Daily Prayer - Half way there ...

Good Monday morning, my friends.

 

We are at the half-way point of Lent.  How is it going so far for you?  Are you fasting and praying?  Have you even considered it?  It is never too late to start ... or to recommit.

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

Good morning, good God!

 

So, Lent’s half over

and Easter's only three weeks away...

 

I should be at least half-prepared,

half-ready to celebrate Easter

-- but I’m not...

 

Beginning on Ash Wednesday I was doing pretty well,

right up 'til, oh,

maybe the First Sunday of Lent:

I know, Lord, that was only 4 days!

 

So, I offer you my sketchy record here

and ask you to forgive my unkept Lenten pledges…

 

I offer you my lack of self-discipline,

recognizing how I excuse myself so easily…

 

I offer you my flimsy promises,

made with firm intentions but failing in the follow-through…

 

I offer you my laziness, hoping you'll forgive me

and accept my renewed pledge to pray more often,

to sacrifice and reach out to the poor…

 

Such is my offering, Lord: 

help me depend and lean on you 

and not try to do this all on my own…

 

Be with me, Lord,

and be my strength in every temptation,

especially when I'm tempted

to give up on Lent... 

 

When I put off prayer,

draw me to a quiet place and sit me down to be with you,

to speak with you, to rest in your presence…

 

When I’m tempted to indulge myself 

on what I’ve given up for Lent, 

remind me of my pledge and the reason for it:

to empty out my fullness, to learn a hunger

for what truly feeds my mind and heart...

 

When I spend first on myself 

and consume more than my share or need:

show me how much I already have

and where and how I have too much 

and help me be more generous

with those who have little or nothing at all…

 

And if I’ve failed from the beginning

to pray and fast and sacrifice, 

let today be my “Ash Monday,” 

"day one" of Lent for me:

this is the day that you’ve made, Lord,

give me grace to grow in you...

 

And remind me, Lord,

that I don't walk the Lenten path alone: 

keep me kind and gentle 

with those whose paths cross mine

this day and through the week ahead...

 

Lord, I offer you my renewed Lenten pledge: 

I pray you'll strengthen my resolve, 

deepen my commitment

and keep me faithful to you

and my preparing for Easter

and the life and peace you offer me...

 

Amen.

 

(http://concordpastor.blogspot.ca/2014/03/monday-morning-offering-331.html)

Daily Prayer - The miracle of now

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

 

Breathe deeply.  And again.  Did you do it?  Did you feel your shoulders lower?  The stress lessen?  Be conscious of this moment, not fretting about what has been or worrying about what is to come.  This is the miracle, and gift, of now.

 

And don't rush by the last 2 lines of this prayer.

 

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace be yours,

Bruce

 

 

Eternal Friend,

grant me an ease

to breathe deeply of this moment,

this light, this miracle of now.

 

Beneath the din and fury of great movements

and harsh news

and urgent crises,

make me attentive still

to good news,

to small occasions,

and the grace of what is possible

for me to be,

to do,

to give,

to receive,

that I may miss neither my neighbor's gift

nor my enemy's need.

 

(a prayer from Ted Loder's Guerrillas of Grace by way of http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/03/this-miracle-of-now.html)

Daily Prayer - Whole?

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

 

I have been pondering the past few days about something from the sermon our preacher gave on Sunday: you don't have to be made whole externally (physically healed) to be made whole internally (spiritually healed). 

 

Some of us, myself for sure, have equated the two.  Have you?  Are you waiting for the Lord to make some change in your circumstances and not giving Him the chance to make a change in your heart?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

  

Sometimes, Lord, 

my heart aches for a message,

looks for an angel,

strains and listens for

a much-needed word from you...

 

My heart waits

to hear what you might speak

to my life and my worries,

my fears and confusion,

my decisions and choices...

 

My heart waits

for tidings of encouragement,

for a word of wisdom and counsel

to strengthen and empower me,

to guide my way and guard me...

 

My heart waits to hear you say,

Don't be afraid... I am with you...

I am always with you... I will never leave you...

I am beside you, before you and behind you,

above you, below you, within you...

 

My soul strains to hear you say:

I've found favor with you...

I care for you... I care about you...

I watch for you... I watch out for you...

You have a place in my heart,

a place I keep for you,

where I hold you...

 

Send an angel, a message, a word, Lord,

and speak to my heart...

 

Speak to me as you spoke to Mary:

when I'm not expecting you...

when I'm confused and don't understand...

what I'm not sure what you're asking of me...

when I'm afraid of what tomorrow may bring...

 

Fill my heart with your grace, Lord,

that I might see every angel you send my way

and hear every word you speak to my heart,

that I might welcome and treasure

each message of your love...

 

Amen.

