MorningPrayer

Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer,     O God, create us in  your image.  Make of us a universe, filled with lights of hope and an increasing vision of a horizon without end.      O Jesus, bring us back into wholeness and release us from the bonds and chains that enslave us, and make us fertile ground for new growth.      O Spirit, in life abundant, saturate us with your winds of love and immerse us in your everlasting  grace and grow us, a new creation. AMEN

God,     Open up our horizon so we can see beyond our morning walls.  Expand our tunnel vision into mountain vistas. Give us a pen to write a poem, a trowel to tend the garden, an instrument to play a tune, a brush to paint a picture, a binocular to watch a bird... Give us a heart to know compassion, and hands to help a stranger. May we have a clear mind, free of prejudice and open to information. May the Spirit of Holiness dwell in us and create in us loving grace, AMEN

Holy God,       O precious quiet day of light that is healing and fulfilling. Flow over us in a warm embrace.  Wash away sadness and tears of darkness and pain and anoint us with creative power and the Spirit Divine. Embrace us in the holiness of the saints and the purity of the angelic host. Place us in the desert without desire and be that which satisfies our simple needs. In purity, we pray for saving grace. AMEN

Holy God of Silence,    Still our hearts.  In the rush of the day that carries us along with coat tails streaming behind, help us to pause, stop, be still and reflect.  Still our hearts. Help us to step out of the wind and into the sheltered meadow by the reflecting pond and sit in prayer. Still our hearts. From the clamor, clanking and clanging of life, set us quietly into the silence of a serene mind and be still in the heart of God. AMEN

Dear God,     As we navigate the narrow boardwalk through the swamps of life, may we be surefooted though maybe not graceful.  When we stumble might we not fall into the mouth of the alligator.  When we flail at mosquitoes the size of hummingbirds, might we not throw ourselves into the murky deep.  If the walkway is rotten and boards missing, might your angels transport us over the divide. When the gloom of night fills our eyes and darkens our souls, might your Holy Spirit fill us with light and shine in the darkness. Help us and be with us, O God. AMEN

Holy God,     Thank you for the Spirit Dove that brings angel songs and hushed whispers of Divine promise. In faith we can lie back in the hammock of grace and allow your love to seep into us.  We breathe in your breath, again and again and are saturated in the promise of your presence.  Filled with the Holy Spirit, we have no fear.  For we are sent forth, to be a living prayer. AMEN

Lord God,    Tell us, God, is it possible to be naive and realistic at the same time?  How big are our hands and our heart.  Can we believe that humanity is basically good and desires to sit at the table and dine with one another in holiness.  And at the same time, we see evil and know evil and the human tendency for greed, arrogance, pride and power. Perhaps, if we are all naive and desire simple treasures and gifts for our families and nations, then evil will be washed away in humanities vision and in your ultimate desire for us. It does not seem like being realistic is making the world a better, safer place.  Help us, O God, to navigate through this world. In Jesus name, we pray. AMEN

Holy Spirit,      Fill us full of your creative power.  Embrace us and flow through us with energy and enrichment. May we be empowered with this mysterious God breath that gives life, wisdom and ability. May we be lifted up on eagle's wings and soar the heights of humanities longing, inspired by your love and enveloped in your grace.  Fill us, O Holy Spirit so we might rise and live in glory with you. AMEN

Dear God,    Sometimes we dangle by a thread or hold on with our nails to the slippery cliff of stress and disappointment. If we let go and fall, we pray that you will catch us and hold us gently. Help us to be strong in our faith and in our love. Be with all who need your special care.  Comfort and sustain us in your Spirit most Holy and  your  grace divine. AMEN

Dear God,     We pray for purity of hearts and for a clear sparkling spirit. May we be Christ like in our thoughts and actions. Even in the murky moments of doubt, indecision and bewilderment, may we maintain the compass and clarity of your will and way. Will you flow through us like the spirit filled wind of living water, and lift us up on eagle's wings. In perfect vision and living grace, may we be. AMEN

Holy God,    May we experience silence.  The quiet moments, when the world pauses between heart beats and all is still.  The moments of noiselessness when the traffic stops moving, the dogs stop barking, the sirens quit wailing and guns cease firing. The serene moments when our thoughts stop tumbling and grinding and our emotions cease their shifting of gears and become tranquil.  May we pause in the noise of life and be still, silent and be held in holiness. AMEN

Dear God,    "What is humanity, that you are mindful of us?"  Are we succeeding with our folded brains to save the earth, to love one another, to care for our sister and brother?  Will we win the cosmic Oscar or are we in the back row, huddled over our popcorn, devouring our sins and scribbling doodles of conquest, grief and pain?  May we shine the spotlight on you. May we bow our heads in silent applause as we are humbled before eternity and you, our Lord and God. AMEN

Holy Lord,    Is there joy in the morning, O God, without seeing you rise with the sun?  Without your love, and your encouraging hand, is there gladness in our heart? When your spirit fills us and you anoint us with wisdom, then we will know meaning and we will overflow with mirth.  Laughter shall spill from our souls like a river of golden grace and we will live in the house of your presence forever more. AMEN

Dear God,     We are growing plants.  The spring fervor has entered the seedling of our desire and brought forth tender roots and innocent growth.  We look for nourishment; the right amount of sunlight, the perfect mix of soil and nutrients, the gentlest of purest water.  We open up our budding hands and growing heart and look to you, God, for that which we need. Our spirit turns to follow your gaze and we realize, that you are our desire. We desire love and grace. May we grow and live in your favor and may we be worthy of the garden. AMEN

