Dear Father of all, Help us to see the world through your eyes, without dividing lines, To see just land and water, mountains, trees, and skies. Help us to lay aside our class and skin, our background and race, To know our shared humanity, to see a brother or sister in every face. Help us to wear forgiveness, to lay down our pride and pain, To seek first to understand, Lord may peace and reconciliation reign. Help us to feel your compassion so we can freely forgive. May we weave new threads of grace and cause seeds of hope to live. Help us to play our own small part, with acts of kindness and care. May we arise as your children and seek out what is just and fair. Cause us to make new bonds of trust with neighbours near and far, And so to fashion a world where peace comes to Earth in this hour.
Heavenly Father, Our house is a place where we welcome you. We give you freedom here. Dwell within our family, may we feel you near. Laugh with us, and dine with us, we listen out for you. And when we sleep to watch over us, we give ourselves to you. We greet you every morning, we wake with you each day. Please fill this home with heaven’s peace and lead our hearts to pray. Amen.
Father God, I lift my heart and voice to you and give thanks for your unending love and faithfulness. Help me to live in this day. May I never let hurt from yesterday or fears of tomorrow rob the gift of living in the moment. May I rejoice in all the goodness that you have given me, and be in a place for others to come and find shelter. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Creator of all things, the true source of light and wisdom, the origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding. Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance. Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayer for Peace
Dear Lord God,
You created balance.
The night to follow the day.
The sea to touch the earth.
All the wonderful animals, fish, and birds.
You are the great creator of variety and diversity.
Thank you that you made us all unique and reflect your love.
Come draw our family together in all its wonder and beauty.
Help us to love and respect each other.
Show us how to support and encourage one another.
Inspire us to work together to become a picture full of your perfect love.
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your unfailing love;
according to Your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against You, You only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in Your sight,
so that You are proved right when You speak
and justified when You judge.
Surely I have been a sinner from birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me…
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me and I will be whiter than snow…
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from Your presence
or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.
Then will I teach transgressors Your ways,
and sinners will turn back to You.
God grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships 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;
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him
Forever and ever in the next.
Amen.
God of glory, God of light,
I pray to You now in the night.
I count all of Your wonderful ways
That You bless me through my days.
You’re my help in times of trouble.
When I call, You come on the double.
I know Your Name. I trust in You
To guide me in everything I do.
Make me strong to do Your will.
I rest in You; now I’m still.
Hear me now for Your name’s sake,
Watch over me until I wake.
Amen.
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
