Daily Prayer - Anointed

Good Friday morning, my friends.
 
One can never go wrong praying scripture.  This version of Psalm 84, from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible, is a beautiful prayer.  Where is says "I am your chosen one" ("look on the face of your anointed" in the ESV) remember that you are His chosen one; He has anointed you.  Recall the words of Psalm 23 - "You have anointed my head with oil".  Rest in that thought today.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 
 
 
Psalm 84
(For the music leader. A psalm for the people of Korah.)
 
The Joy of Worship
 
Lord God All-Powerful, your temple is so lovely! Deep in my heart I long for your temple, and with all that I am I sing joyful songs to you.
 
Lord God All-Powerful, my King and my God, sparrows find a home near your altars; swallows build nests there to raise their young.
 
You bless everyone who lives in your house, and they sing your praises. You bless all who depend on you for their strength and all who deeply desire to visit your temple. When they reach Dry Valley, springs start flowing, and the autumn rain fills it with pools of water. Your people grow stronger, and you, the God of gods, will be seen in Zion.
 
Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Jacob, please answer my prayer! You are the shield that protects your people, and I am your chosen one. Won't you smile on me?
 
One day in your temple is better than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather serve in your house, than live in the homes of the wicked.
 
Our Lord and our God, you are like the sun and also like a shield. You treat us with kindness and with honor, never denying any good thing to those who live right.
 
Lord God All-Powerful, you bless everyone who trusts you.

Daily Prayer - I doubt it ...

Good Thursday morning, my friends.
 
Are you a "Doubting Thomas"?  Do you sometimes wonder about the truth of what we profess to believe?  I hope you do.  I certainly do.  And we are in good company.  Of course there is Thomas.  Also the father of the epileptic who says to Jesus "I believe!  Help my unbelief!"  In the psalms, doubt is a recurring theme. Gideon certainly doubted.  Zacharias, Martha, Ananias, John the Baptist - all had doubts.
 
But do you feel guilty about your doubts?  You should not.  Instead those doubts should push you to seek answers, to find the basis for those beliefs.

Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith (Paul Tillich)
 
The opposite of faith is not doubt, it's certainty (Annie Lamott)
 

Grace and peace and doubts be yours in abundance!
Bruce
 

Let my doubts help me, Lord,
   not to take anything for granted...
 
Let my doubts push me to probe
   until I find the truth....
 
Let my doubts be sharp-edged,
   piercing through to wisdom's heart...
 
Let my doubts be resolved, Lord:
   in belief, in trust, in confidence
      and most all, in you...
 
(http://concordpastor.blogspot.ca/2014/01/pause-for-prayer-thursday-130.html)

Daily Prayer - Why is it?

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.
 
I love this prayer.  It meets me where I am.  But what I love most is that it reminds me that I am to rely on God.  Notice that it doesn't say that I will do this and I will do that, but rather asks God to do something in us.  This is how He wants us to be - reliant on Him and His power, as a baby relies on his/her parents.
 
Rest in the Beauty and Majesty and Strength and Love of God today.
 

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours,
Bruce
 

Why is it, Lord, that I so quickly
see the problem,
call to mind the hurt,
rehearse the pain,
dwell on my mistakes,
fret and stew in worry
and feed upon my fear?
 
Why is it, Lord, that I'm so slow
to see your grace,
treasure peaceful moments,
hold on to every healing,
listen for your whispered word,
lean upon your strength,
and place my troubled heart
in your open, loving hands?
 
Lift me up, O Lord,
out of all that keeps me down...
 
Open wide my eyes to see
the beauty of your face...
 
Lift my hands and heart
to you in prayer...
 
Open up my ears
to your Spirit's voice within me...
 
Touch my mind and heart
where I'm most in need of healing...
 
Remind me every day of my blessings,
old and new...
 
Give me strength to live
one day,
one hour,
one minute at a time...
 
Lift me up, O Lord,
out of all that keeps me down
and let my spirit find its joy
in you and in your love...
 
Amen.
 
