nothing to be scared of. Everything is under control. I am protected by a love stronger than death. The whole world becomes my home because the Creator of the world is my father.

The Job God Gave Me

One night I woke up and cried. Tears came uninvited and they wouldn’t stop. Ever since, I have been crying inside. For all the combinations of words no one has ever written. For all the books no one has ever read. For all the people no one has ever loved. There are so many things to cry for in a lifetime. For every little part of me that has been wasted along the years. For every lost soul. For every shattered dream. For every little thing that has been left outside in the cold. For every car that has passed by my window without stopping for me. For every night that has gone by without revealing its mystery. For all the secrets unknown and unshared.

I could cry for almost anything. Both sadness and joy can bring tears into my eyes. Hatred and love. The beginning and the end of life. Alpha and Omega. And all that’s in between. The easiest thing in the world is to find something to cry for. Once you have come to a certain stage, it’s all a matter of looking around – or looking inside. Tears can be a light in the dark, a candle for our path. Tears make us human. For it is through tears that our humanity is shown. We haven’t chosen to be human and most surely we cannot change it. But we can cry for it. We can cry for our frail humanity. For our lost paradise. For the sheep that have gone astray. We can cry in the dark, when no one can see us, except God. If he loves us, he will cry with us. What a huge comfort that would be!

I remember crying my eyes out so many times. For simple things. For things that would normally pass unnoticed. But there was something inside that hurt and burned. An inner urge. A voice telling me: “Cry, my child. I have chosen you to cry for all the world. It is a privilege. This world is soiled. It needs as many tears as it can get to wash the dirt away. Pure, honest tears coming from a pure, honest heart.” I listened to that urge and cried. Night after night. Day after day. It became my job. Crying for things. Crying for beings. Crying for everything and for nothing. Redeeming all through my tears, because a thing someone has cried for can no longer be a worthless thing.

Two prayers

http://www.christianphotos.net/

When I was a kid, my greatest wish was to have a little brother or sister. So I wrote a long and touching letter to the stork, the bird that is supposed to bring babies in a basket. I left the letter on a field where one could see storks occasionally and I waited for the result. Of course, nothing happened. I wrote another letter to Father Christmas, or Santa Claus or whatever you like to call him. Christmas came and I got a lot of presents, but no trace of the one I’d been asking for. People say that in order to have your wish granted, you have to think of it when you see a shooting star. So I used to come out in the evenings and stare at the sky, hoping to find a shooting star. When I finally discovered one, I felt like I had finally touched the shores of heaven. Still nothing happened.

Not long after Christmas, my friend next door got a little sister. I was convinced that the stork, or Father Christmas or whoever was in charge with the delivery had switched addresses. Somebody at school told me it had something to do with my mom and dad, so I thought to myself: “If that’s the case, it’s going to be easy.” It usually didn’t take me long to convince them to buy me a soft toy or a doll I liked. But this time it was different. My mother’s eyes became sad when I mentioned the baby, she hugged me and found refuge in a painful silence. It’s pointless saying that I used to pray to God every single night with tears in my eyes, begging him to make my dream come true. He didn’t.

Later I found out there was much more to it. The story goes like this: My mother couldn’t have children. She had a problem that made her unable to carry a baby for nine months. She went through several treatments, saw several doctors, but nothing seemed to help. She kept losing pregnancy after pregnancy. However, she desperately wanted a baby and prayed for it with such an intensity that God finally answered her prayer and made a miracle.

One and the same wish. Two different prayers. One was answered, one was not. What makes the difference? One was the childish prayer of a little girl who wanted something, but had no clue what issues were involved in the matter. She just wanted something, full stop. The other was the mature prayer of a woman fully aware of the situation, who knew which were the chances but refused to give up. She entrusted her heart and her life to God and took a step forward through faith. That’s the story of me coming into this world.

For Those Who Have Prayed for Me

http://www.christianphotos.net

Dear Lord, holy spring of life and light of divine love, thank you for all the people who have prayed for me along the years and for those who are still praying, for those who are close and for those who are far away, for those whom I’ve met and for those whom I haven’t met, for those without whom my path would have sunken into darkness so many times. Thank you for in the moments of spiritual crisis, they lifted me up and gave me strength to go on. Don’t leave any of their prayers unrewarded, nor any of their kind acts unpaid. Touch them with your rich mercy and fill their life with blessings. Surround them with love and people who are willing to pray for them with an honest heart, just like they prayed for me. Never leave them alone in times of trial, nor without help in danger. Never leave them without comfort in times of suffering. Give them a healthy body and a peaceful mind. Guide them with your right hand and when the way seems too long and too hard, carry them in your arms like a kind loving father. Don’t let a single day pass without them being in somebody’s thoughts and prayers, without them getting a sign of love and kindness from someone. And no matter how far they were, don’t let me ever forget what they have done for me. Let me stand by their side whenever they need my help and share their sadness and joy until the end of time.

