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Prayers of Believers & Saints > Believers
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I am not what I ought to be
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I am not what I ought to be,
I am not what I want to be,
I am not what I hope to be,
But by the grace of God,
I am not what I was.
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John Newton
(Submitted by Cal Wick)
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Give me a Pure Heart
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Give me A pure heart
That I may see thee,
A humble heart
That I may hear thee,
A heart of love
That I may serve thee,
A heart of Faith
That I may abide in thee.
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by Dag Hammarskjöld, Secretary General of the UN -- Markings
(Submitted by Cal Wick)
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Twelve Short Steps to Peace
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For a start, I will be honest with myself. I admit that I give way to my harmful habits, give in to my childish hurts and give up to my egocentric hang-ups: they become unmanageable. I confess I need help.
Just for now, I will acknowledge that a great force created life. This force promotes development, and repairs weaknesses. I can access this creative, healing power. I call this power God.
For a brief moment I will stop trying to figure things out, cease thinking and be willing to change. I open to myself to God.
Momentarily I relinquish all private discomforts: they were caused by past experiences and can be left behind.
Now I will forgive myself for my immature compulsions: they were based on fears or insecurity and created folly. I will also forgive others for their folly toward me.
I will stop being anxious about what comes next. I will simply be here with God.
In this moment I receive all I the help I need—dependent only on God.
With confidence, I can accept responsibility for my thoughts, feelings and actions. No more blame, no more shame.
I will start to use all my energies to mature in faith, hope and love: this leads to reconciliation with others and with myself.
I will remain grateful to God for opening my outlook to advance.
I will share my spiritual experience with others.
I will journey in the world, sure that with God’s help I become increasingly lovable, progressively gifted, and more willing to do my best.
Amen
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Richard Holdsworth -- not published
(Submitted by Richard Holdsworth)
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For Unity of Purpose
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Almighty God, we humbly ask you to bring us closer together for your service. Unite our concerns in your compassion; fuse our commitment with your wisdom; merge our trust in peace. From narrow views release daring dreams; out of repressive feelings unleash bold visions. Transform anxious attitudes into miraculous anticipation. Then send us out to share our gifts generously that we might bond in joy.
Amen.
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Richard Holdsworth
(Submitted by Richard Holdsworth)
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Serenity Prayer
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God grant me
The serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship 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.
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Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr
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The People of Faith Awake Early
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The people of faith awake early
Because of their expectation of God's marvelous acts.
Sleep no longer holds them.
They rush to greet the early grace of God.
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Dietrich Bonhoffer -- Uncommon Prayers for the Third Millennium, Alan Houghton
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