(from A Concord Pastor Comments by way of http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/01/lift-me-up.html)

Daily Prayer - Gutless

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

God has been hammering me lately about my weak and gutless prayers.  I shy away from asking for anything specific because I don't want to take the chance that He won't answer and I will look (and feel) like a fool.  Or if I do ask "boldly" for something, I couch it with the phrase "if it be Your will" to give myself an out.  My God has become very small, compartmentalized, but He is demanding I let Him out of the box.  It's a little scary, but I will do just that.

 

My son, Elijah, was on a mission trip with Teen Mania's Global Expeditions last year.  They are passionate, committed, and this is their creed… 

Declaration of a World Changer

 

Today, I will live honorably through my thoughts, actions, and speech. I choose to be full of faith; I will not only be a hearer but a doer of the Word of God. I will serve before I demand, I will love and not hate, and I will give before I take. Today, I choose to make a difference in this world and to be a part of something bigger than myself. I choose to dedicate my life to prayer and ask God for His miraculous power and the courage to do the impossible. I will make Godly relationships a priority in my life as I esteem others higher than myself. Today, I will live my life in such a way that I Will Change the World. 

How big is your God?  Will you ask Him for "His miraculous power and the courage to do the impossible"?

 

Grace and peace and a boundless God be yours,
Bruce
 

Father, because You are the true, eternal and living God I can commit my past to You, and entrust my present needs to You. 
 
I’m so glad the Word of God declares that You are the great “I AM”, not “I was.” 
 
As my issues change and my needs grow You are present to meet every situation I bring before You.
 
I place my confidence in You as I remain steadfast and faithful, abounding in my relationship with You, my true, living and eternally great God.
 
Amen.
 
(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/a-prayer-to-the-true-eternal-and-living-god/)

Daily Prayer - Jesus paid it all

Good Monday morning, my friends.
 
Sin had left a crimson stain.  He washed it white as snow.
 
These are lines from the chorus of the wonderful hymm "Jesus Paid it All" that we sang in our service yesterday.  It is only one of the many powerful messages of this old standard.  Sing along as you lift this to God's ears this morning.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

I hear the Savior say,
"Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all." 
 
Refrain:
    Jesus paid it all,
    All to Him I owe;
    Sin had left a crimson stain,
    He washed it white as snow.
 
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I'll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv'ry's Lamb.
 
And now complete in Him,
My robe, His righteousness,
Close sheltered 'neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
 
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow'r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots
And melt the heart of stone.
 
When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
"Jesus died my soul to save,"
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
 
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I'll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus' feet.
 
(Elvina M. Hall, 1865)

Daily Prayer - From the Bard ...

Good Friday morning, my friends.

 

Happy Robbie Burns Day!  Well, technically it is tomorrow.  But I am wearing my kilt today in his honour (tis true).

 

Now Robbie Burns is not known a great theologian, or as a bastion of virtue for that matter, but he experienced what many of us go through in life - the hand of God guiding us, blessing us, and sometimes correcting us. This prayer was written during a time in Burns' life where it appears God was trying to get his attention.  This is what Burns himself said about writing it: 

There was a certain period of my life that my spirit was broke by repeated losses and disasters, which threatened and indeed effected the ruin of my fortune. My body, too, was attacked by the most dreadful distemper, a hypochondria or confirmed melancholy. In this wretched state, the recollection of which makes me yet shudder, I hung my harp on the willow-trees, except in some lucid intervals, in one of which I composed the following (see prayer below).

(http://www.online-literature.com/donne/2332/) 

Burns recognized and acknowledged that God was behind all that was happening to him.  Oh to have had that clarity.

 

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours,

Bruce

 

    O Thou Great Being! what Thou art
      Surpasses me to know;
    Yet sure I am, that known to Thee
      Are all Thy works below.
 

    Thy creature here before Thee stands,
      All wretched and distrest;
    Yet sure those ills that wring my soul
      Obey Thy high behest.
 

    Sure Thou, Almighty, canst not act
      From cruelty or wrath!
    O, free my weary eyes from tears,
      Or close them fast in death!
 

    But if I must afflicted be,
      To suit some wise design;
    Then, man my soul with firm resolves
      To bear and not repine!