AMEN

Thank you. Your suggestion has been submitted and it will be taken into account for future blog posts.

A fresh start...

Dear Lord,

This day is a new page in the book of our lives. We thank you for giving us the chance to write yet another page in it; a page of joy, gratitude, compassion and love for all those who desire to read it. Give us the fortitude and wisdom that we need to live this day according to your perfect teachings; purify our spirits and fill our hearts with your presence, so that we can be light among the darkness. Once again, Lord, we thank you. Amen.

An Exercise for the Imagination

www.christianphotos.net

The clock on the wall indicated a few minutes to eight PM. In a second floor apartment of a block, in a provincial town, a 16 year old girl was writing in her diary:
“I am the last creature on Earth. A pathetic animal who can’t find its place in this world. I’m fed up with living in fear. Fear. Always fear. With every step I take. With every breath of air I take. A life based on fear, from A to Z. I’m scared that my mother will die and I’ll be left alone in this world. I’m scared that men will break my heart. I’m scared that no one will love me for what I am. I’m scared that I’ll grow old and sere like a flower without water. I’m scared of the monotony of life. Of the agony of death. Of the life after death. And so on and so forth. I’ve got to stop this. And the only way I can stop the fear of death is by facing it.”

At the same time, at the other side of the world, in the corner of an old country side a spider was weaving his web. The light filtered through the blinds made the small particles of dust become visible in certain areas, like a rain of twinkling stars. The young man looked at them with a strange smile and thought of the Himalayan snows and of the Milky Way.

“My God”, he said, staring through the blinds at the clear summer sky. “I know I’m not worthy to ask for a miracle, but today, the 25th of July, 2005, at…” – he looked at his watch – “7:56 AM, I, your humble servant, am asking you, the eternal father of all things, to make a miracle, to save a life, to pull a soul out of the claws of death and despair.”

A few days later the young girl wrote a good bye letter to her parents and went to drown herself into the sea. As she approached the shore, she saw something coming towards her on the clear surface of the water. She came closer. It was a bottle. A bottle with a message in it. She got it, opened it and read the message. Then she folded it well, put it back in the bottle and launched it on the water again. She went home and never thought about committing suicide again.

The question is: What do you think the message was?

Make Us Worthy to Serve

"Make us worthy, Lord,
To serve our fellow-men
Throughout the world
Who live and die in poverty and hunger.
Give them, through our hands,
This day their daily bread;
And by our understanding love,
Give peace and joy."

Mother Teresa

Show Me the Meaning of Suffering

My Lord, my Redeemer, help me find a meaning in my suffering, in the hardships and the humiliations I’m facing. Make my life and my being part of your divine plan. Give me the strength to see beyond this “here” and “now”. Show me a glimpse of what we cannot know, let me find the answers I’m looking for. Speak to me like you spoke to Job at the end of his suffering. Reach out to me and scatter the darkness that surrounds me. Open my eyes, so that I can see your love in everything. Open my ears, so that I can hear your voice in everything. Teach me to be strong in times of weakness. To carry forward the message of faith, hope and love. When my heart is breaking, touch it with your healing touch and make it whole again. Your mercy is endless. Your greatness is beyond compare. You can turn wrong into right and darkness into light. You can make me strong by the very things that make me weak. Change my heart. Let me be a messenger of your love here on Earth. Where there is bitterness, pour your sweet love, where there is illness and death, pour your living water. Where there is despair, pour your hope. There are so many times when I feel like a prisoner in my own body, in a world that defies my understanding. Teach me that there is more than eyes can see, that the truth is comforting and redeeming. Set me free by your truth. Let my heart see your glory, so that I can never feel like a prisoner again.

The Poem of the Orphan Child

"My feet they are sore, and my limbs they are weary;
Long is the way, and the mountains are wild;
Soon will the twilight close moonless and dreary
Over the path of the poor orphan child.

