Prayer for Christmas

Heavenly Father, we come before you at this special time to thank you, above all else, for the One who gives meaning to Christmas, for your most precious gift to us - your beloved son, Jesus Christ. We thank you because he came into this world of suffering and death to set us free, to transform us from slaves of fear to children of love and heirs of eternity.

Help us understand and never forget the true meaning of Christmas, so that we can rejoyce and spread your light to those in desperate need of it. Once again, we surrender our life to you. We put all our worries, needs and longings in your hand. Stay with us this Christmas.

Work in us and through us in ways full of power and wonder. Fill our lives and the lives of those around us with hope, peace, joy and love. Free us from the daily run for survival and bring magic to our celebration.

Help us forget our differences and arguments, heal our old wounds and bring us all together in unity and harmony. Fill us with the spirit of Christmas - a spirit of giving, sharing, joy and compassion.

Let us spread and share the good news not only through our words and actions, but also through our thoughts, attitudes and feelings, through our whole being.

Help us fill our little corner of the world with the light of the Holy Child born in Bethlehem.

AMEN

Dream High

A poem by Eliza Wilson

Some dreams are too cheap,
Some hearts are too small,
Dream high, wide and deep,
Give all to gain all.

Forgive when it hurts,
Let go when you cling,
Be free like the birds,
And joyful like spring.

Hold God in your heart,
And make love your treasure,
Be light in the dark
And give without measure.

There is a Light

A poem by Eliza Wilson

There is a light that shines upon the light,
There is a day no night could ever hide,
There is a sea to which all rivers run,
There is a Father waiting for His son.

There is a dream for which all dreams athirst,
There is a last that is before the first,
There is a song where silence holds its breath,
There is a life above all life and death.

There is a heart that every heart calls home,
There is an all that knows, yet is unknown,
There is a One for which the many ache,
There is an eye forever wide awake.

There is a Love that kindles love in all,
There is a tear for which all tears fall,
There is a timeless core where time can hide,
There is a Bridegroom waiting for His bride.

Just Because You are My God

---

A poem by Ignatius of Loyola

Oh, my God, I want to love you
Not that I might gain eternal heaven
Nor escape eternal hell
But, Lord, to love you just because you are my God.

Grant me to give to you
And not to count the cost,
To fight for you
And not to mind the wounds,
To labor and to ask for no reward
Except the knowledge
That I serve my God.

Prayer of Sir Francis Drake

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
With the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wider seas
Where storms will show your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.
We ask You to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push into the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

AMEN

Prayer in Times of Spiritual Dryness

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My Lord, I’m completely dry inside but I know that even out of that dryness you can bring fruit. Even if my soul is a desert and my thirst is not quenched, I know you haven’t abandoned me. So out of my wilderness, I raise my voice and my heart to you, not to make my will known, but to surrender to your will, not to get what I want, but to learn to be open to what you want for me.

I know, my Lord, that you can grow trees out of rocks and flowers out of sand, that nothing is impossible to you and there is no evil that you cannot turn into good if you will so. Take me to that point of perfect faith when I can surrender to you wholeheartedly even if you choose to hide your face from me. Help me trust in your almighty hand even when I cannot feel its warm touch, for I know you are faithful to your words and you will not abandon those who seek you in honesty and persevere in their love for you.

Use this time of trial and aridity to break the boundaries of my weakness and plant the seed of your strength in me. Let me die to my self, so that I can be born again as a new being filled with your spirit. Teach me the power of love that conquers all and overcomes all and keeps burning in spite of all the storms that try to extinguish its flame. Give me eyes to see the first signs of the dawn while the night is still dark and ears to hear the faint whispers of hope in the midst of the greatest silence. I ask you that in Jesus’ name.

AMEN

Prayer in times of trials and temptations

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My Lord, this is by no means an easy battle for me. I am taken deep within my soul to places I’ve never been. I am forced to face my worse fears, to confront my darkest demons. But I do feel your presence even as I walk through these valleys of shadows. And even when I don’t, I know you are with me, holding my hand through it all, and I am safe.

Dear Lord, do not withdraw your light from me. Do not let the winds and the rains put out my flickering candle. All my life I have been trying to guard it as the most precious treasure I could ever have. Let your Holy Spirit be the flame of my candle, so that no storm can put it out.

I know this path I’m walking is not one of happiness, but one of trials, temptations and suffering. I also know it is for my own evil deeds I have to go through this. Let me pay whatever I’ve got to pay and learn whatever I’ve got to learn, but don’t leave me alone in this battle. Be with me all the way to guide me and comfort me through the grace of your son Jesus Christ.