Daily Prayer - Unsullied in my ivory tower

Good Thursday morning, my friends.
 
As you read the prayer/story below be prepared: you are either in the midst of this struggle or God is preparing you for it.
 
Today I dedicate this message to two men: Fr. Joe LeClair and Rev. Shawn Ketcheson.  They have, and are, living this narrative.  Be strong in the Lord, brothers.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

Lord, why did you tell me to love all men, my brothers?
 
I have tried, but I come back to you, frightened…
Lord, I was so peaceful at home,
I was so comfortably settled.
It was well furnished, and I felt cozy.
I was alone, I was at peace.
Sheltered from the wind, the rain, the mud.
I would have stayed unsullied in my ivory tower.
 
But, Lord, you have discovered a breach in my defences,
You have forced me to open my door,
Like a squall of rain in the face,
the cry of men has awakened me;
Like a gale of wind a friendship has shaken me,
As a ray of light slips in unnoticed,
your grace has stirred me…
and, rashly enough, I left my door ajar.
 
Now, Lord, I am lost!
 
Outside men were lying in wait for me.
I did not know they were so near;
in this house, in this street, in this office;
my neighbour, my colleague, my friend.
As soon as I started to open the door I saw them,
with outstretched hands, burning eyes, longing hearts,
like beggars on church steps.
 
The first ones came in, Lord.
There was after all some space in my heart.
I welcomed them.
I would have cared for them and fondled them,
my very own little lambs, my little flock.
You would have been pleased, Lord,
I would have served and honoured you in a proper, respectable way.
Till then, it was sensible…
 
But the next ones, Lord, the other men,
I had not seen them; they were hidden behind the first ones.
There were more of them, they were wretched;
they over-powered me without warning.
We had to crowd in, I had to find room for them.
Now they have come from all over, in successive waves, pushing one another, jostling one another.
They have come from all over town, from all parts of the country, of the world;
numberless, inexhaustible.
They don't come alone any longer but in groups,
bound one to another.
They come bending under heavy loads;
loads of injustice, of resentment and hate, of suffering and sin…
They drag the world behind them, with everything rusted, twisted, or badly adjusted.
Lord, they hurt me!
They are in the way, they are everywhere,
They are too hungry, they are consuming me!
I can't do anything any more;
as they come in, they push the door, and the door opens wider…
 
Lord! My door is wide open!
I can't stand it any more!
It's too much!
It's no kind of life!
What about my job? My family? My peace? My liberty? And me?
 
Lord, I have lost everything, I don't belong to myself any longer;
There's no more room for me at home.
 
Don't worry, God says, you have gained all.
While men came in to you, I, your Father, I, your God,
Slipped in among them.
 
(from the book, Prayers of Life by way of http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/01/your-grace-has-stirred-me.html)

Daily Prayer - An Emmaus Day

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.
 
I love the story from Luke's gospel of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.  The two are walking to the village of Emmaus, a few miles outside of Jerusalem, just after Jesus rose from the grave.  They are talking about all that has happened over the past few days when a stranger joins them and enquires as to their conversation.  They don't recognize Jesus as He is hiding His identity.  During the conversation He explains all of the prophesies from the Old Testament about Himself.  Only when they stop and He breaks bread with them are their eyes opened and they recognize Him.  A former colleague of mine had a great print in his office depicting that captivating moment that they recognize Jesus - you can see that picture here. (I particularly like the confused look on the inn keeper's face - he is the person standing.)
 
This prayer below was originally written about making a journey, but if you consider your day a journey it applies at least as well.  May you have safe and fulfilling travels today.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

Lord, you know what awaits us today.
 
You know every bend and bump in the road, every sunbeam and cloud in the sky.
 
So, Lord, please, make straight paths for our feet.
 
Grant us safe travel.
 
Grant us successful travel.
 
Please let us make our connections.
 
Please help us reach our destination.
 
Save us from worry and stress.
 
Make us patient and polite along the way.
 
Make us kind and attentive to others, and please give us the blessing of somehow being helpful to someone else.
 