Why did they send me so far and so lonely,
Up where the moors spread and grey rocks are piled?
Men are hard-hearted, and kind angels only
Watch o'er the steps of a poor orphan child.

Yet distant and soft the night breeze is blowing,
Clouds there are none, and clear stars beam mild,
God, in His mercy, protection is showing,
Comfort and hope to the poor orphan child.

Ev'n should I fall o'er the broken bridge passing,
Or stray in the marshes, by false lights beguiled,
Still will my Father, with promise and blessing,
Take to His bosom the poor orphan child.

There is a thought that for strength should avail me,
Though both of shelter and kindred despoiled;
Heaven is a home, and a rest will not fail me;
God is a friend to the poor orphan child."

From Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

Words About Prayer

"Prayer does not and cannot change the purpose of [...] God. For every right and good thing we might ask for He has already planned to give us. But prayer does change the action of God. Because He cannot give against our wills, and our willingness as expressed by our asking gives Him the opportunity to do as He has already planned."

S. D. (Samuel Dickey) Gordon

Let me be a prayer

Lord God,

Let my every word be a prayer.
Let my every thought be a prayer.
Let my every action be a prayer.
Let all I’ve got
and all I am
be a prayer
Forever and ever.

AMEN

The Two Parts of Prayer

"In its simplest analysis prayer--all prayer--has, must have, two parts. First, a God to give. "Yes," you say, "certainly, a God wealthy, willing, all of that." And, just as certainly, there must be a second factor, a man to receive. Man's willingness is God's channel to the earth. God never crowds nor coerces. Everything God does for man and through man He does with man's consent, always. With due reverence, but very plainly, let it be said that God can do nothing for the man with shut hand and shut life. There must be an open hand and heart and life through which God can give what He longs to. An open life, an open hand, open upward, is the pipe line of communication between the heart of God and this poor befooled old world. Our prayer is God's opportunity to get into the world that would shut Him out."

S. D. Gordon

Words about prayer

Prayer is one of the ways of communicating with God, perhaps the most important one. That’s why it is essential that we pray regularly. There were periods in my life when I neglected prayer. Sometimes out of laziness or because I was caught up with other things. Other times because words seemed dry and my heart had nothing to say. It always felt like breaking a relationship, like turning my back on God. Then a time came when I felt like starting over. Let me tell you this, it wasn’t easy. I could feel the gap I’d created, it was as real as you and me. The words wouldn’t come without a struggle. It would take a while to reach the spiritual level I had reached before. Lack of exercise or practice in any area leads to lack of performance. So a good relationship with God requires a lot of prayer exercise. It’s so easy to say: “I’ll take a break today.” But then tomorrow it gets worse, and the day after tomorrow worse, and so on and so forth. By the time you want to pray again you might realize you have drifted away further than you thought. So even when you don’t feel like praying, make an effort. It is as important as brushing your teeth in the morning. Your effort won’t pass unrewarded. You might realize that by the end of the prayer, your heart will be burning with faith and devotion again.

A Prayer for Purity

A Prayer for Purity
By Trudy (a daughter of Christ)

Lord God Father, Son and Holy Spirit please give me a grace of purity in all manner.

Purity of heart
Purity of soul
Purity of mind
Purity of body
Purity of spirit

Purity in my senses
Purity in my speech
Purity in my thoughts
Purity in my words
Purity in my deeds

Purity in my dress
Purity in my actions
Purity in my conduct
Purity in my attitude
Purity in love

Help me each morning to arise
and be conscious that I am
Your daughter/son

Therefore I can no longer be
a child of the world,
I must be different

Help me to have
a conduct of deep desire
to be pleasing to You

Pour Your Holy Spirit onto
and within me,
in a new way today

I want to be set apart
from this world
and belong to You entirely

Please Lord God,
give me the gift of purity
in all manner of self and living

Place Your garment of holiness
on me and make me Christlike
Thank You amen

www.allforyourglorylord.com

Trudy (a daughter of Christ) is a transformed woman by the Word of God made flesh Lord Jesus Christ. Her desire is to give hope to all, for the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are alive. She is an encourager and a powerful testimony that God can reach and touch a life; then set it on FIRE for HIS GLORY


Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com

Save me from myself

So many times I was on the point of falling. So many times I stood on the edge of the abyss, ready to take the next step. You saved me every time. I am nothing but dust. The most insignificant creature who has ever lived. And yet you saved me. You restored me. Now I’m scared of all the times that will come when I get there again. Are you going to save me every time? I’m so out of control sometimes. So helpless. I can’t pray. I can’t love. I can’t see the light ahead. Everything around seems to sink into darkness. An ocean of blackness. Will you rescue me from that pit over and over again? Will you rescue me from the darkness inside? My life is in your hands. Don’t let go of it. Not even for a second. Cause sometimes a second is all it takes for the bridge to be crossed.

