Prayer for Bread

Dear Lord, we thank you for our daily bread in its many forms. For the physical bread that nourishes our body and the spiritual bread that nourishes our soul. We thank you for the hunger that reminds us of the importance of bread: the physical hunger that prompts us to get our daily supply of food and our spiritual hunger that prompts us to seek you constantly and open our hearts to you. We thank you for you yourself has become bread for us, so that our deepest hunger may be satisfied. We thank you for this wondeful miracle: that in giving, we receive and in sharing, we become richer. 

We ask you Lord this day, as always, to give us our daily bread. We ask you to make us daily bread for others in our family, our church, our community, our world. We ask you, Lord, to be our daily bread, so that we may never be hungry again. In the name of Jesus, the bread of life. 

Amen

Prayer Against Fear

Dear Lord, 

I bring before you today my individual fears - conscious and unconscious, rational and irrational - as well as the fears of an entire human race. I confess that it is often because of this fear in me that I have fallen into sin by doing, saying and thinking what was wrong in your eyes, by being selfish when I could have helped others and trying to avoid suffering at all costs. 

I bring before you fear in its many forms, both in me and in others, purge it and heal the souls that are mutilated by it. I am aware we live in an uncertain world where fear runs out of control and it can lead to all kinds of evil. I pray that you save us from this great emotional plague and strengthen us as you strengthened your people all throughout the ages. 

You know us inside out. You know our deepest secrets and our most hidden motivations and what a great role fear plays in the way we live our life. Release us from its grips, so that we can worship you and serve our neighbour with a pure, undivided heart. Let our need to help others be greater than the need to protect ourselves and our longing for your kingdom greater than our desire for comfort. 

We rely solely on you, for this is something we cannot achieve on our own. But we ask you to do it by the power of your Holy Spirit who works in us and for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ who, all throughout his life and even in death, has trampled fear under foot and showed us a new way to live. 

Amen

Prayer of Thanks

Dear God, 

Thank you for being our Father in this troubled and wounded world, where dreams are so easily crushed and hearts so easily broken. Thank you for the cool drops of grace that refresh us in this arid and lonely desert we are walking through. Thank you that, through Jesus Christ, you are not only our Father in heaven, watching us from a safe distance, but also our friend and companion on the road. We talk to you, we put our hand in yours and suddenly our burden feels so much lighter and everything seems so much easier. You have made our minds large enough to seek you and our hearts large enough to love you, but, above all, you have made yourself small enough to enter our world and change it forever. And change us forever. 

Dear Lord Jesus, we thank you for your words on the cross, when you prayed "Father, forgive them" for those who were crucifying you. These are healing words we can always turn to when we need a breath of fresh air and a new perspective in our lives. By forgiving them -- and us -- you have opened a new way for humanity, making possible that kind of love and forgiveness that seems humanly impossible. Thank you for defying the merciless laws of nature for us. For overcoming gravity by grace and death by eternal life, thus releasing an immense power for the good in our wounded world. And for giving us constant access to this power through the Holy Spirit that dwells and works in us. For all this and much more, we give you thanks and praise and surrender our hearts to you. 

Amen

Prayer for Growth and Transformation

Father God, our words are too small to contain you, our thoughts too small to comprehend you. In the silence of our hearts we contemplate your beauty, acknowledge your power, admire your wisdom and rejoice in your love. You always have new gifts to impart us, new wonders to reveal to us, new joys to fill our hearts with. 

We come before you with open minds and hearts, ready to be transformed, ready to listen and receive the wonderful gifts you have in store for each one of us. Broaden our vision and widen our horizons. Take us to places we've never been before, places from which we can see the world and all creation in a new light. Open our eyes and purify our hearts, so that we can eventually see you, our everlasting treasure, according to the precious promises of your Son Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. 

Amen

Prayer for Holiness

From Andrew Murray's book "Holy in Christ"

O Lord! the alone Holy One, Thou hast called us to be holy, even as Thou art holy. Lord! how can we, unless Thou reveal to us Thy Holiness. Show us, we pray Thee, how Thou art holy, how holy Thou art, what Thy holiness is, that we may know how we are to be holy, how holy we are to be. And when the sight of Thy Holiness only shows us the more how unholy we are, teach us that Thou makest partakers of Thy own Holiness those who come to Thee for it.