And especially, Lord, make this day an Emmaus moment, that we may travel in your company and, when we reach our destination, know you better than when we began.
 
In Jesus' name, amen.
 

(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/01/prayer-for-emmaus-day.html)

Daily Prayer - Restraints

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.
 
I remember from the Alpha Course a story Nicky Gumbel told to illustrate why God gives us the "thou shalts" and the "thou shalt nots". Nicky talked of taking his young son to football (soccer) practice to find the coach was not there.  So he, Nicky, decided to run a scrimmage however he was not familiar with, and therefore could not enforce, the rules.  Mayhem ensued.  The kids were miserable because they didn't know where the boundary lines were, and what they could or could not do.  There was a lot of complaining.  Then the coach showed up.  He put down markers to delineate the pitch, blew his whistle, and generally brought order to the practice.  Once the rules were put in place, and being fairly enforced, the kids started having fun.
 
And so God's rules are for us.  They are not to restrict us, but to give us guidelines and structure which allows us to enjoy this life he has given us.  Imagine what life would be like without any rules!
 
Obeying God puts us in a position to be used by Him, to serve Him in ways we can't even imagine and to experience His power at work in our lives and the lives of others.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 
 
Father, help us to remember that Your restraints are loving and holy, offered in the package of grace You extend to those who call on Your name.
 
When we refrain from activities and attitudes that displease You we're preventing erosion of Christian values and preserving Your Spirit of holiness.
 
The Bible says there is none righteous, no not one, but the Holy Spirit who resides within us draws us to You and thereby sets us apart for holy service.
 
Keep us separate and help us to say "no" to anything that would ensnare us to the enemy who seeks to devour and destroy us.
 
In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
 
(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2014/01/20/a-prayer-of-thanks-for-restraints/)

Daily Prayer - The Journey!

Good Monday morning, my friends.
 
Yesterday was an exciting day for us.  The Journey, Manotick celebrated the launch of a new church in the Ottawa area.  Our goal is not growing a church but growing relationships, in particular a real relationship with God.  If you are in the Ottawa area and seeking a loving, supportive community that is deeply rooted in the word of God, please join us on Sunday afternoons at 4:00pm at Carleton Golf and Yacht Club (6627 Marina Drive, Manotick).  We would love to see you there.  If you are not in the Ottawa area, and are not connected with a church community, then you must find one.  Being a Jesus follower is NOT a solo sport. 

 

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:24-25).
 
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce

 
Heavenly Father, author and inspirer of all things holy,
hear our prayers for our new Church.
 
Send forth Your Spirit that we may humbly be guided by your Divine Will.
 
Touch our hearts with true generosity to raise up a house of God
for the inspiration and renewal of all your faithful.
 
We ask this in Jesus' Name.
 
Amen.
 
(http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=581)

Daily Prayer - Before

Good Friday morning, my friends.
 
As you look forward to the day and the weekend, are your priorities in the same order as God's priorities?
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

Today, O Lord —
let me put others before self;
let me put things of the Spirit before the things of the body;
let me put the attainment of noble ends before the enjoyment of present pleasures;
let me put principle above reputation;
and let me put you before all else.
 
(a prayer of John Baillie by way of http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/01/before.html)

Daily Prayer - All kidding aside

Good Thursday morning, my friends.
 
Speaking for the men (of which I am one most of the time), teasing, kidding, and put-downs could be an Olympic sport.  Perhaps we could counter-balance this with encouraging words and building each other up?  This is advice for me to live by.  And I bet God will provide you with an opportunity to strengthen someone today with your words.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce 
 
 
Father, I pray for a spirit of cooperation and eagerness to contribute to the needs of the whole body, so that Your Church is built not just with sweat, bricks, and mortar but with  love, integrity, care, and cooperative teamwork.
 
Therefore we go forth in unity and purpose as we do our part in building each other up as we encourage others to use their God-given talents and acquired skills, all the while striving for unity in the faith.
 
In our service we desire to please You even as we serve and strengthen one another.
 
In the name of Jesus we go forth in faithful service. Amen.
 