To Our Heavenly Father

Lord God of love, our comforter and our friend, our light in the dark, let our hearts find a refuge in you from all the worries and the troubles of the day. Let us bring our burdens to the feet of the cross and renew us over and over again with the living water of your presence in our lives. Make us strong in our everyday struggles. Help us distinguish between right and wrong and choose the things that can make us grow. Help us make a difference in the lives of the people around us and in our own lives. Rather than ask for miracles all the time, let us be a miracle. You created us according to your own image, help us live that way. Let us prove ourselves worthy of the gift of life you gave to us and of all the love you invested in us. Let us feel the magic of every moment and give thanks for all the things in our life. Let us see the rainbow glistening behind every tear. Teach us that the great crisis can be overcome. That there are answers to the big questions of humanity. That we are not just a bunch of evoluated animals aborted in the middle of the jungle. We are your children. We are precious in your eyes. Watch over our bodies and our souls, so that none of us is lost. We lose so much in this life. Our friends and loved ones. Our health and youth. Our earthly possessions. Our memories. Let us not lose the most important thing we have, the one that can make up for all the other things we lose, because it’s stronger in the balance than all of them put together. Let us never lose our faith.

AMEN

Motto

Our purpose in life is to make sure that light is always one step ahead of darkness.

My psalm, my prayer

Lord God,

You are the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. It is safe to place my heart in your hands. In a restless and troubled world, you are a realm of peace and comfort. In a sea of doubts, you are the certainty. In an ocean of darkness, you are the light. Guide us through the night. Your mercy is endless. Your grace is eternal. Your love has no boundaries. Without you, we would be lost and alone. With you, we are saved and loved, we have a purpose and a meaning. Teach us to love and to forgive, the way you love and forgive us. Teach us to find our joy in you. Teach us to find our strength in your name. Make us a candle for others' steps, so that they can see where they are going and do not stumble on the way.

Make us a light for the blind, a song for the deaf, a hope for the lost and the lonely. Give us the passion and the courage of the first Christians. Give us the power you gave to your apostles. Teach us to say the right word at the right time, to choose the right thing every time we have to make a choice. For you have the power to build up hearts and minds, to restore and to heal. Glorified be your name forever and ever.

AMEN

Prayer Resembles a Flower

Prayer Resembles a Flower
By Vanessa Ferris

First one plants the seed, inquiring God's very existence. One must believe, even slightly, or he would not have questioned the fact by any means.

Once questions multiply, they gradually become words converting into a prayer. The more one prays, the more water will develop his flower.

One's maturity through spiritual walk will elevate the flower connecting him with Christ.

Once the flower flourishes, one may dwell in God's mercy and peace as they too embark on their journey in ministry assisting others to create a flower of their own.

I am Vanessa Ferris an eighteen year old from Toledo, Ohio. I have been writing poetry and short stories since I was in 7th grade. My words is basically my soul on paper. I write about how I feel at the time. I am not afraid to write what I think. I believe in God as my Savior; I am not ashamed

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com

What they have said...

Emily Dickinson:

"If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain."

How to pray

Approach God with confidence.
If you think you don't have enough, don't worry. Ask for it.

Approach God with faith.
If you think you don't have enough, don't worry. Faith is the only thing you can ask for without having faith.

Approach God with tears.
If your eyes are dry, don't worry. Keep on praying. The tears will come as God melts the ice around your heart.

Approach God with thanks.
If you think you have nothing to thank for, don't worry. At the end of your prayer you'll realize you have more than you think.

Approach God with an honest heart.
If you think your heart is not honest, don't worry. The very fact that you thought about it proves the contrary.

Approach God with all you've got.
If you think you've got nothing, don't worry. Take your nothing in front of God. After all, he created the world out of nothing.

Approach God full stop.

What they have said...