O God! We come to Thee, the Holy One. It is in knowing and finding and having Thyself, that the soul finds Holiness. We do beseech Thee, as we now come to Thee, establish it in the thoughts of our heart, that the one object of Thy calling us, and of our coming to Thee, is Holiness. Thou wouldst have us like Thyself, partakers of Thy Holiness.

If ever our heart becomes afraid, as if it were too high, or rests content with a salvation less than Holiness, Blessed God! let us hear Thy voice calling again, Be holy, I am holy. Let that call be our motive and our strength, because faithful is He that calleth, who also will do it. Let that call mark our standard and our path; oh! let our life be such as Thou art able to make it.

Holy Father! I bow in lowly worship and silence before Thee. Let now Thine own voice sound in the depths of my heart calling me, Be holy, as I am holy.

Amen.

Short Opening Prayer at the Beginning of a Service

Lord God, who by your love has brought us here today, make your presence known in us and amongst us. Speak to our hearts in ever new and transforming ways, full of power and grace. We stand before you, ready to be filled with your Holy Spirit, ready to be used as vessels for your work, each in our own unique way. We bring before you ourselves, with all we are and all we have, use us for the glory of your name and the coming of your kingdom. We ask you this in Jesus' name.
Amen

Prayer for Grace

Father God,
We thirst and hunger for grace, yet so many times our words, actions and attitudes are anything but gracious. We live in the age of grace, yet we are surrounded by news of violence, lack of caring and unforgiveness.
So often we find it hard to break the vicious circles of ungrace we get caught in. We prefer to follow the way of this world rather than your way. Forgive us, Father.
We come to you as to our only source of hope and light in a world so full of darkness and despair. Help us to live gracious lives. Help us to be an example to those who don't know you and an instrument of your love.
We surrender to you our hearts and minds, all we have and do and all we are, let your Holy Spirit live in us and carry on the revolution of grace started on this earth by your son Jesus Christ.
And let your blessings be with us today, and with all those we love, and all those in need of your love.
In Jesus' name we pray.
Amen

Prayer for Spiritual Clarity

(From Kierkegaard's Prayers)

Father in heaven, awaken conscience within us. Teach us to open our spiritual ears to your voice and to pay attention to what you say, so that your will may sound purely and clearly for us as it does in heaven, unadulterated by worldly cunning, undeadened by the voice of passions. Keep us vigilant in fear and trembling to work out our salvation. But also–when the law speaks loudest, when its demands terrify us, when it thunders from Sinai–let there be a soft voice which whispers to us that we are your children, so that we may cry out with joy: Abba, Father.

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A Short Prayer for Peace and Reconciliation

Lord, give us all things that are joyful and bring people together as opposed to things that bring pain and separation. Let those who are at home be merciful to those who are strangers and those who are rich be generous to those who are poor. Let our words and deeds bring peace and comfort through the Holy Spirit. Mend broken relationships and straighten love and faith in ourselves and our neighbours. For you are the father of the orphan, the protector of the widow, the friend of the stranger, the help of the poor and downcast. Let our life reflect your unconditional love as the river reflects the sun. For you are our hope and in you alone we put our trust now and forever.

Amen

A Short Prayer of Thanks

Lord, we praise you and thank you for the wind that blows within our soul… the wind of the Holy Spirit carrying your whispers from eternity. For each trial through which we keep our longing for you alive in our hearts. For being and remaining the same, even though our own imperfect eyes often distort your image. For becoming wound to heal our wounds. For not leaving us hungry and frozen in the cold, but warmly inviting us to your dinner table. We thank you, Lord, for, by your living, you sanctified life. By your dying, you conquered death. By your suffering, you gave meaning to suffering. By your loving, you showed us the true measure of love. For becoming a spring of living water in our hearts, so that we no longer have to thirst ever again. For the certain knowledge that you will complete the work you've started in our lives.