AMEN

---

"Let nothing trouble you,
let nothing make you afraid.
All things pass away.
God never changes.
Patience obtains everything.
God alone is enough." (St. Teresa of Avila)

Dreaming of Siberia

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Ever since I read Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, I have been dreaming of a place that for most people is mainly associated with extreme weather, heavy snows and prison camps. Siberia. A place in Russia situated between the Ural Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. A land of endless snow and ultimate coldness. A scary place. At the end of the novel, the protagonist, Raskolnikov, confesses his crime and is sent to a Siberian prison for punishment. Sonia, his girlfriend, follows him because she had promised to follow him up to the end of the world.

Siberia has got a special significance for me. I often dream of it at night and secretly long for it during the day. It means so much more than all the things that make people dread it. It is the land of endless snows and heavy frosts, but also a land of redemption, the symbol of a fresh start, of a new life and a new beginning. Although associated with prisons and exile, it is, in a way, a symbol of freedom. Spiritual freedom. The freedom Christ has promised us. “The truth will set you free”.

It is the centre of the labyrinth, where we suddenly realize the monster we’ve been chasing is within ourselves, but also a chance to defeat that monster, to prove we are stronger than it.

It is about reaching a higher spiritual level, free from the chains of guilt and remorse, from a tormented conscience and a torn heart. The point when we become a new being, as pure as Siberian snow. The wind might roar, the frost might bite, but nothing compares to the liberating feeling in our hearts, the revelation of divine love within us.

In the middle of his punishment, Raskolnikov found the three most precious things in life: peace of mind, true love and a reason to go on. The endless white has turned into a symbol of the infinite, reminding us that, although we are limited as human beings, we can overcome our limits and follow that deep longing inside telling us to go further and deeper.

Siberia is the symbol of suffering, but not a destructive suffering. One that builds us and takes us to new spiritual levels. It reminds us that God has astounding way of reaching to us, and suffering is one of them.

When I was studying the methods of teaching in college, I came across the idea that the key to improving and learning is setting your goals a little higher than you can reach. Pushing further, trying to exceed your limits is the best way to find out who you are and what you’re capable of.

To someone used to the modern western philosophy, this might sound weird. We have been taught to seek the easy way out. But the shortest route is not always the best. We talk about exotic islands, palm trees and people lying on the beach. Yet, each one of us carries a Siberia inside.

Short Prayer for This Morning

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Lord God of all, thank you for this brand new morning, when everything seems so pure and fresh and another chapter in the book of my life is ready to unfold.

Open my eyes to see your greatness, open my ears to hear your voice, open my heart to surrender to your will and my mind to learn and understand your truths.

Make me a part of your great plan. Take me to places and situations where I can grow in faith and love and to people in whose lives I can make a difference. Use me to bring comfort and inspiration to those in need.

Amen

Prayer for Those Who Cry

My Lord, thank you for the gift of tears, for with tears comes surrender, and only in surrender can your work be made complete in our hearts. Please bless all those who cry and be with them every single moment of their journey, every step of the way. Hold their hand and when the pain becomes unbearable, carry them in your arms and let them find peace in your comforting embrace.

Take them to a point where they can grasp the hidden meaning of their tears; make them mature enough to see the whole picture and understand that everything works for their good and even bad things and situations are a blessing in disguise. Turn every tear that falls from their eyes into a drop of living water, cleansing them and setting them free. Teach them that surrendering to your will is the only real treasure they can have and help them grow in this understanding, so that they can let go of all the false treasures they are clinging to.

Let each and every one of their tears be a gate into new dimensions of faith, hope and love. Turn them into real people, with their hearts widely open and ready to receive your blessings. Make their faith stronger, so that it can turn their tears of pain into tears of gratitude and overwhelming joy. Let their heart be set free from all their worries and torments.

Blessed are those who can cry, for no flower ever grows in a dry desert and the soil needs rain to turn the seed into a tree. Let our tears water the soil of our hearts and make it fertile for the good seeds we bear within. And when the flowers bloom, and when the trees bring good fruit, let us remember you and the wonderful ways in which you work in us.

AMEN

The Candle

She woke up one night, her eyes were in tears,
She felt cold inside, tormented by fears.
The thick woolen blanket would not keep her warm.
The wind seemed to carry the seeds of a storm.

She was on her own, with no one around,
She trembled and jumped at each little sound.
Old nightmares rose from the mist of the past
To fill her with terror: “This night is your last”.

She tried to be brave, but a voice in her head
Was screaming in anguish: “Give up! You are dead!”
A sense of negation was sinking in all
The forces of darkness were huge; she was small.

“My Lord, I am frightened, will this be my end?
I’ve no one to save me, no lover, no friend.
My dreams come to haunt me. It’s all déjà vu.
I’m so lost and lonely. My Lord, where are You?”

She looked at the candle, its flame seemed to say:
“My child, don’t be frightened, I won’t go away.
No demon can touch you, to Me you belong.
No evil can harm you, with Me you are strong.