 

(http://concordpastor.blogspot.ca/2014/03/pause-for-prayer-tuesday-425.html)

Daily Prayer - Fly to the shelter of His cross

Good Monday morning, my friends.

 

Something a little more serious than usual this morning.  The message below is from a sermon given by Charles Spurgeon in March of 1866:

 

‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’ Hebrews 10:31

 

It is the highest benevolence to warn men of their danger, and to exhort them to escape from the wrath which will surely come upon them, for ‘It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.’ We feel that it must be a fearful thing to be punished for sin when you remember the atonement. It is our full belief as Christians, that, in order to pardon human sin, it was necessary that God himself should become incarnate, and that the Son of God should suffer excruciating pains, to which the dignity of his person added infinite weight. Brethren, if the wrath of God be a mere trifle, there was no need of a Saviour to deliver us; it were as well to have let so small a matter take its course; or, if the Saviour came merely to save us from a pinch or two, why is so much said in his praise? What need for heaven and earth to ring with the glories of him who would save us from a small mischief? But mark the word. As the sufferings of the Saviour were intense beyond all conception, and as no less a person than God himself must endure these sufferings for us, that must have been an awful, not to say infinite evil, from which there was no other way for us to escape except by the bleeding and dying of God’s dear Son.

 

Think lightly of hell, and you will think lightly of the cross. Think little of the sufferings of lost souls, and you will soon think little of the Saviour who delivers you from them. God grant we may not live to see such a Christ-dishonouring theology dominant in our times.

 

Unfortunately, it seems that we have lived to see just this happen.  Many "churches" have watered down the Gospel to remove the need for atonement so as not to offend.  However, eternal suffering is the fate of those who reject God. Our mission in life is to provide them hope by telling them of the great sacrifice that was offered on their behalf.

 

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Bruce

 

 

And will the Judge descend,

And must the dead arise

And not a single soul escape

His all-discerning eyes?

 

And from His righteous lips

Shall this dread sentence sound

And thro' the num'rous guilty throng

Spread black despair around:

 

"Depart from Me, accursed,

To everlasting flame,

For rebel angels first prepared,

Where mercy never came"?

 

How will my heart endure

The terrors of that Day

When earth and heav'n before His face

Astonished shrink away?

 

But ere that trumpet shakes

The mansions of the dead,

Hark from the Gospel's cheering sound

What joyful tidings spread:

 

Ye sinners, seek His grace

Whose wrath ye cannot bear;

Fly to the shelter of His cross

And find salvation there.

 

(Philip Doddridge, 1755)

Daily Prayer - The one that has been sanctified

Good Friday morning, my friends.

 

I had never heard of the Didache until I read this prayer this morning.  According to Wikipedia, the Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles (Didachē means "Teaching") is a brief early Christian treatise, dated by most scholars to the late first or early 2nd century. The first line of this treatise is "Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles (or Nations) by the Twelve Apostles".

 

I love the way this prayer envisions "the church" as "the one that has been sanctified" as if we were all truly one body.  For that, after all, is what Jesus commissioned us to be.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce

 

We give you thanks, Holy Father, for your holy name which you have caused to dwell in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality which you have made known to us through Jesus your servant; to you be the glory forever.

 

You, almighty Master, created all things for your name's sake, and gave food and drink to men to enjoy, that they might give you thanks; but to us you have graciously given spiritual food and drink, and eternal life through your servant [Jesus]. Above all we give thanks because you are mighty; to you be the glory forever.

 

Remember your church, Lord, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in your love; and gather it, the one that has been sanctified, from the four winds into your kingdom, which you have prepared for it; for yours is the glory forever.

 

May grace come, and may this world pass away.

 

(from the Didache by way of http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/03/a-prayer-from-didache.html)

Daily Prayer - Be strong and courageous

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.
 
My wife, Rosemary, showed me a passage yesterday from the book of 1 Maccabees.  If that name does not ring a bell with you, or you cannot find it in your Bible, don't be surprised.  It is one of the so-called books of the "Apocrypha" which are not included in all Bibles.  The question of whether these are "inspired" texts is beyond my knowledge, but that does not detract from the power of these words.  This is not a prayer, per se, but it has the affect of aligning our thinking and will to God's - which is the purpose of prayer.  These are words spoken by a man named Mattathias, on his deathbed, to his sons.  They apply as much today as they did then.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 
 
 
These are times of violence and distress. Arrogant people are in control and have made us an object of ridicule. But you, my sons, must be devoted to the Law and ready to die to defend God's covenant with our ancestors.
 
Remember what our ancestors did and how much they accomplished in their day. Follow their example, and you will be rewarded with great glory and undying fame.
 
Remember how Abraham put his trust in the Lord when he was tested and how the Lord was pleased with him and accepted him.
 
Joseph, in his time of trouble, obeyed God's commands and became ruler over the land of Egypt.
 