Charlotte Bronte:

"Biblical promises, heard first in health, but then unheeded, come whispering to the couch of sickness: it is felt that a pitying God watches what all mankind have forsaken; the tender compassion of Jesus is recalled and relied on: the faded eye, gazing beyond Time, sees a Home, a Friend, a Refuge in Eternity."

What they have said

Victor Hugo:

"To place the infinity here below in contact, by the medium of thought, with the infinity on high, is called praying."

"With regard to the modes of prayer, all are good, provided that they are sincere."

"Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever the attitude of the body may be, the soul is on its knees."

"To give thanks in solitude is enough. Thanksgiving has wings and goes where it must go. Your prayer knows much more about it than you do."

"We never love or pray too much."

Prayer for the Lost

I pray for all those who bear the burden of low self-esteem. For them who haven’t learned to love themselves yet because they’ve never learned to love you. For them who are still groping for a meaning and for them who have come to the conclusion that life has no meaning. For them who engage in immoral and destructive activities because of their lack of purpose and direction. For them who perceive life as a never-ending string of problems and constant struggles. For them who are facing mental problems, depression, drug-addiction and all the other things on the black list.
For them we usually point the finger at. For them we regard as the “sinners” of this world. For them we despise or pity, or judge, or simply ignore.
Let them come to know you. Be kind to them. Don’t give up on them because of their ways, but, just like the good shepherd, seek and find them and bring them home. Show them the power of the light. Break the chains that keep them prisoners and set them free. You know each and every one of them. You know that some have got incredible resources for the good. Touch them with your mercy. Change them with your love. Let them work for you. Turn their weakness into strength. Don’t let any of them be lost. For you came into this world to heal and to save, to bring hope where there was no hope and love where there was no love.
I also pray for those who feel they have the right to judge others. Show them how wrong they are. Show them that by doing that they prove worse than the ones they judge. Teach them to be humble. To follow your example. To comfort rather than throw the stone, to build rather than destroy. To see the good rather than the evil in every human being.

AMEN

This morning...

Thank you, Lord, for this new day that begins for us. We thank You and honor You for Your eternal love and for reminding us, with every breath we take, that we are Your beloved children. May Your grace and compassion fill the hearts and spirits of everybody who have decided to surrender themselves at the foot of the Cross; and provide a sign of hope and strength for those who are still looking for you.

In the Name of Jesus we pray,
Amen

Lord God,

Right this moment you can be here, with every one of us, sharing our lonely journey. You designed us to be only one place at a time, but you can be everywhere. To you the past and the future are like an open book. You can see what’s going on inside our bodies and inside our minds. You can read our thoughts and listen to our silent prayers. You know the beginning and the end, the cause and the effect. You can influence the course of the events and change our lives forever. You can lead us to the path you have chosen for us. You have the power to heal, to restore, to renew. To find the lost and save them. None of these things is impossible or too difficult for you.

Search our hearts, our minds and our bodies. We all need to be healed. We all have illnesses and weaknesses, we all have doubts, we all need a push once in a while and a lot of encouragement to go on. I pray for this moment. For this “here” and “now” and for all those who have the privilege of sharing them. Make a miracle. Bring comfort. Bring a touch of hope, a whisper of faith, a glimpse of love. Plant the seed and help it grow. Here and now. For each and every one of us. Make me one with all the people who are praying right now, so that we all can become a great force piercing the sky and making its way to your throne of glory. I pray for everyone who’s reading this and decides to join me in prayer. Let us all pray together.

Lord God, you are our father. Don’t leave your children alone in the dark. Change our lives. Change our hearts. Save us from the troubles and torments this life brings about. Save us from getting drowned in trivial things. Save us from our demons, from our own weaknesses. From our instincts and our selfishness. Fill our hearts with honesty and our eyes with humble tears of repentance, so that our soul can be renewed and we can become people after your own heart. Bring the lost sheep home. Let us share the privilege of joining you at the last supper. Let us be transformed by the bread and the wine. Without you we are prisoners in a world we don’t understand, in a body that keeps betraying us. Set us free. Show us the meaning and give us a purpose in life. Here and now. Forever and ever.

AMEN

The Final Frontier

I turn to the west,
see the twilight is near,
the world's in a quest
for the final frontier.
The dream that we're dreaming
seems close to an end.
Though we reach for a meaning
we don't understand.

For beyond what we see,
for beyond what we hear,
there is comfort and peace,
there's a world without fear.

I can feel there's a voice
like an echo inside,
There's a candle that burns
in the deep frosty night.
When the world's going crazy,
when nothing's the same
do not look for a "something"
or a "someone" to blame.