(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/a-prayer-for-a-cooperative-spirit-2/)

Daily Prayer - Are you listening?

Good Tuesday morning, my friends,
 
God is trying to speak to you and to me today.  Are we listening?  He uses many methods to communicate with us (probably because we keep missing the message). 
 
How is He trying to contact you today?
 

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours,
Bruce
 

Father, we want to be still and listen to Your still small voice, whether You're speaking directly to our spirit or speaking to us through Your holy Word.
 
At times You speak to us through song, through nature, through other believers and through the unfolding of  major and minor events in our lives.
 
As You speak to us, we want to be careful and listen to Your voice so that we do not harden our hearts.
 
Instead we want You to fulfill in us all Your purposes for our growth and for Your glory.
 
In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
 
(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/a-prayer-for-listening-to-god/)

Daily Prayer - Rebuke the enemy

Good Monday morning, my friends.
 
The Bible says that Satan is a liar.  Specifically "When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies" John 8:44.
 
What lie is he whispering in your ear this morning?  Is he telling you you aren't good enough?  Telling you that you can do that thing again and won't get caught?  Telling you that you don't matter?  That you are hopeless?
 
It isn't true.  It is a lie.  Prayerfully ask the Lord to rebuke the enemy.
 

Grace and peace and truth be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

Father I give thanks to you for protecting me from Satan.
 
Satan is a liar and a destroyer, I have been rescued from his many attempts to destroy me and my loved ones.
 
In the name of Jesus I ask that Satan and his army be continually rebuked from me, my loved ones, my home, my church, my job and everywhere Father that you shall lead me-Hallelujah!
 
I am saved from the devil and all his weapons
 
Amen.
 
(http://letspraydaily.blogspot.ca/2009/03/rebuking-satan-prayer.html)

Daily Prayer - The prayers of others

Good Thursday morning, my friends.
 
Have you ever considered how the prayers of others, on your behalf, have affected your life?  I know that others were praying diligently for me before I came to faith.  Would I be where I am today, living under grace rather than condemnation, if it were not for those prayers?  Probably not.  Even now, I know that a number of people pray for me on a daily basis - what an amazing blessing that I take for granted all too often.
 
Who have been the prayer warriors in your life?  Have you thanked God for them?
 
And who are the people you could be praying for?  With whom do you want to "rejoice in eternity"?
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce 
 
 
Abba, thank you for the prayers of others on my behalf,
those times when someone's prayer--unbeknownst to me--
has encouraged me, healed me, delivered me, or empowered me.
 
How many times in my life have I unknowingly been saved because someone--somewhere--prayed for me?
 
How many prayers have turned back some disaster that awaited me?
 
How many moments have been shot through with blessing and loveliness because someone spoke my name to you?
 
Whether close or distant,
from a friend or stranger,
long or short,
thank you for them all.
 
How I will rejoice in eternity to see the record of all who have prayed for me, and how much I owe to them.
 
(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/01/prayer-of-thanks-for-prayers-of-others.html)

Daily Prayer - Someone worth dying for?

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

 

I don't know about you, but I often find myself trying to perform for God:  whether it is writing pithy little blog postings such as this, attending church "every" Sunday, speaking long-winded prayers in my small group, etc., etc.  Do you have your own list?

 

Consider this passage from the book of Ezekiel:

 

I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. And I will summon the grain and make it abundant and lay no famine upon you. I will make the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field abundant, that you may never again suffer the disgrace of famine among the nations.

Ezekiel 36:24-30

 

Who is speaking?  God.  Who is going to do all these things?  God.  What do we have to do?  Enjoy!

 

God has done it all.  When His Son died on that cross, all of this was achieved.  He has cleansed us, delivered us, fed us physically and spiritually.  It is a gift from Him to you and to me.  All we did, or have to do if you haven't already done so, is accept the gift.

 

My daughter played a song for me yesterday called "Someone Worth Dying For" by MIKESCHAIR. Although not technically a prayer, it can be lifted as one as we meditate on the words and bring them to God.  The lyrics are below.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce

 
You might be the wife waiting up at night
You might be the man struggling to provide
Feeling like it's hopeless
 
Maybe you're the son who chose a broken road
Maybe you're the girl thinking you'll end up alone
Praying God, can You hear me?
Oh, God, are You listening?
 
Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah, I wanna believe
I wanna believe that
 
I'm not just some wandering soul
That You don't see and You don't know
Yeah, I wanna believe, Jesus, help me believe
That I am someone worth dying for
 
I know you've heard the truth that God has set you free
But you think you're the one that grace could never reach
So you just keep asking
Oh, what everybody's asking
 
Am I more than flesh and bone?
Am I really something beautiful?
Yeah I wanna believe
I wanna believe that
 
That I'm not just some wandering soul
That You don't see and You don't know
Yeah, I wanna believe, Jesus, help me believe
That I am someone worth dying for
 
You're worth it, you can't earn it
Yeah, the cross has proven
That You're sacred and blameless
Your life has purpose
 
You are more than flesh and bone
Can't you see, you're something beautiful?
Yes, you gotta believe, you gotta believe
He wants you to see, He wants you to see
 
That you're not just some wandering soul
That can't be seen and can't be known
Yeah, you gotta believe, you gotta believe that you are
Someone worth dying for, oh
 
You're someone worth dying for, oh
You're someone worth dying for
 
(MIKESCHAIR, from the album A Beautiful Life)

Daily Prayer - Seasons

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.
 
In the midst of this deep, cold, snowy winter that most of us are experiencing I figure it would be a good time to focus on the fact that God has created a world with amazingly varied seasons.  The same is true of our lives - we all go through seasons of winter in our health, relationships, finances, etc., but take heart - God is good - spring comes!
 
Grace and peace and warmth be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

Great Creator, thank you for the seasons that unfold right outside my windows,
and display your beauty and creativity,
and remind me of your many blessings and provisions.
 
Thank you for the glistening Winters,
the shimmer of sun on snow and the crack of branches under ice,
for biting winds and welcoming fireplaces.
 
Thank you for the vibrancy of Spring,
the budding of trees and blooming of flowers,
the return of the birds and smell of the air.
 
Thank you for the pleasures of Summer,
the bright sunny days and perfect moonlit evenings,
the smells of mowed grass and air thick with rain.
 
Thank you for the colors of Fall,
the crisp air and crackling leaves,
the cooling days and Indian Summers.
 
Great Creator, thank you for the seasons of this earth,
and likewise for the seasons of my life,
that teach me one after the other
that you are good.
Amen.
 
(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/01/for-seasons.html)

Daily Prayer - Are your loins girt?

Good Monday morning, my friends.
 
And Happy New Year!
 
Here is a prayer with which we can usher in this new year.  It is a beautiful prayer, of Puritan origins, and helps us to realign with God's plan for us going forward. 
 
(Just a note - the word "bark" refers to a type of sailing ship having three or more masts and is also sometimes spelled "barque").
 
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce 
 
 
O Lord,
 
Length of days does not profit me except the days are passed in thy presence, in thy service, to thy glory.
 
Give me a grace that precedes, follows, guides, sustains, sanctifies, aids every hour,
that I may not be one moment apart from thee,
but may rely on thy Spirit,
to supply every thought,
speak in every word,
direct every step,
prosper every work,
build up every mote of faith,
and give me a desire
to show forth thy praise,
testify thy love,
advance thy kingdom.
 
I launch my bark on the unknown waters of this year,
with thee, O Father, as my harbour,
thee, O Son, at my helm,
thee O Holy Spirit, filling my sails.
 
Guide me to heaven with my loins girt,
my lamp burning,
my ear open to thy calls,
my heart full of love,
my soul free.
 
Give me grace to sanctify me,
thy comforts to cheer,
thy wisdom to watch,
thy right hand to guide,
thy counsel to instruct,
thy law to judge,
thy presence to stabilize.
 
May thy fear be my awe,
thy triumphs my joy.
 
(from The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers, edited by Arthur Bennett by way of http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/01/on-unknown-waters-of-this-new-year.html)