Holy God,      Come Holy Spirit, Come!      We are waiting for your enrichment.        We hunger for your enablement.       We thirst for your empowerment.      Fill us full of truth and wisdom.       Overflow in us with new teachings.     Energize us and set us on the path of justice and righteousness.      Come. AMEN

Almighty God,    Like a marble spinning in the dust, our earth fly's through space.  We reach out our hand and pluck the sun from the horizon and help it rise with an incantation, "Amen, Amen," we say.  From eternity to infinity, your breath heats molecules and they burn with creative desire forming beating hearts out of chaos and jumping out of time into our minds. We are small and we are huge. We spin thoughts the size of stars and linger over newborn feet. We confess, you are our God. AMEN

Lord,   Teach us today.  Let us be students of peace and wisdom.   May history be our teacher and may faith be our guide.     May hope be our inspiration  and may prayer be our vision.    May we follow the stream of laughter and giggles to the baby's mouth and learn joy .    May we see the quiet slow steps of the elderly and know of patience.    May we learn, today, what we need to know. AMEN

Creator God,    We are listening as hard as we can, are you there?  All we can hear are the birds speaking to one another in the early, misty morning. Are you there?  All we can hear is a dog barking in the distance, the can purring and a voice up the street laughing.  Are you there?  All we hear is the crows, and the wrens and the sparrows and the flute section of birds, rising the sun.  Are you there God, or is it just silence that greets us this still, breathless morning of our life. AMEN

Dear God,      Sometimes life is so full of ups and downs, we struggle to keep up.  It might be too exciting or to boring.  To busy or not busy enough.  To regimented or not structured enough. To little of this or that or to much of that or this.  In our comings and goings, our ins and outs, our ups and downs, we pray for stability of mind and an optimistic spirit.  Help us to flow smoothly through the verities and varieties of our life. AMEN

Holy God,      We give thanks for our mother's who held us in their arms and nurtured us. Who did the best they could to care for us, their delicate children.  Who never released us from their hearts but prepared us to fly forth and soar, each in our own way. For their faith, devotion and love to their calling, we give thanks.  We see you, O God, as a universal mother, loving, caring, and giving us the freedom to sing our song.  Thank you God. AMEN

Creator God,     Hold our hearts in the palm of your hand and wash them clean with pure living waters of the Spirit.  Cleanse us of impurity, hardness and bitterness so we might pulse in the rhythms of a grateful and loving universe.  May this be a fresh new day of awakening, leaving behind the old I, and living the mystery of a newly cleansed and healed new I. In Jesus name we pray. AMEN

Dear God,     The day came to life in an ensemble of crows and a chorus of songbirds. Energy, song and dance filled the air. Such enthusiasm for living, before our heads even left our pillows.  May we also sing our song of praise and and dance a song of joy, soon, when we wake up. Thank you, God. AMEN

Dear God,     We give thanks for this day, a day of blue and green - yellow and brown - water and bread.  We give thanks for this  day of opportunity and possibility.  Reach into us, God, with hands of grace and pull out our potential.   Put us in the place of opportunity and let us shine, shine for you.  May we offer new light, new creation, new hope and joy. May our spirit of wisdom and compassion be unleashed and found useful to all. AMEN

Lord,     Sometimes we are grumpy and flamboyantly impatient.  Sometimes we are feeling a bit irresponsible, ("...tired of being responsible", we shout), and just want to either sulk in a corner or get away from it all.  Sometimes our head is throbbing, our body is aching and our mind feels like rice pudding. At such times as these, O God, help us to sit away from it all, to relax, to breathe deeply of the Holy Spirit and to smile. Then, we can engage, gently and serenely, with your help, AMEN

Dear God,      Help us to be bold in this season of our soul.  We must do the spring cleaning  of debris that has accumulated in our minds, and we must also tend the soil for new growth and plant the seeds of  new creation. You have given us a template of life in the world around us; in the birds cleaning out the old and building anew, in the leaves of last year molding into the soil and growth sprouting forth from the earth, flushed clean by melting snow and rain.  May we be created anew and spring forth in wondrous colors and hues of praise and thanksgiving. AMEN

Dear God,     The day arises before us, help us to be ready.  We have plans, ideas, thoughts, intentions about what is coming, what we are doing, what it is all about. But help us to be ready.  What lies around that next corner, next curve, next moment next event? Will we be surprised, shocked, amazed, floored, flabbergasted, hurt, upset? Help us to be ready.  Even if it is nothing new, same old thing, the expected, anticipated, uneventful happening.  He;p us to be ready. AMEN

Holy Creator God,      In the whispered hush of rising dawn, we awaken forgotten muscles and silent tendons; arise, we murmur, let the light flow through our cells like the mist of morning. Come alive to the gift of the new day.  Drink of the waters of the deep earth. Hear the music of the distant galaxies and rushing stars. Pause in the worship space and feel God's breath on our face. For it is a Holy day and we stand on sacred ground. May the Spirit grace your mind and heart. AMEN

Lord God,     Sometimes the days and week get away from us. We don't pause long enough to bow our heads in prayer or raise our arms in praise. Forgive us, O God.  We pray that in spite of our short comings we might be a living prayer to you.  May our actions and words be prayerful and of your deep and abiding pleasure. And in the moments between breaths might we sing a silent psalm of thanks in your name. AMEN