For beyond what I am,
for beyond what you are,
there are things going on,
there are places so far.

When you turn to the west
and the twilight is near,
when the world's in a quest
for the final frontier,
do not fear, do not hide,
face the storm and be strong,
watch the candle tonight
for it won't take so long.

For beyond what is now,
for beyond what is here,
there's eternity there
past the final frontier.

Do not fear, do not hide,
keep the candle alive
It will see you
through the final frontier.

Thanks Prayer

Dear God,

Thank you for helping us to keep the fire of faith alive in this world of trouble and change. Thank you for giving us something to cling to when everything else seems to fall apart. For giving us a meaning in a world that’s constantly looking for a meaning. Our fragility as human beings makes us ask questions and make suppositions that sometimes seem absurd and ridiculous. There are people who doubt the very fact that we exist. There are questions constantly arising: are we a body? Are we a soul? Are we an evolved animal with conscience? Are we our brain, our memories? What’s the beginning and what’s the end? We have come so far. The human race has reached incredible realms of intelligence and power. But we are still small and frightened… and so breakable. The history of mankind is a deep night where people are struggling to find a light. Thank you for giving us a light. For being our light. For helping us discover our own inner strength.

Once I heard a psychiatrist saying that the essential and predominant feature of our race, the very engine that makes us do all the things we do is fear. All our acts are based on fear. Fear of getting old. Fear of becoming ill. Fear of being alone. Fear of losing the ones we love. Fear of dying. Thank you for showing us a love beyond fear. The love that conquers all fear cause it is perfect in itself. Thank you for giving us the chance to rise above fear and bring forth what’s the best in us. And yes, we are frightened, we do feel lonely and fragile and vulnerable sometimes, but we know we have a father and a friend. We are not orphans in this world. We can always come to you for help and comfort.

There are people who say faith is a sign of weakness. That it is all about relying on somebody else. About ignoring the truth. I would answer them with a quote from Dostoyevsky’s Brothers Karamazov: “If any one could prove to me that Christ is outside the truth, and if the truth really did exclude Christ, I should prefer to stay with Christ and not with the truth.”

Thank you for being the truth. And may your name be praised for all eternity.

AMEN

I don't want to be a moaner. I don't want to upset you all the time with trivial things, yet that's exactly what I do. I seems like I'm never satisfied with what I've got. When I didn't have a soul mate, I asked you for a soul mate and you gave me one. Now I'm asking you for a job. I left my job, my country and all my friends and relatives to be with the man you've chosen for me. But your will for my life can't be just that I sit at home in front of the computer all day long or do the wifely duties. It's got to be more than that. Give me the opportunity to use the gifts you've given me for the benefit of other people and for my own benefit, so that I can gain a little financial independence. Don't let me waste my years and my inner resources with nothing to do, with no real meaning and no direction. Show me a way out of this lack of perspective and give me the chance to make myself useful. My life is in your hands and I know that whatever you decide is for my own good. Help me trust in you completely and surrender to you once more.

AMEN

Prayer For Protection

When I feel lonely in the night, I imagine your arms holding me and your voice giving me comfort. When all my friends abandon me, I can still feel your presence in every whisper of hope, in every breeze of faith that touches my soul. When life seems to make no sense, I can still hear your call, urging me to seek you again in prayer. When my heart seems empty, I can still recall every single miracle you’ve made for me. When I feel down, I still know you can lift me up. And it’s nothing I haven’t expected. All those moments when everything seems like a nightmare are not unpredictable. They can’t cause too much harm, because I am aware they will come sooner or later and I can pray for them in advance. I pray, oh, my dear Lord, for all those moments in the future when I feel lonely in the night, when all my friends abandon me, when life seems to make no sense, when my heart is empty… when I feel down and everything seems like a nightmare. Those are the moments when I need you most, when I most long for your loving presence. Stay with me in those moments. Give me strength and comfort. Hold my hand through the storm, so that my soul can praise you when the rainbow appears on the horizon. Never go away from me when my faith is weak, when my feet are stumbling on the way. Never go away from anyone in their moments of weakness, but turn their weakness into strength and their failure into victory.

AMEN

I've been a stranger

I’ve been a stranger for so long,
I’ve kept so many feelings locked inside,
I guess the words will never be that strong
To share the secrets that I used to hide.