You see? It’s so simple. Just look at the flame.
The shadows are shifting but I am the same.
Wherever my light is, the darkness is gone.
For never can darkness and light be as one.

When one is within you, the other’s no more
One walks in, the other walks out of the door.
When dawn fills you deeply, the night falls apart,
For never can both be contained in a heart.

Just keep the door open and let my light in
No demon can face Me, out there or within.
Your candle is burning, there’s nothing to fear,
Just call Me, beloved, and I will be here.

The darkness seems endless, but it is not so.
Its trick is to make you believe it won’t go.
But once you have called Me, its power is lost,
When summer is blooming, there’s no room for frost.

When faith says its prayer, no demon can stay,
For night cannot cover the light of the day."

Prayer for Inner Change

Father of all, true living God, ever-loving, ever-forgiving, open the door of our hearts, so that they can be filled with your love up to the brim. Your love is light and wherever light is, darkness cannot be. Let your love flood every corner of our being and cast the shadows away. Clean us from inside and let the outside be a reflection of our inner transformation. Let our light shine like a candle in the night, silently testifying to the new beings we have become.

Let us be born again, not to death, bondage and decay, but to freedom, truth and everlasting life. Let our hearts be pure like those of little children, overflowing with trust and surrender. Dear Lord, teach us to be guided by your will every moment of every day and night, let your Holy Spirit work in us and through us to achieve miracles for your glory and the benefit of our neighbours.

Change us in wonderful ways, in ways full of power, beyond our imagination, beyond our wildest dreams. For you are so much greater than our hearts, so much wiser than our minds. Take us to new realms of peace and joy, to new dimensions of love and faith, to a place where our trust in you is so strong that we can move mountains.

Take us further than we ever thought we could reach and teach us never to be afraid, for you are always with us, in life as well as in death, here and beyond, forever and ever.

AMEN

Prayer of Surrender

My dear Lord, wherever you take me, I will go. Wherever you lead me, I will follow.

In your loving hands I put my life, my heart and my mind. Let nothing separate me from you. Let no one take me away from your sweet embrace. Let nothing stop me from surrendering to your will every hour of every day and night.

Let your love be my candle in the dark. Let your constant presence be my strength.

Teach me how to live and how to die. And above all, teach me how to love with a love in which there is no worry or fear, a love that defies death because it springs from the Creator of life himself.

AMEN

New Prayer Requests Blog

Due to the increasing number of prayer requests sent to Eliza's Prayer Box, I have created a new blog dedicated exclusively to your prayer requests. The address of this blog is http://your-prayer-requests.blogspot.com.


Please use the form provided on the blog to submit your prayers and prayer requests and take a moment to pray for other people in need of help and support. Thanks and God bless you.


Love & blessings,


Eliza

Prayer for Peace

My Lord, every day we hear news of violence and war. We witness aggression beyond words and cruelty that sickens the soul. Our hearts long for peace and bleed for those whose precious life is lost or marked forever in futile conflicts and useless fights. We are told peace is a utopia by those who adopt cynicism as a way of life and hide their own shattered dreams behind a scornful attitude. But our eyes look up to you and our soul seeks you in the darkness of the night. We dare to hope against all hope because we are yours and we know your love is stronger than death.

Lord God, our loving Father, to you we turn and we pray: bring comfort to a world in flames, heal the wounds of so many bodies and mend the spirit of so many broken hearts. Dry the tears of pain and bring tears of forgiveness in the eyes that are too dry to cry. Help the victims forgive their persecutors and teach the persecutors to seek the way of love, in which there is no terror and no judgement. We see that, sometimes, even the people who are meant to represent you are judgemental, prejudiced and unforgiving. Open their hearts and teach them that you are greater than their thoughts.

Help us all find our peace in you and teach us to reflect your unconditional love in all our thoughts, words and actions. Give us the strength not to pay evil with evil or hate with hate, but to love our enemies and find the hidden beauty in any human being. Help us cross the barriers that divide us and realize we are all your children. Make us love each other in faith and truth with an ever redeeming love.

AMEN

"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake." (Victor Hugo)

Prayer for the Restless

My Lord, you know the pain and the torment of every heart, have mercy on those who seek you without knowing it and long for you without realizing.

Stretch out your hand and invite them to your dinner. Show them how close you are to them and how easily they can find you if they open their hearts.

Fill them with your peace and love. Comfort their troubled souls and heal their hidden wounds.

Show them how to love you, so that they can find the strength to love themselves and their neighbours.

Don't let any of them be lost, but go looking for them like the good shepherd and bring them home.

Carry them in your arms, comfort them and make them feel your blessings every day.

Bring them from darkness to light, from the cold endless searches to the warm certainty of hope-giving faith.