Amen

Make Me An Instrument of Your Peace

A prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen

Short Prayer of Surrender

Father God, to you we give everything we've got, everything we are. We already belong to you, but we surrender ourselves again, so that we can honor you with our choice just like you honored us with the gift of free choice. Help us use this gift wisely - always as a return ticket to you, for whom our hearts long, who gave us life and being and in whom our souls can find perfect peace. Amen

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Prayer for God's Strength

Lord God, it is in our weakness that your strength shines through, for nothing reveals your power more than the way you deal with our brokenness. For you do not discard what the world has discarded and you do not despise what the world has despised. You take the broken vessels and put the pieces back together and you fill them with living water until they overflow, and from their abundance they quench the thirst of many souls. Father, because you love us in our weakness and your love never fails, let your strength in us be our foundation for a new life and a new beginning. Ground us in you, so that from you we can draw our nourishment and never become hungry again. AMEN

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Prayer for Financial Blessing

Note: Many people have requested prayers for financial blessings and help for coping with financial difficulties. This prayer is for them and for all those who turn their eyes to the Lord in their time of need.

Great God of love and mercy, you know not only the depths of our hearts but also every situation and turn of circumstance in our lives. You know your children who are struggling with financial difficulties, inability to pay their debts, unemployment, frustration for not being able to provide for their families, and painful uncertainty as to what tomorrow might bring. You know their tears and their prayers and none of them is forgotten before you.

For all these people I pray, and especially for those who read this prayer and feel it is for them. Bless them, Father, bless them with prosperity and abundance, so that their heart can rejoice and be grateful. Bless them with a miracle, so that they can praise you wholeheartedly and tell everybody what an amazing God you are. Take the burden of worries and struggles off their shoulders, so that they can enjoy and share the full blessing of having a perfect Father like you.

Lord God, you know each and every one of those whom I am praying for. They are your children and you love them dearly. Provide for them and for their families. Provide in wonderful ways, for you are a God of miracles and the source of all goodness. Bring before them the right people and the right circumstances so that they can get the help they need and make best use of the gifts you have given them. Bless them generously, for out of your infinite richness you give and your treasures never end.

Lord God, look upon your children who are struggling with financial problems, look upon the person who is reading this prayer right now, and provide for their every need. Work in their lives in ways full of power, in ways that reveal your glory and love. For wherever you outpour your blessings, there is fulfillment and every good work is made complete.

Do not let your beloved struggle for too long, for you delight in being good and giving good gifts to those who seek you. Do not let anyone in need walk away from this prayer without fruit, without a positive change in their lives. Let their voices be heard. Let their faith be rewarded. Let their tears of frustration and sorrow turn to tears of gratitude and joy. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

AMEN

Jonah's Prayer

From the series "Bible Prayers" or "Famous Prayers in the Bible"

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said, "I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me! You threw me into the ocean depths, and I sank down to the heart of the sea. The mighty waters engulfed me; I was buried beneath your wild and stormy waves. Then I said, ‘O Lord, you have driven me from your presence. Yet I will look once more toward your holy Temple.’

“I sank beneath the waves, and the waters closed over me. Seaweed wrapped itself around my head. I sank down to the very roots of the mountains. I was imprisoned in the earth, whose gates lock shut forever. But you, O Lord my God, snatched me from the jaws of death! As my life was slipping away, I remembered the Lord. And my earnest prayer went out to you in your holy Temple. Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies. But I will offer sacrifices to you with songs of praise, and I will fulfill all my vows. For my salvation comes from the Lord alone.”

Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach.

Jonah 2:1-10 (New Living Translation)

Prayer for Overcoming Temptations

Lord God, you know the temptations I'm facing. You know how they weaken my will, distress my heart and wound my conscience. For my temptations make me so painfully aware of my own weakness that sometimes I find it difficult even to come before you in prayer, knowing how unworthy I am of your goodness.

