Tag: Gift

Teach Us To Pray

Seek Truth, Find God

Smitten With Goodness
Season of asking in prayer

The Mystery of Asking

Why do we pray? If God already knows what we need before we ask, and God actually cares about us more than we care about ourselves, then why do we have to ask, receive, seek, find, (Matthew 7:7)? This is the mystery of asking. Prayer is a symbiotic relationship with life and with God, a synergy which creates a result larger than the exchange itself. We ask not to change God, but to change ourselves. We pray to form a living relationship, not to get things done. We need to pray to keep the symbiotic relationship moving and growing. Prayer is not a way to try to control God, or even to get what we want.  

Prayers of intercession or petition are one way of situating our life within total honesty and structural truth. We are all forever beggars before God and the universe. We can never engineer or guide our own transformation or conversion. If we try, it will be a self-centered and well-controlled version of conversion, with most of our preferences still fully in place, but now well-disguised.  We must “humbly ask God to remove our shortcomings.” It’s important that we ask, seek, and knock to keep ourselves in the right relationship with Life Itself. 

Life is a gift, totally given to us without cost, every day of it, and every part of it. A daily and chosen “attitude of gratitude” will keep our hands open to expect that life, allow that life, and receive that life at ever-deeper levels of satisfaction—but never to think we deserve it. 

O Mighty God, Help this world to know what is wrong and what is right. Provide peace and hope to those who are suffering from injustice. Show them that you are there, and you care for them and that you will make all things right. God, I pray for a world full of love and compassion.

Teach Us To Pray

Loving Lost Souls

Smitten With Goodness
Season of asking in prayer

Intercessory prayer for lost souls:

Has the Spirit placed on your heart to pray for lost souls? Isn’t that really what our journey is all about, the salvation of our own souls and walking the journey with others?  I love to pray this prayer of St. Gertrude, a 13th century Benedictine nun and mystic who envisioned the release of 1000 souls from purgatory each time she prayed it:

Eternal Father, I offer You the most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family. Amen

Teach Us To Pray

Psalms for Praying

Smitten With Goodness
Season of asking in prayer

A Invitation for Wholeness, Psalm 144

Blessed are You, O Radiant One,

  You, who are hidden within

our hearts,

  even as we are hidden within

your Heart!

You invite us to participate in

  the Divine Unfoldment,

As we Awaken from our long sleep

  and give birth to creativity.

Open us that we might recognize the

     divine in every person,

  and become sensitive to all we

     meet along the path.

For you are the Breathing Life of all,

  the infinite and eternal within

     our hearts.

Evoke the Child in our souls,

  that purity and grace might

     flourish!

Infamous with compassion so

  we nurture ourselves and others

     with healing and forgiveness!

Empower us with wisdom and knowledge,

  that we might bring forth

     the Divine Plan!

And let us recognize the Truth

  that clear vision might unfold.

Let us sing a new song to You,

O Beloved;

  with the drums and flutes let us

     express our joy!

You who are Divine Love, receive

     our devotion,

  that we may walk in beauty.

May our heart’s ears heed well

  the Divine Word written on

     every heart,

  that integrity and justice may

     dwell within us.

Let each one be receptive to the

     Spirit that inspires,

  allowing our will to respond

      with action;

And may all judgments and denials

     be released,

  that our souls are freed

     to serve the l

Light with joy!

Thus will we recognize oneness with

  The divine spark dwelling

     within our hearts,

  fanning it to illuminate the way.

Gratitude and inner peace will abide in

     every tranquil soul,

  blessing the universe that

     lovingly cares for us.

Nan C. Merrill

Teach Us To Pray

Agnus Dei, Lamb of God

Smitten With Goodness
Season of asking in prayer

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,

grant us peace.

Agnus Dei, 

quitollis peccáta mundi: miserére nobis.

Agnus Dei,

quitollis peccáta mundi: miserére nobis.

Agnus Dei,

quitollis peccáta mundi: dona nobis pacem.

Teach Us To Pray

By Design

Smitten With Goodness
Season of asking in prayer

Each of us was created with a unique destiny as God designed, to bring peace and justice to the world.  Let’s pray this prayer for world peace cooperating in our destiny according to His plan.  Thy will be done!

A Prayer for World Peace

We pray for the power to be gentle;
the strength to be forgiving;
the patience to be understanding;
and the endurance to accept the consequences
of holding on to what we believe to be right.

May we put our trust in the power of good to overcome evil
and the power of love to overcome hatred.

We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe
in a world emancipated from violence,
a new world where fear shall no longer lead men or women to commit injustice,
nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others.

Help us to devote our whole life and thought and energy
to the task of making peace,
praying always for the inspiration and the power
to fulfill the destiny for which we and all men and women were created.

– Author Unknown

Teach Us To Pray

Fingerprint of Our Soul

Smitten With Goodness
Season of asking in prayer

Let’s pray that God reveals his peaceful heart to us today and we can see justice through His eyes revealing the precious nature of each soul. 

