MorningPrayer

Holy Lord,     Sometimes our systems are off; the sirens are ringing and we enter into system failure.   We are off balance and our of sync. We can't seem to calibrate and reboot. We need the master hand to readjust us and  bring us into realignment. Fine tune us, God, and soothe our tangled nerves and overworked synapses.  Bring us back into harmony and serenity and set us on the smooth path of functioning and ease. Thank you, God. AMEN Baking bread in Eastern Turkey, at the foot of Mt. Ararat.

Dear God,    When we are disappointed or confused, upset or disoriented please be with us as a steadying force. When the mists overwhelm us and we can't find our way, be a strong light to guide us and show us the way. Give us courage to face the day and may we not be overly stressed or anxious. May your peaceful and calming spirit flow over us, around us, and be in us. AMEN

Lord God,     What is life that we have to work so hard at it;  maintaining interest, keeping sanity, recovering from loss, finding our way?  Why not like a stream, flowing  briskly down  the mountain,  finding its way simply and easily. Why not a river, winding through a wide valley, slowly meandering towards the sea. O God, be our mountain and be our valley. Be the ground upon which we flow, supporting us, guiding us and keeping us safe. AMEN

Dear God,     A thank you for all the good people who surround us.  Friends, family, colleagues. helpers, students,  mentors and strangers who comprise our neighborhood and are part of this school of learning.  For their words of kindness, comfort and guidance we are grateful. Help us to be good listeners and students of your teachings.  May we learn today that which is most needed for our soul to thrive and our spirit to soar. And if it be your will, may we also offer to others a word that might bring the transforming gift of the spirit. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN

Dear God,     Support the caretakers and helpers and teachers,  Sometimes it feels like an endless task and we grow weary and worn.  But we know the gift of life and even though we are billions, every life is unique and to be treasured. May your loving compassion flow through us and your spirit of strength vitalize us. Nourish us all in your bread and cup and help us to rejoice in the hands we are given. AMEN

Holy Lord,    Let us sit very still in the temple of silence.  Help us to breathe the deep breath from the wells of life, filling our lungs and cells full of stardust, gold and myrrh. Calm the rivers of our nerves and send moonbeams to reflect your love.  May the angels of your court sing songs of peace to us and the elders and saints support us. May we breathe the Holiness of your Spirit and know grace in the trinity.  Fill us with beauty, truth and harmony. AMEN

Dear Lord,    Sometimes we are weary, our breath like raged gasps of spent torn weeds, holding on in the fall.  The minutes fall like old leaves around us and our tea grows cold in the cup.  We need your spirit of warmth within us, O God.  We need your gentle burning fire, your flame of eternity to ignite our inner reserves and shake off the weariness.  We can and we will reach out a hand and grasp the hand of loved ones and feel your passion flowing through us. We are ignited and breathe again from the depths of the fire of love and grace. AMEN

Dear God,    Help today to not be a little bit stale.  Give us a touch of excitement, a tad of vitality and a measure of wonder. May we have a pinch of kindness a lot of happiness and much joy. May our blessings come in bunches and our own offerings of caring be in bushels. May we have more of peace and lots of grace. In the infinite measuring of your love may our universe be the cup that runneth over. AMEN

Dear God,     Thank you for this day, a day of opportunity.  We don't fully know what the day may bring.  It may bring surprises, interruptions in our agenda,  good  things or difficult things. Whatever we might face, we ask that we do so with dignity, integrity and prayer. Let us not forget our prayer that helps us understand  and deal with the trials and rejoice in the joyous. We know that our life unfolds like the sun rising and casting light across the landscape. Let the light of your love illuminate our journey in the mystery of grace. AMEN

Dear God,    May we have clarity in the fog of unknowing. Clear away the cobwebs from our mind and reveal our truest heart. Help us in our blindness so we might have vision to find our way and take steps on the walk of life that are sure-footed and wise. Let the sunlight pour in, fill the gaps in our knowing and allow us to see your face. AMEN

Dear God,      There is a time for healing, a time to be soothed and comforted.        There is a time for spirit refreshment, a time to be washed and purified.      There is a time for your cloak of protection and the touch of your garment hem.      There is a time for the ointment of compassion and the memory of nard and tears.       Now is the time for immersion in your presence and sipping from the cup of grace.       Now, Lord, now. AMEN

Lord God,     The sky cathedral surround us. The tree canopy embrace us. The breathless winds envelop us. The  ground of earth support us. We live in the temple of your presence with every beat of our heart. May we be in communion with all creatures of our planet, with the stars in the firmament and with the energy of your endless being. May worship and praise gratitude and peace overflow us in your infinite grace. AMEN

Dear God,      Help us to pause in patience and prayer. As the day unravels may we not twist and knot the threads into impatience, anxiety and stress. May we remember to pause and pray, for them we will weave a day of rejoicing and wear a garment of praise. AMEN

Creator God,      The waves of your love wash over us, creating us out of sand and shell, seas and salt. You breathe the Spirit breath of Holiness upon us. We are inspired, inhaling foam filled wind and exhaling blue sky. Our feet are buried in the blessing shores, we are saturated in the pulse of creations unfolding and reborn in the hum of your eternal grace. Until we return to tumbled sand and salt, we are yours. AMEN

