MorningPrayer

Dear God,     The mirror of our life is sometimes confusing. We live in the reflections of sea and sky, thought and deed, past and present, future and dreams.  There is much beauty in the image  but the swirling currents twist the meaning of our life in rhythms, unexpected and unanticipated. We search for clarity. As we enter a new year we pray for peace in the mirror and clear focus of meaning.  May the waters be stirred in wellness and serenity. AMEN

Dear God,    We follow the star of  responsibility and commitment.  We follow the angels in possibility, opportunity and mystery.  We follow your voice in obedience.   We follow the Spirit in flexibility and adaptability.  In choosing our path, we feel chosen.   Continue to guide us and guard us, strengthen us and empower us, enrich us and enable us to be your ser vants of light and love. AMEN

Dear God,     Now that we have been filled with seasonal offerings of gifts, food, lights and sounds. Now that we have given the best of ourselves and done our utmost to lift you up in the community of family, friends and faith, we pray a new prayer.  We pray a prayer of emptiness so that we might be filled once again in your love and live in your grace.  Center us and perfect us humbly, burn within us as a cosmic flare of Holiness. AMEN

Dear God,     ...Let us then pause today.  Help us to catch our breath and unwind.  Smooth the curls and iron out the wrinkles of the days. If our world as we have known it has changed and been thrown into a new dimension, then may we be still in prayer so that you might hold us in the palm of your hand and guide us in the starlight of a new day. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN

Dear God,      The mists of morning, cannot hide the signs of Christmas and the light of your love.  We peer into the clouds of mourning and feel the breath of the Spirit clearing the land with fresh new life and we hear the cry of a baby of hope and see the hands of compassion soothing fears and clearing away tears. Lift us up, O God, in Holy hands and in your presence bless us and keep us. AMEN

Holy Lord,     Here it is, Merry Christmas day!   Thank you for this time of rejoicing and bringing us into the possibility and  beauty of gentle peace and harmony.  Open our eyes to the mystery that surrounds, angels whispering in the hush of the morning light, and your promise of presence floating to us on Spirit filled air. Let us rejoice in this day of Jesus' birth and breathe the breath of holiness and sacred life. We are humbled and grateful, O God. AMEN

Holy Lord,    We have arrived at Christmas Eve day.  Thank you for  the journey and the process of excitement and anticipation.  May we stop and rest some and enjoy the twinkling colored lights and the tree filled with ornaments and memories. May we be still and be prayerful in thanks and smile in the moment of laughter and fun. Ma we be filled with grace and love overflowing and treasure the wonder of this day,

Dear God,      Help us to live in awareness, recognition and gratitude for the comforts and blessings of our lives.  With thankful hearts and minds we can offer these gifts of understanding to our immediate world and to the larger world. In the dark of night or the light of day, we can pause and breathe a deep breath of wonder at the mystery that is us, and that is part of our universe. In love with the eternal and infinite, we are your humble servants. AMEN

Dear God,   On this day of blessing, a busy day of doing, to be sure, help us to pause and gather the serenity of deep space around us like a blanket.  May we sit before the fire of inner warmth and be still as the heat of contentment flows around us and keeps our thoughts mellow and our desires quiet. In the reflecting pool of twinkling lights  fill our minds with silent dreams that sparkle and charm us and are of peace. AMEN

God Ever Caring,      May we follow in the traditions of faith that make your spirit leap and sing, and help humanity to dance in peace.  May we sing the songs in harmony, a diversity of voices lifted in fellowship and joy with one another. May we not forget the ties that bind us into a Holy family and in the praise and Amen of faith, be united. AMEN

Good Morning God,     We haven't asked lately, how do you feel about the day?  This is a big time of year for those of US who follow you on  the Christian Way. The stories and symbols, lights and songs, Hope, Peace, Love, Joy are such important parts of our life, that we wonder whether you are pleased with us.  Even though we fail in our attitudes and understandings, we are trying to fulfill your vision for us. Thank you for your trust in us. AMEN

Dear God,      May you be the ground of our being,  the rock and fiber that supports our roots, unseen, but strong with clenching power. May you be the air that we breathe, swirling currents of energy, flowing like the wind  in unseen spirals and rivers. May you be the expansion of our creative minds, light-years of stars with galaxies exploding and black holes flashing new universes of thought.  Be our presence and our grace. AMEN

Dear God,     Surprises. The unexpected and unanticipated.  Gifts. What is in that box or behind that curtain or around that corner.  Our world is full of unknowns and our every day full of new possibilities, dreamed and undreamed. Help us, O God, when we gasp in awe and surprise to adjust, adapt and flex our mental and emotional muscles. Help our heart to recover and give us the ability to ride the wave in joy and wonder. We can do this. And it is good. AMEN