Phinehas, our ancestor, because of his burning devotion, was given the promise that his descendants would always be priests.
 
Joshua was made a judge in Israel because he obeyed the command of Moses.
 
Caleb brought back a good report to the community and was given a part of the land as a reward.
 
David was made king and was given the promise that his descendants would always be kings because of his steadfast loyalty to God.
 
Elijah, because of his great devotion to the Law, was taken up into heaven.
 
Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael were saved from the flames because they had faith.
 
Daniel was a man of integrity, and the Lord rescued him from the mouth of the lions.
 
Take each of these ancestors of ours as an example, and you will realize that no one who puts his trust in the Lord will ever lack strength.
 
Don't be afraid of the threats of a wicked man. Remember that he will die and all his splendor will end with worms feeding on his decaying body. Today he may be highly honored, but tomorrow he will disappear; his body will return to the earth and his scheming will come to an end.
 
But you, my sons, be strong and courageous in defending the Law, because it is through the Law that you will earn great glory.
 
(1 Maccabees 2:49-64)

Daily Prayer - Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.
 
Beannachtam na Feile Padraig! (Happy St. Patrick’s Day!)
 
In honor of the Day (OK - a day late), here is the famous prayer attributed to St. Patrick, called The Lorica, or Breastplate of St. Patrick.
 
Saol fada agus breac-shláinte chugat (Long-life and fair health to you),
Bruce
 

Today I put on
a terrible strength
invoking the Trinity
confessing the Three
with faith in the One
as I face my Maker.
 
Today I put on the power
of Christ's birth and baptism,
of his hanging and burial,
His resurrection, ascension,
and descent at the Judgement.
 
Today I put on the power
of the order of the Cherubim,
angels' obedience,
archangels' attendance,
in hope of ascending
to my reward;
patriarchs' prayers,
prophets' predictions,
apostles precepts,
confessors' testimony,
holy virgins' innocence
and the deeds of true men.
 
Today I put on
the power of Heaven,
the light of the Sun,
the radiance of the Moon,
the splendour of fire,
the fierceness of lightning,
the swiftness of wind,
the depth of the sea,
the firmness of earth
and the hardness of rock.
 
Today I put on
God's strenghth to steer me,
God's power to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye for my vision,
God's ear for my hearing,
God's word for my speech,
God's hand to protect me,
God's pathway before me,
God's shield for my shelter,
God's angels to guard me
from ambush of devils,
from vice's allurements,
from traps of the flesh,
from all who wish ill,
whether distant or close,
alone or in hosts.
 
I summon these powers today
to take my part against every implacable power
that attacks my body and soul,
the chants of false prophets,
dark laws of the pagans,
false heretics' laws,
entrapments of idols,
enchantments of women
or smiths or druids,
and all knowledge that poisons
man's body or soul.
 
Christ guard me today
from poison, from burning,
from drowning, from hurt,
that I have my reward.
 
Christ beside me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ within me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me.
Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie,
Christ where I sit,
Christ where I rise.
Christ in the hearts of all who think of me,
Christ in the mouths of all who speak to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
 
Today I put on
a terrible strength,
invoking the Trinity,
confessing the Three,
with faith in the One
as I face my Maker.

Daily Prayer - Kingdom Come

Good Friday morning, my friends.

 

There is much wisdom in the prayer below.  It should, as prayer is meant to, help us to see what God sees and align our will to His.  May His kingdom come.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce

 

May your kingdom come,
may your rule be in effect
in my home,
my children's homes,
my grandchildren's playgrounds,
in the streets of our city,
the places we work,
the schools we attend.

 

I know my weaknesses, limitations, and habits,
and I know how tiny my power of conscious choice is.
Therefore, I ask that,
by means beyond my knowledge and the scope of my will,
I be assisted to act within the flow of God’s action.

 

I also pray over the dark deeds of others in the world around us all.
I see how they are trapped in what they themselves often disown and despise.
And I pray about the structural or institutionalized evils that rule so much of the earth,
for you to break up these higher-level patterns of evil,
and help me and mine not to cooperate with them,
but to cast light on them and act effectively to remove them,
in Jesus' name, amen.

(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/03/kingdom-come.html based on words written by Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy)

Daily Prayer - Wise us up

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

 

So often I think God sees me as parent sees a three-year-old child who wants a cookie just before meal time.  The child cannot understand the parent's reasoning for refusing the request.  And frequently I question boundaries God has placed in my life.  I want what I want and I want it now.

 

Ever feel that way?

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce

 

 

 

Father, we are grateful for the boundaries You place throughout Scripture that are solely for our protection.

 

Often it’s to protect us from the devil who lurks waiting for the opportunity to pounce and other times it’s to protect us from our own vain vices that can be equally destructive.

 

Wise us up so that we don’t resent or rebel against that which is for our own eternal good.