Dear God,    When love splashes around US like falling leaves, rustling and flitting in the air, may we be receptive and delighted and filled with the joy of that smile. Your love, O God, dances playfully, surrounding us in giggles and mystery, waiting for our response in mercy and wonder. May we be awake and aware to the life changing force of these vibrations, tickling our senses and giving us life. AMEN

Dear God,     The morning sun casts our shadow before us, long and lean. You ask us to examine ourselves, to take a good look and be honest. The mid-day sun pulls us close. You embrace us and tell us that you love us.  The evening sun covers us gold and and you ask us to be reflective about our day as we stretch across the lawn and into the distant trees. We are always under your light, even by moon and stars and in glistening rain, you are with us. By day and by night, we are, because of you, O God. AMEN

Dear God,     May we each have a safe place, a temple where we can recline and sip tea and be soothed by the gentle rainfall. May we close our eyes and smile and immerse ourselves in the mystery of inner space, fed with the vibrations of sensorial unfolding. Thank you, Lord for moments of calm and reflection.  Nurtured and nourished in the commonplace, we live out lives extraordinary.  Jesus like, we be. AMEN

Dear God,      On this, the seventh day, may we pause in our busyness and worship.  Let us be still in the presence of holiness and recognize the sacred that abounds.  May we offer gentleness, peace and harmony to creation as we live in praise and gratitude for our blessings.  May we give thanks in all circumstances and pray without ceasing. May the peace that surpasses all understanding flow through us like a mighty river. AMEN

Dear God,    When we are tired and weary, offer us a new sunrise to brighten our day.  When we need beauty and joy, offer us a sunset of flaming golds and reds.  When we need balancing and refreshing, offer us a day of crisp opportunities and joyful harmony.  We pray for the gift of your love and your grace and your presence in our day. As you offer yourself to us, may we open our hearts to your gifts. AMEN

Dear God,    Today is a day of possibility and opportunity.  This day, that you have made is rich and ripe with new beginnings.  There are wildflowers to be visited and fall fruit to be gleaned.  From the fruits of our spirit there is nurture to be given and nourishment to be offered. There is wisdom to be harvested and knowledge to share.  This day, the day of the Lord, is a gift to be treasured. Thank you, God. AMEN

Dear God,    Thank you for this day. May we walk gently but securely in the light of your presence. May our hearts be of gratitude and thanksgiving and our spirits rejoice in praise. May we be a beacon of wonder to your love and a soul filled vessel of peace as we walk in your grace. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN

Holy Lord,     Help us to open up our minds like the vault of the night sky.  Let us look into infinity and see our  thoughts and ideas twinkling like distant stars and exquisitely defined galaxies. May our mind be open and flowing like dark matter and solar winds.  May the layers of our mind expand like the universe growing and popping into the eternity of multiverses.  In our enlightened state may we catch a glimpse of your face and hear the whisper of your breath. Grow us, O God. AMEN

Dear God,    The check list of the day is progressing, nicely: cats, dogs, fish, dishwasher, sinks x 4, self, bathrooms, laundry, mail, business emails, family emails... all is on schedule.  Surely, the first day is done and we can pronounce it good.  But wait, it is only 8:45. What is next on the list?  Time to throw away the list and,... wait, can't throw away the list, won't remember what to do. Ahh, take time to breathe. Breath in the breath of God. Relax, remember to smile; relax facial muscles, curl up mouth, twinkle the eyes, breathe deeply. Pause, again, do it twice more. Don't forget, put it on the list. Thank you God. AMEN

Dear God,     In our celebration of world wide communion, we pray to be in unity and harmony with Christians across the world.  May we eat the bread and drink from the cup in compassion, oneness and loving acceptance.  May we be those who facilitate peace among other faith groups and people of different views and understandings. We pray for peace and trust among all, not in naive simplicity but in the hope and vision of oneness for humanity. May the Lord of peace and love be our vision. AMEN View from Hagia Sophia, 5th Century Christian Church, to the Blue Mosque

Dear God,     Sometimes we are in despair.  We are frustrated, in pain, filled with regrets and ill health.  Our wholeness and wellness has fled and we can't find peace. We need help, O God. We need the balm of Gilead and a cup that overflows. We need the abundance of your blessing and the countenance of your smile. Help us, God.  Return to us and hold us in the palm of your hand. We are your child, and we long for your comfort and direction. Let us live forever in your love and grace. AMEN                                          Mosaic tile from the 5th Century, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

Dear God,      We often think we are powerless to affect our world for the better. Who are we, we ask, one person, one small voice, one  tiny prayer?  Help us to think differently, God. Open our minds to the  mystery of your love. Allow us to be vehicles of your vision and vessels of your grace.  May we vibrate with your energy of peace and justice. May we pulsate in the power of your presence. May we, small as we are, be conduits of your healing love for  humanity. In Jesus name, we pray. AMEN

Dear God,     Sometimes we are like a whirlwind, roaring through the town and events of our life.  We rearrange the landscape and accomplish tasks not even dreamed of, by mere mortals. Ahh. Such a flurry!  May we learn to slow down and accomplish. May we listen and see the world around us. May we reflect and pray upon that which we hear and see. May we respond quietly and sincerely. May we know you, our God, in all that we see, hear and do. AMEN