Most High,     The earth is full of miracles.  We look around and see beauty, truth and harmony of sky, land and sea.  We hear the rhythm of humanity laughing and crying.  We see birds soaring in the winds of the earth's turning.  We are immersed in the blue, brown and green of our dashing planet. Ahh, God, what mystery and magic are we part of that the stars sing and the sun dances. What power flows through our veins and what energy pervades our senses. We pause in the hush of thought and are filled with appreciation. You are mindful of us! Such wonder. AMEN

God Most High,    In this season of activity, of rushing around and doing, may we take the time to pause, be still and give thanks.  Even though we have much we do need to do, may we not stress ourselves to a point of frustration and anxiety.  May we take time to pause, be still and  breathe a breath of gratitude for life and you. May our spirit  be deep as the deepest well of purest water and as high as the distant galaxies. Fill us full and open us up, O  God. AMEN

Dear God,    May we speak plainly?   You see, there are days when it is all we can do to just get up, place a foot forward, pick up a toothbrush, butter the toast... Some days we are too worn out and by the end of the day too weary to even breathe.  But we pray that the night will refresh and that in the morning we have the strength to do it all over again. So, will you be our breath and our crutch. Will you lift the weariness from us and refresh us. Will you carry our loads. Will you inspire us and give us joy so that, even weary and worn, we anticipate with pleasure the new day.  You will, you will...AMEN

Holy Lord,    We awake this morning, hopefully refreshed. We step from the dark into the light of grace, a morning filled with silk that embraces us upon arising.  Your Holiness surrounds us if we but pray and whisper the Amen's of eternal praise.  Mercy and Goodness is ours and we are blessed in the murmur of the angels.  Hear our hushed and holy thank you, God, as we float into the day and experience the spirit of love. AMEN

Lord God,    In the silence of the morning, may healing flow like a soft breeze in the filtered sunlight. May the wholeness of our creation expanding enfold us in the warm cocoon of a fireplaces glow. May we hear your voice, "All is well, be at peace. Leave it to me." And then, unburdened, we rise and do our life in the grace of your presence. May our  work be holiness and blessing as we toil in the Kingdom. AMEN

Dear God,    Sometimes December is hard on people who are alone or just scraping by, the loneliness and the poverty can be over whelming.  We pray that the stress of the holidays will not be a hardship but that the joy of the season will lift spirits and hearts.  For those of us in comfort and abundance, we humbly give thanks for our blessings, and pray that the dreams and hopes of all will be met in the peace  and blessings of all. AMEN

God,     Take us as fuel for the fire of humanities needs.  Burn us with passion in the breath of the Holy Spirit and make us flicker and dance with vigor and renewed life.  Use us as warmth and light of compassion and kindness.  Let us flame with understanding and acceptance, burning away past pains and hurts and creating new life. Burn us, fully and completely, God, as we are able. AMEN

Dear God,      As we unpack the boxes of Christmas past and place memories on the tree and lights of the old days on the mantle, may we do so with glad hearts and joyous reflections.  May we leave room on the table and spaces on the tree for new memories and new possibilities.  May we leave a space in the room for surprises with opportunities for new  lights, shining brightly in the dark.  As we unpack the nativity set and lovingly place the story in place may the love of God light up our lives, like a shining beacon of hope and praise. AMEN

Holy Lord,      THe music of the morning dances, flame like in the stanzas of our mind, leaping from treble to bass cleft.  Our thoughts are holy, angels swinging from note to note in heavenly arcs dancing and swaying. May our thoughts be light and airy and the music of our souls dance in the spirit of hope and joy. Lift us God in the raised baton of freedom and the soaring music of love harmonized and exploding. AMEN

Dear God,      We pray for patience, to be still in the time of waiting.      We pray for purity, to be clear and clean in the midst of the day.      We pray for perceptions, to be aware of that which is around us.      We pray for prayer, to be in communion with you.      We pray for personality, to be in good relationship with one another.      Hear our prayer, AMEN

Holy Lord,     Show us the way of Holiness.  Light our path with the breath of angels and the flames of the spirit. Open our arms of embracing to receive your mercy as we are filled full of new life in your name and way.  Create us anew, purify our rivers of veins and our mountains of cells. Create in us clean hearts and gently hold us on the path of righteousness. Bless us, O God, and make us Holy. AMEN

Dear God,     Help us all to follow the Way of Love and  maintain  Hope in a world prone to  violence  and extremist actions.  T here  is certainly more good than bad, more acceptance than harshness, more understanding that condemnation. May our prayers and our attitudes of love prevail and may the winds of the Holy Spirit of  healing  wellness for  all flow  through humanity, cleansing wounds and purifying hearts.  Hear our prayer, O God, as we move towards Christmas day, AMEN