 

Rather help us to see that You are an all-wise, all-knowing God who looks after us and sets boundaries so that we don’t lose sight of our spiritual heritage here on earth which will pave the way for our eternal inheritance in heaven.

 

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

 

(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2014/03/11/a-prayer-of-thanks-for-spiritual-boundaries/)

Daily Prayer - Unthinkable

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.
 
Lent is a road that leads to the Cross.  It is a road filled suffering.  The suffering we deserve, but was endured by Jesus, by God, on our behalf.  It is unthinkable.  But true.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

Lord, bring us close to your cross that we might know how you loved us and gave yourself for us.
 
We would keep Lent, Lord, in a way that is pleasing to you. As we follow you from the garden to Calvary, do not let us follow afar off, lest we deny you. Help us watch and pray with you that we may not fall into temptation.
 
Enlighten us that we may see by faith that you knelt in prayer for us, that you, the Holy One, were judged a criminal by unholy people for us, that you suffered the whiplashes of angry sinners as our sinless Saviour, that you stumbled under the cross as our Suffering Servant, that you died as the Lamb of God in our stead and for our sake.
 
Lord Jesus, through it all help us hear in your prayer the single purpose for which you endured pain and death: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
 
Amen
 
(from the Lutheran Book of Prayer by way of http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/03/a-lenten-prayer.html)

Daily Prayer - Choices

Good Friday morning, my friends.
 
Let's make this Lent a time to pray and fast.  Fast not necessarily from a specific food, although that is what some of us should/could do, but perhaps fasting from something else that takes us away from the Lord.  You know what that is for you.  I know what it is for me.
 
And let's use this time to re-connect with a God who loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son so that we could spend eternity with Him.  Like a parent so desperate to reconnect with a child who has gone astray, God is waiting for us to  take our relationship with Him to the next level. 

 

It won't be easy.  But it will be worth it.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

The Lenten season begins. It is a time to be with you, Lord, in a special way, a time to pray, to fast, and thus to follow you on your way to Jerusalem, to Golgotha, and to the final victory over death.
 
I am still so divided. I truly want to follow you, but I also want to follow my own desires and lend an ear to the voices that speak about prestige, success, pleasure, power, and influence. Help me to become deaf to these voices and more attentive to your voice, which calls me to choose the narrow road to life.
 
I know that Lent is going to be a very hard time for me. The choice for your way has to be made every moment of my life.  I have to choose thoughts that are your thoughts, words that are your words, and actions that are your actions. There are not times or places without choices. And I know how deeply I resist choosing you.
 
Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every place. Give me the strength and the courage to live this season faithfully, so that, when Easter comes, I will be able to taste with joy the new life that you have prepared for me- Amen.
 
Henri Nouwen

Daily Prayer - Ash Wednesday

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.
 
To day is Ash Wednesday - the beginning of Lent.  Lent is a time for fasting, for "giving up" some luxury we enjoy.  How about we give up some of our bad attitudes as well? 
 
As you pray through this list pay attention to how the Holy Spirit nudges you on one or more.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

Grant, Lord, that during this season of Lent, I may
fast from discontent and feast on gratitude;
fast from anger and feast on patience;
fast from bitterness and feast on forgiveness;
fast from self-concern and feast on compassion;
fast from discouragement and feast on hope;
fast from laziness and feast on commitment;
fast from complaining and feast on acceptance;
fast from lust and feast on respect;
fast from prejudice and feast on understanding;
fast from resentment and feast on reconciliation;
fast from lies and feast on the truth;
fast from wasted time and feast on honest work;
fast from grimness and feast on joy;
fast from suspicion and feast on trust;
fast from idle talk and feast on prayer and silence;
fast from guilt and feast on the mercy of God.
 
(based on lines attributed to William Arthur Ward by way of http://bobhostetler.blogspot.ca/2014/03/an-ash-wednesday-prayer.html)

Daily Prayer - On the path

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.
 
We all know what life is like when we stray from the narrow path.  We know of the suffering, the guilt, the shame.
 
We have been instructed: "offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:1-2)
 
Staying on the path requires transformation.  It requires renewing.  And it requires us to do this daily, hourly.
 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Bruce
 

Father, those who sacrifice their time, affections, and finances to idols are doing so at their own peril.
 
We want to offer our lives as living sacrifices, making them holy and acceptable to You.
 
When we exchange that which is best from You for that which is appealing from the devil we regress.
 
We fall back rather than move forward. We want to be led of Your Spirit step by step, day by day, moment by moment.
 
Whenever we’re tempted to compromise remind us of the tragic exchange that will result and the awful consequences that follow.
 
We want to stay on the straight and narrow, not going one step off the right way.
 
Help us to do so, in the name of Jesus we pray.
 
Amen.
 
(http://adailyprayer.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/a-prayer-for-a-steadfast-walk-2/)