"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.