But you are a God of love and forgiveness, a God of strength and hope, and our faith in you is our rock in times of trials. That's why I lift my eyes to you and I pray with David: "From the end of the earth will I cry to you, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Though the waves of temptation threaten to overwhelm me, bear with me, faithful God, strengthen my heart and sharpen my will until the storm passes and the sea is calm again. And even if I stumble on the way, do not let me fall, but stay by my side until all my stumbling blocks are torn to pieces and I can find peace in my soul again.

Just like you were with your son Jesus in the wilderness, be with me in this trial and use this temptation for my growth. You have the power to turn even evil into good. It's not in my own strength, but in yours I trust, my Lord. This is your battle, not mine. Fight it for me and let me rejoice in your victory.

AMEN

Prayer in time of Depression, Doubts and Confusion

Father God, in this world of conflict and confusion, my mind is torn apart by questions and doubts that steal my sleep at night and rob me of my peace during the day. But you are my light, the One who lights my flickering candle and keeps it burning. You know all the darkest corners of my soul, the things I try to hide even from myself, and you love me as I am. The stench of my sins did not drive you away from me, but you filled my heart with a strong desire to be healed and a deep longing for you. 

That's why I come before you today and I pray with all my heart: show me the way out of this labyrinth, don't let go of my hand, so that even if I walk through a dark tunnel, I can still feel the warm touch of your hand guiding me. You are the light that gave light to my eyes, the love that gave love to my soul. In you I lack nothing, in you nothing can harm me, in you my victory is complete. Bring me to you and keep me by your heart.

Father, I know I am weak. My weakness is my pain and my torment. I can feel it every day, it's like a poison coming from inside and I am so weary of fighting it. But I am yours and that is my only consolation, the thought that gives me rest and strength to carry on. I am yours and to you I pray: Father, take care of what is yours. Take this burden off my shoulders, don't let me carry it alone.

I have put my soul in your hands, keep it safe. Release me from the grip of my own mind, protect me from my own destructive thoughts. I cannot do it without your help. You have walked this way of thorns yourself and you have carried the cross until the end. Help me do the same and never forsake me. You alone know what lies ahead. Remain in me, so that I can overcome the world and taste the joy you have prepared for your beloved.

In the name of our beloved Jesus Christ.

AMEN

Prayer for Guidance and Meaning

My Lord, to you we surrender our souls and everything we've got, guide us safely to a place where love casts out all fear. Fulfill your work in us and bring your kingdom in our hearts. Stir us and awaken us from our deep sleep and help us remember who we really are. I do not ask you to take away every pain and worry in our lives, but to show us their meaning and with every new meaning, to help us love you even more. I do not ask you to grant us our every wish, but to bring us to a point when our wishes coincide with your will. Keep our candle burning in any weather and never let us forget what a great treasure we have in you. Amen

Prayer for Worry and Anxiety

Dear Lord, my worries overwhelm me and their burden presses hard on my shoulders. The future seems clouded in uncertainty and any attempt to predict it fills my heart with painful anxiety. But you know all these things, Father. You hold the strings of my life. That’s why I turn to you and I place my present and my future in your hands. Take the burden of my worries off my shoulders and renew your love in me.

You have taken care of me so far and you have protected me from all devastating evil. You’ve fulfilled my needs and comforted me in every pain and trial. Today I put before me the words of your Son, Jesus Christ, who told us not to worry, for nothing happens on earth or in heaven without your knowledge and your will. Let me never forget this lesson and live my life in accordance with it.

When I look at my past with the eyes of the present, I realize how much suffering I would have been spared of, had I listened to these words and followed your advice. I know it is too late to change what has already been but, starting from this moment, I choose to put everything in your hands and live as you want me to – in faith, hope and love.

I know that sometimes I will be tempted to fall back to my old ways and the spirit of fear, worry and anxiety will try to take possession of my soul once more. In those moments of grievous temptations, remind me I am yours and bring me back to you. Never let me forget that I am a new man in Christ, that in him my soul has peace and salvation - heavenly treasures that nothing and nobody can take away from me. Help me to live my life in the light of this truth and never let anything separate me from your love.

AMEN

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