A Prayer for Peace

We are moulded, each one of us,
in the image of God,
and within our souls there is a fingerprint
none can erase.
We pray for those who have no regard
for anyone but self,
who put no value on human life.
For nations and individuals who abuse and kill.
We are not called to be judge or jury,
but we are called to be agents of change,
and if the butterfly that flaps its wings
should be our attitude to others
then so be it, Lord,
and may the hurricane this generates
somewhere within the world
reach into the hearts and souls of those
for whom we pray, and reveal to them
how precious are those
for whom they have no love,
and how precious are they
who now bring tears to the eyes of God.

– John Birch

Teach Us To Pray

Hope for Us All

Smitten With Goodness
Season of asking in prayer

Lets pray for a culture of nonviolence and a society where our needs are met and our desires are right ordered.  This prayer by the late Benedictine Sr. Mary Lou Kownacki, a poet and peace activist, provides words of hope and inspiration for us all. 

Prayer for the Decade of Nonviolence

I bow to the sacred in all creation.
May my spirit fill the world with beauty and wonder.
May my mind seek truth with humility and openness.
May my heart forgive without limit.
May my love for friend, enemy, and outcast be without measure.
May my needs be few and my living simple.
May my actions bear witness to the suffering of others.
May my hands never harm a living being.
May my steps stay on the journey of justice.
May my tongue speak for those who are poor without fear of the powerful.
May my prayers rise with patient discontent until no child is hungry.
May my life’s work be a passion for peace and nonviolence.
May my soul rejoice in the present moment.
May my imagination overcome death and despair with new possibilities.
And may I risk reputation, comfort, and security to bring this hope to the children.

Amen

Teach Us To Pray

Call to Intercession

Smitten With Goodness
Season of asking in prayer

Let’s cultivate the virtuous habit of intercessory prayer while performing great spiritual works of mercy in the same breath. In the words of Pope Francis:

“We are all leaves on the same tree: each one that falls reminds us of the great piety that must be nourished in prayer, for one another. So, let us pray for each other. It will do us good and do good for everyone.”

We can also take action to intercede for others in our personal prayer time with the following ACTS:

  • Adoration: we begin our intercession by adoring God, by praising Him for who He is; our Lord, Saviour, Creator etc,
  • Contrition: we acknowledge our sinfulness before Him because we have fallen short of His glory,
  • Thanksgiving: we thank the Lord for all His blessings, including the trials that come our way, and for His accompanying us through every moment of blessing and trial,
  • Supplication: we place the needs of those whom we are praying before God in faith and trust that He will hear our pleas in His time and in His way.

Lord, help us pray as you do today. Let us know your heart, help bear the burden of sin and disconnection with you and teach us to pray through your will. Amen

Teach Us To Pray

Most Like Christ

Smitten With Goodness
Season of asking in prayer

We are nudged, prompted, and motivated to do what we ought to do because we first have been inspired by the instigator of all good prayer, the Holy Spirit.  We are never more like Christ than in prayers of intercession. 

One way of laying down our lives is by praying for somebody.  In prayer, I’m saying, “my life for yours.” My time, my energy, my thought, my concern, my concentration, my faith – here they are for you. This is my labor of love, no sigh or small prayer is ever lost but rises to the ear of God. 

Intercession is giving our very self, our time, strength, energy, and attention to the needs of others in a way that no one but God sees, no one but God will do anything about, and no one but God will ever reward you for. 

TIPS FOR INTERCESSORY PRAYER

  • Still yourself, put yourself in God’s presence
  • Bring to mind someone you love
    • Ask Jesus what he wants you to pray for that person
    • Pray that prayer
  • Bring to mind someone you don’t know very well
    • Ask Jesus what he wants you to pray for that person
    • Pray that prayer
  • Bring to mind someone you are in conflict with or are struggling with
    • Ask Jesus what he wants you to pray for that person
    • Pray that prayer
    • Reflect on what God is teaching you
    • Reflect on what grace God is offering to you
  • Close your intercessory prayer time with
    • The Our Father
    • The Hail Mary
    • The Glory Be
Teach Us To Pray

Lightness of Laughter

Smitten With Goodness
Season of neediness in prayer

Sometimes I take life too seriously and need to lighten up.  As I’m getting older, I’m appreciating the lightness of laughter and realizing a good sense of humor is actually good for us.  My husband loves to watch comedy specials for a good laugh and tries to get me to appreciate them. Much is lost on me however there are a few that resonate and cause me to laugh and have a shift of perspective. Most of the time my humor throughout the day is directed towards myself when I notice I’m setting unrealistic expectations or being too hard on myself. I’m learning to laugh, lean in and be gentle with myself. 

Do you need to cultivate good humor in your day? Praying this prayer by St. Thomas More frequently can help!

Prayer for Good Humor

Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest.
Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it.
Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good and that doesn’t frighten easily at the sight of evil,
but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.
Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments, nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called “I.”
Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.
Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others.

Amen