I’ve been a stranger for so long
And no one told me not to cry,
And no one taught me how to live,
And no one showed me how to die.

The world was nothing but a cage,
The body – nothing but a shell,
They say we’re actors on a stage,
We take and give, we buy and sell.

And then you touched me with your love
When no one else was there for me,
You taught me how to live and die.
And now I know you're all I need.

Written by Eliza

A verse a day to light your way

“You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent.”

(Psalms 91:5-10)

My Lord, here I am, in front of you again, with all my heart and my soul. Teach me to be honest with myself and with you. Teach me not to hide behind words, behind polished phrases. Here I am, my soul all naked, ready to let you in. I have so many things to repent for. So many things I should have done and I haven’t. So many things I shouldn’t have done and I have. So many dark corners inside my heart where your light hasn’t reached yet. Forgive me for all those things and for many others that can’t be said here and now. You know each and every one of them. Purify my soul of all the rubbish, so that you can turn me into an instrument of your love. Clean all the places that need to be cleaned. Heal all the wounds that need to be healed. Light all the corners that are still in the dark. Hold my hand and guide my steps on the right path. Help me keep the candle burning. Show me the meaning of my life and your will for it. Let me find my strength in you, even when I feel that all in me is weakness and that all around me is crumbling to pieces. Be my comforter and my friend. Listen to my prayers and help me cry when the burden of restrained tears becomes too heavy within me. Cry with me. Let me feel your tears like a rain inside me, setting me free from all the tension, from all the negative energy. Let me feel your love touching my soul like a soft summer breeze, your tender care like a warm coat on a chilly day, your sweet presence like a long-wanted gift on a magic Christmas Eve. Teach me how to live and how to die. How to pray and how to forgive. All the things that could help my faith grow. Teach me all the little things no one has ever taught me. All that my soul longs to know. And don’t leave me. Stay with me forever and ever. Especially in the moments when I’m down and there’s no one else to lift me up. Especially in the moment of my death. Share it with me to make it easier. Make me feel then - like I felt all throughout my life - that everywhere is home, since home is wherever you are and you are everywhere.

AMEN

My Lord, thank you for this brand new morning, when all the troubles and worries of yesterday seem light years away. Thank you for the night, the time of sleep and rest you gave us to clear all the rubbish  of the day. Thank you for every new beginning, for every fresh start. For every new dream. Thank you for, no matter how hurt we are in the evening, there's always a new morning waiting for us when we can find the strength to forgive and to forget.

"The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made. The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them."

My Lord, though you’re so far away, you are so close. You can’t be contained by eternity but you descend into our small forgotten cottage over and over again. Come and dine with us. We haven’t got too much to give you, we are poor and have no rich meals, the daily bread is bitter with so many tears, but come anyway, o, Lord, come to the most humble of your children. Come and light our lonely winter evenings just like a candle burning in the window, touch the silence that consumes us late at night and turn it into a song. Decorate our Christmas tree with miracles and mysteries and sift the snow of Hope over our souls. Sing to us carols about the baby born in a manger of Bethlehem. Show us there are much more things than we let inside our tiny world. Open the windows of our soul, so that we can let in the breeze of Hope, Faith and Love. Keep our frozen hands warm, so that we learn to keep our brothers and sisters warm. Light our path, so that we can become light to others. Plant the seed of eternity inside our hearts, so that we have no limits in doing good. Open the gates of everlastingness, so that we can cherish every passing moment and make it work for your glory. Show us how good and holy you are, so that we can long for goodness and holiness. Reach out to us, so that we understand that reaching out to people makes a difference. Turn our whole being into a temple of your love, turn our life into a flame flickering in the dark. Let every footprint of ours tell a story, witnessing about your miracles. And when this road finally comes to an end, when Time closes his eyes and goes to sleep like a tired old man, let us pass away as smoothly as a sleigh running down the snow, as a river running into the sea, as a bird flying home to its nest.

AMEN

Endless strength in His name

"The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." -Psalm 118: 14-

A verse a day to light your way

"A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory."

(Matthew 12:20)

My Lord, I want to pray for all those who are at the beginning of a new and ambitious project, especially for those who work for your glory, so that your holy name might be praised. You know all and each one of them by name. Protect them and encourage them. Give them strength to go on even when they feel like giving up. Make them come across the right people and opportunities. Give them comfort when they are discouraged, hold their hand when the journey is too exhausting. Teach them that everything happens at the right time for a reason, for their own good and for the good of all those who love your name. Teach them that this is their time and that it is your will that they don't give up.