AMEN

The Serenity Prayer

The Serenity Prayer is a short inspirational prayer written by the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the 30's. Niebuhr wrote it with the intention to integrate it in one of his sermons and initially gave it no title. Later, it became known as The Serenity Prayer and it inspired lots of people with its power and wisdom. It is still one of the most popular and appreciated prayers of our time.

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen."

Reinhold Niebuhr

Short Prayers for Strength

For all who need refueling to face the battles of life, here are two short prayers for strength that I hope you'll find useful.

Lord God, you are my strength. Hold my hand in my weakness and teach my heart to fly. With you, there's nothing to fear, nothing to worry about. Hold me tight in your embrace, so that I can be stronger than the challenges in my life. Amen.

When the problems of this world try to drag me down and the angry waves of life go over my head, I turn to you, my Lord. You are my rock, my place of refuge and my hope. Never leave me alone in the battle. Protect me from my weakness, free me from my fears and give me strength to carry on. Amen.

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Prayer for Parents

Almighty and most merciful God, who in Your infinite goodness have committed us unto the charge of loving parents, who are to watch over us and provide for all our wants of body and soul, we pray to You, protect and prolong their life, that we may continue to enjoy their loving care, and strengthen us that as obedient children we may be subject to their will and hold them in love and esteem; through Jesus Christ, our Lord Amen.

From Little Folded Hands. Prayers for Children

Short Prayers for the Sick

These short prayers for the sick are taken from the collection Little Folded Hands. Although it was initially designed for children, this collection contains many prayers that can be used by grown ups, too. After all, we are all God's children and we talk to Him like we would talk to a loving father. 


The prayers in this book were written in old English, so I took the liberty to make little adaptions or replace some old terms with their modern version.

I hope you'll find these simple and heartfelt prayers useful and that they will comfort you and your loved ones in times of sickness and trials. 

O God, from whom all blessings flow,
I lift my heart to Thee;
In all my sorrows, conflicts, woes,
Dear Lord, remember me. Amen.

*****

Dear Father, Your child is sick. Look upon me in tender mercy, and if it is Your will, raise me up and grant me health and strength. Amen. 

*****

Heavenly Father, it has pleased You to visit me with sickness, I know that You are too kind and good to send me anything but for my blessing. Help me to bear my illness and grant that I may soon recover, through Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.

*****

Lord, gracious God, I cry to You,
Still bless me with Your favor,
Forgive my sins, and let me live,
Your child remain forever.

You have redeemed me with Your blood,
You are my only Trust and God
In every need, my Savior. Amen.

***** 

Lord Jesus Christ, my best Physician, I come to You in my sickness. I pray You to look upon me in tender mercy. Send Your guardian angel to watch over me and soon make me well. Amen.

*****

Lord Jesus, look down from heaven upon my loved one (name) and soon make her (him) well again. For You can do all things; hear my prayer! Amen.

*****

Other refuge I have none;
My helpless soul hangs on Thee:
Please never leave me alone,
But support and comfort me.
All my trust on You is stayed,
All my help from You I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing! Amen.

Short Prayer for Today

Now I awake and see the light;
Lord, You have kept me through the night.
To You I lift my voice and pray
That You will keep me through the day.
If I should die before it's done,
O God, accept me through Your Son! Amen.

From Little Folded Hands. Prayers for Children (adapted for modern English)

Lord's Prayer in Latin

I can remember one of the first things I've been taught during the Latin classes, apart from the noun declensions and verb conjugations, was the Lord's Prayer in Latin. It wasn't hard to learn by heart and it seems to have sunk in quite well, for I can still recite it today as I did then. It seems to me that Pater Noster (Our Father in Latin) is one of those things that, once you've learned, you won't easily forget.

Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum. Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Et ne nos inducas in tentationem, sed libera nos a malo. Amen.

Prayer for Today

My Lord, today is just another day of my life, but like all the other days I’ve left behind, it is a precious gift from you, for which I’m thankful. I know you’ve been with me ever since I was born and you’ve never abandoned me. Even in my mother’s womb, I rejoiced in your gentle presence. I also know that, whatever the future has in hold for me, you’ll always be there to protect me and love me unconditionally.

Let today be another day spent with you – moved by your love, guided by your wisdom, healed by your light, transformed by your power. Let your will be done today in every aspect of my life. Hold my hand and walk me through every moment, so that I do not stumble. Teach me to rely on you and surrender to you completely. Teach me to distinguish your voice among so many voices that try to capture my attention in this world.

Let this day be a spring of joy and a fountain of peace. Take away my burdens, so that I can praise you with an open heart. Set me free from my fears, so that I can serve you with the courage of a warrior. Turn my soul into a vessel of love, so that others can drink from it and be comforted. And at the end of the day, let me go to bed with the knowledge that your love will see me through the night into the dawn of each new tomorrow.

AMEN