Holy Lord,    Some days are quiet; whispered noises in our houses, distant trains passing,  soft hissing in the fireplace. The mist outside is thick and full and the inner warmth of heart and home is comfortable and cozy.  On such a day, we  close our eyes and offer prayers of gratitude and gentle presence. We pause in the agenda and take time to be holy. There is no rush, nothing that must be done, only the caress of the Spirit and the blanket of infinite grace. Holiness abundant and our cup overflows. AMEN Painting by Seth Haverkamp

Dear God,     May we be aware of spirit movements, the flitting of wings and the tipping of haloes on the edge of our vision. May we be awake to the flickerings of thoughts that teach us. May we hear the whispers of the saints, passing on wisdom. May we follow the nudges of your imagination and be alive to our own creative impulses. May the dark matter of space b e the love and grace of your presence as we grow and  be healers in the world. AMEN

Dear God,     Sometimes the traffic in our mind is snarled and twisted. We have accidents and make detours and get lost.  The GPS steers us into a river and the mist hides the perils of a pile-up.  Emergency vehicles swerve and wail through our minds and no one stops to help us. We long for a clear simple highway or a country road lined with fir trees and meadows  pure. Can you unsnarl the traffic, God, and set us on the Way of peace and tranquility.  Take over the driving of our vehicle and let us continue in safety with you as our guide and guard. AMEN

God Almighty,   There is so much pain and unhappiness. There is so much distress and anguish.  So many carry heavy burdens from the past; they carry mountains on their shoulders and in their hearts.  So many are shackled and bound in chains and are blinded  and deaf. Please heal wounds and take away pain and fears. Please help those who hurt and are in mental distress, bring them soothing relief.  May your Spirit of wellness and healing wash us all clean and fill us with the new waters of spirit filled life from the well of eternity AMEN

Dear God,    May the reality we seek be the dreams that we make. May our hearts that yearn be the beat that we walk to. In your company of light and endless love, may the darkness of stress and fears flee, banished by your blood and fulfilled in your grace. God, simply put, help us in our daily vision and may our hopes and dreams come true, AMEN

Holy God,   Embrace us in the promise of Christmas.  Hold us fast in the turmoil of the night and the blazing of the day so we might not falter or fail. Wrap us in the promise of love like a warm blanket of silk. Set us before the fireplace of hope where companionship flows around us in the heat of truth and endless faith.  As we walk towards Christmas may mystery and wonder guide us like a huge silent star. AMEN

Dear God,     Changes. There are changes all around us and even to us:  we are surprised by our image in the mirror, new born babies now crawl and talk,  living situations of loved ones change, the climate is hot then cold, foods are good then bad... there is no end to the changes.  And we need to be adaptable, flexible, and changeable as well as constantly learning new terms and techniques of technology.  What, O God, is not changeable? You are our rock and our salvation. You, God, are unchangeable in our lives of faith and  love. To you, we look as our constant in life. AMEN

Dear God,       We pray that we have experienced the fulfilling food of gentleness and kindness this holiday time.  We pray that we have been nourished in the arts of gratitude and thankfulness and that we are awake this morning to the blessings of our life.  Many of us, blessed with community, friends and family, bow our head, still, in the awareness of God's grace, AMEN

Thank You God,       For this day of official gratitude.  May the feast of abundance fill us with warm hearts of thanks for our blessings. May the family and friends of the day fill our spirits and nourish our souls in love.  May our pauses of silence be frequent as we reflect on the gifts in our life.  May this day of blessings and gratitude become the norm of our life as every day is a day of holiness and sacred prayer for thanks. AMEN

Gracious God,     The day has wandered away without us; whistling, skipping and wearing a saucy red bandana.   Perhaps you can lasso the day for us, God, and bring it back into our corral. Perhaps, you can help us to brand it and make it our own so it wont get lost, or even stolen.  Every now and then, days do that to us and we get a bit bewildered on the range ourselves. Help us in our day, Gracious God, re-remember us. AMEN

Dear God,    In the swirling clouds and the  grey of mist, the flip of wind and the tumble of sun we draw a deep breath of excitement and vigor. We fill ourselves full of vibrant alive air and release our fears and dis-ease. We exclaim joyous sounds of  praise, joy and ahh!  And then we pause, we are  still. The silence of contentment and deep serenity seeps through our cells and we whisper, a murmured hush of, praise and ahh. AMEN

Creator God,     Your fingers, graceful, like palm branches swaying paint the colors of creation and the firmament expanding. Humanity receives breath in color splashing on the canvas, red, yellows, blacks, whites, mingling and flowing in swirls of the imagination across endless space.  What are we, that we are so colorful, vibrant and imaginative in our own ways? What swells our minds with song and invention? What rhythms bring love pouring from our hearts and embracing one another? We are made in your image. Thank you God. AMEN