AMEN

Christmas is on its way. Let's pray that every one gets a little present for this special celebration. That no one is forgotten. God, bless us all and fill our hearts with Your love. Let us feel the magic of Christmas and share the miracle of Jesus coming into the world. Search our hearts. Don't let anyone feel lonely on that special night. Go to the poor, the disabled, the old, the unloved. Go to all those who haven't found their way yet and shine Your divine light into their lives. Let them know how wonderful You are. And show them how special they are in Your eyes. Every single one of them. AMEN

An Exercise of Freedom

When I pray in silence, my soul is like a white dove stretching its wings and flying beyond the horizon, across unknown spaces, towards the sun. There's so much freedom in praying. It's like giving birth. You first go through a lot of pain and then the satisfaction and the relief are so great. You start with a tormented and doubtful heart. You are not sure where the prayer is going to take you. Whether anybody listens to it or not. Then as you pour your soul into it in all honesty, the words start to flow like an enchanted river across the rocks. And they keep flowing and flowing. There are no boundaries. No obstacles. The tears come. Tears of joy. Tears of gratefulness. Cause you can feel your prayer opening doors, breaking locks, crossing time and space in its way to the One it is addressed to. And you receive feedback. You can actually feel when your prayer is touching the throne of Glory. It is an indescribable experience for someone who has never lived it. You don't need to wait for your prayers to be answered. You already know when they have been answered. You know it that very moment when you're lying on your knees (or standing, or even sitting). It's like an ocean of pure light flooding your whole body, a soft touch caressing your soul. The soft breeze of divine love. And then you know God hasn't forgotten you.

My God,

I want to live.
I want to be happy.
I want to feel that life is a miracle.
I want to feel that no moment is lost.
That nothing is in vain
That everything has a meaning
and that meaning is grand

Listen to me, Lord,
From beyond my solitude
i cry out to you

I'm intoxicated with life
but i love it
cause it's your gift for me.

Turn this feeling into a blessing,
turn my weaknesses
into instruments of praise.

AMEN

Written by Eliza

Forgiveness

Lord God, give us the wisdom and the power to forgive one another like you forgive us. Search our hearts and where you find bitterness, pour your divine love. Where you find darkness, pour your healing light. Where you find resentment and anger, pour your endless mercy. Teach us how loved and precious we are in your eyes. Teach us to give the same love and appreciation to our neighbours. Teach us not to judge, but rather help those who go astray. In Jesus' name. Amen.

To The One Who Keeps Our Candle Burning

The night is long,
the air is cold,
the lost sheep go astray,
the wind is strong,
the time is old,
and home is far away.

And as we go,
towards that shore
on this cold winter night
the shadows grow
forever more
and darken our sight. 

But far away,
a light is born
to soothe our weary eyes,
and as we stray
we feel the morn
and hope that never dies.

And we may stumble, 
we may bend,  
lost, frozen to the bone
but that bright candle
gives us strength
to make it safely home.

Written by Eliza 

 

I thank God for giving me this opportunity to share my thoughts and prayers with you. For all the miracles He has made in my life. I thank Him for all the people who surrounded me with their love, for those gone and those who are still here for me, for my wonderful parents, for my special husband, for aunt Lillian who was like a second mother to me, for all my faithful friends. God bless you all.

The idea of this blog came to me in a dream. Ever since I set up my mind that I wanted to create one, I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. I’ve been saying to myself: “Ok, I want to have my own blog. Everything is perfect so far. But the question is ‘What should it be like? What topics should it focus on? What do I have to offer?’ “ It was not an easy choice. I’d almost given up completely, when one afternoon I had this strange dream. I was working on my computer when all of a sudden I felt very sleepy. I laid my head on the table as I often do when I feel like that and in a few seconds I went to sleep. I dreamt I was in a big room with a lot of people around me and we were sitting on the floor on our knees. We were praying." We each took turns to pray aloud. Now it was my turn. So I prayed. I could never explain in words the utter happiness and the relief I felt. And when I woke up I knew what I had to do.

Morning or afternoon, day or night, you are equally welcome. A new blog is like a new born baby. If you feed it and care for it, it will grow stronger. If you don't, it will die. It needs a lot of encouragement to survive.

Dear Lord,

Amen

provided by Eliza's Prayer Box