Holy God,    We seek the peace of the Holy morning, the light of rejoicing and the laughter of the church. Within the community of mystery and wonder might we find the faith that resonates your beating heart and the breath of your being. Among ourselves might we find the community in understanding and patience, celebrating the equality that is found in Jesus. With glad hearts, praying hearts and clapping hands, we come together. AMEN

Dear God,      We look out the window of the unknown.  We don't know what is out there, ready to be revealed. Are we ready for the dawning of the day, are we prepared in our heart and mind to take this leap of faith?  Have we held your hand in knowledge and understanding?   Is our prayer of faith still the eyes we see with and the feet with which we walk? With you, our God, we peer through the window into the new day, and we have no fear, for we have lived and breathed your presence all the days of our life. AMEN

Holy God,      May peace like early sunshine flow over us like a warm blanket of softest cotton.  Embrace us in amazing grace of sweetest sounds and may our minds swirl like galaxies unfolding and stars gleaming. From the gravity of earth let us leap into a space of infinite love and endless possibilities. Release our souls in the first burst of light and Spirit us into Holiness. AMEN

Dear God,     When our hearts are chilled by frost or fear may you warm us with pentecost flames of fire.  May the Spirit of love flow through us in the caring eyes of friends and the warm embrace of family.  May the community of faith be  like burning embers of your presence melting the ice of hopelessness and indifference. In your arms and the arms of love we place ourselves in trust AMEN

Dear God,    Let us be thankful for what we have, for gratitude is not all that difficult. Many of us live in comfort and have been blessed with family and friends sufficient for our needs. We are thankful.  Many of us have health or have had our share of good health. We are thankful.  Life is rich and full for many of us. We are thankful.  In circumstances of stress and illness, may we find a pinpoint of light to be grateful for. We are  thankful , O God. AMEN

Dear God,      We wonder if our agenda matches your agenda?  Our list seems endless and is a daily endeavor, of checking, doing, crossing out.  Is there no end to the items and how do we prioritize anyhow?  What if we are tired and weary and just want to sit, is it acceptable to sit? What is on your list, God? Is it big things like the expanding universe and peace on earth? Are you concerned with the butterflys  and the ferns in the forest? I suppose your list is endless, too. We pray that our list doesn't overwhelm us and that it matches your priorities. AMEN

Dear God,     In all of our conversations this day, may we stop in our own thoughts and listen to the other. May we hear carefully and reflect diligently.  May we then respond in the best possible way, our fresh reflection guiding the way of response. May we be communicators of grace and caring in our hearing and our speaking. AMEN

Holy Lord,   Waken us to a lullaby of heavenly flutes, moaning through the trees and coasting on the breeze. Flow under our skin and soothe tangled nerves.  Enter the streams and rivers of our body and smooth the shorelines of illness and dis-ease.  Balance us in the rhythm of the whispered tune bringing harmony into our cells and silken waves sighing on the shoreline of our thoughts. Bring us into your presence, O God, in gentleness. AMEN

Dear God,    In the rush of the day, it is easy to get caught up in windstorms and pounding seas.  It is easy to feel lost, neglected or worn out. May we have a Holy Pause that refreshes and rejuvenates. May we stop and take a moment; watch the sky unfurl and the trees bend to the cold winds.  Hear the symphony unleash its drums and the flute sing in the willows.  May we take the Be Still time and be Holy. AMEN

Dear God, Sometimes the remnants  from the past fall around us like scattered leaves, gather around our feet and flow and flit into our living space to become dust and mess. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the memories, pain or shame and can't break free.  We need your freeing saving grace. We need you to sweep our space clean and help us start again. We need your command to exorcise the demons and calm the wind and waves. May your word of love blow across us with a Holy Spirit passion. AMEN

Holy Lord,   The winds of morning surprise us with fresh cleansing power. Our eyes are opened and our mind swept clean. Freshly scrubbed, we emerge from the cocoon of unknowing into the clarity of a new dawn. You greet us in a whispered gust of grace, and invite us into a new heaven of promises and possibilities.  May unlimited clarity be ours as we journey through the stars into your world of endless compassion. AMEN

Dear God,    This is a day of remembrance and thanks for those who have served our country in the military.  We are grateful to them and their families who have given of themselves, endured and sacrificed.  But we also pray for a more peaceful world, where humanity  has matured and grown out of greed, fear and intolerance. We believe that your vision for us is a table of blessing where we can all partake together and where the lion and the lamb lie down together. So, we crawl and march forward like toddlers  learning to walk. Help us in your wisdom, love and grace. AMEN