MorningPrayer

Dear God,    Sometimes we are lost in the maze of time and space.  Every turn brings choices and dead ends, successes and failures, loss and gain, sorrow and joy.  Help us in our meanderings, turnings, mutterings and wondering.  Be for us, the guide and guard of our walk and of our spirit.  Help us to do no damage but in kindness and love to walk the maze. Collect our tears in your cup of compassion and shower us with blessings of grace. AMEN

Dear God,     In the morning light, let us no longer be hid from your sight. May the yeast of your presence empower us so we might rise in joy and adoration. May we grow in kindness and caring, without harsh judgement, presenting to the world, nourishment and nurture for all. May we offer at our table of life, the bread that satisfies, heals and makes whole. AMEN

Dear God,    Instill in us the patience of the heron, waiting in silence for the right fish to come along. Help us to understand time, the way an ancient bristlecone pine lives through the ages. Assist us in being non-judgemental for the rain falls on the just and the unjust. May we walk in beauty the way wildflowers are sprinkled along the meadow side. In your grace and loving vision, may we be. AMEN

Dear God,     This morning we are in sorrow for the shootings and death of the nine African American worshipers at the Emanuel  AME Church in Charleston. This apparent crime of racial hate is reprehensible and beyond our thinking of our treatment of one another and your Kingdom of justice, equity and love. We grieve and pray for the victims and their families.  We pray for the community and throw ourselves on your mercy, O God, for truly we have fallen short of your vision and hopes for us. Hear our prayers, and  may your Spirit hold and support us all. AMEN

Dear God,    Sometimes our heads are filled with sounds of the universe, growing, groaning, expanding, contracting. Our mind is awash in the stereophonic voices and noises of the past, present and future.  Is it symphony and harmony?  Is it chaos and discordant static? Help us to make sense of the angels of silence and the chanting of the saints. May our voice rise up as a hum of peace and words of love. AMEN

Dear God,    So many are struggling.  The reflecting pool of our life is murky and chaotic, the winds of fate stirring the depths of the pool and raising white caps into froth and fume.  We struggle with pain, decisions, choices, illness, disappointments; the struggles are as many as the waves of chance.  Help us, God. Calm the seas and help us to see and know clearly. Show our face in the calm of the reflecting pool, held in your eternal  love and infinite grace.

Dear God,      How extraordinary is creation, this seething, colorful mass of cells and life forms that pulse and flow in myriads of shapes and textures.  From the bubbling mass of mud and lava to the fiery hot firmament in the cold dark void, we gasp and struggle to live and breathe.  Our spirits leap and our souls rejoice and we clap our hands in love. Such wonder and mystery is incomprehensible.  Surely, our first word of birthing should be, "Awe".  AMEN

Lord Almighty,    Let us enter into your sanctuary with a kind spirit and a sigh of relief.  For a moment, maybe just a moment in time, let us leave the world behind and sit in the peace of your quiet presence  Let us fill ourselves with the strength of the ancestors so we can go forth and be strong and fearless. May we be your servant, O God, of peace and harmony, and bring rest and love to all we meet. In Jesus name, we pray, AMEN

Dear God,     Love summer!  Sun, heat, light, day, fireflies, crows, insects, flowers, plants, vegetables, walks, rides, baseball, picnics, ice cream, lounging, swimming, boating... so many opportunities, God.     We know this is our only summer, 2015, that we have.  Help us to make the most of it, to be safe and secure.     May we find the deep well of the Spirit flowing through this summer as part of our lives.      May we be Living Water for those who are thirsty. AMEN

God of Glory,     The heavens opened up this morning and your Holy breath flowed across our face. We are transformed in the morning air and the light of your eyes, shining with fresh brilliance.  We are cleansed and purified in your Spirit and drink the pure essence of grace, freely given.  We whisper your name,. "Love," and slip into the serenity of the ages. Nothing can separate us from this love. AMEN

God,     In contemplation, meditation, reflection and prayer, we seek you.     In quiet, solitude, serenity and tranquility we listen for you.      In activity, pacing, hard work and energized movement we seek you.      In hardship, agony, stress and anxiety we listen for you.      Soothe, us, O God.       Bring us before the mystery of your mountain in faith and grace.      AMEN

Dear God,     Our crystal ball is murky and not at all accurate. That which we saw in the depths of the future turns out to not be so. The maze of life has left us a bit bewildered and our straight lines have become twists and turns.  Help us to navigate into the future by staying true to the present. Walk with us and hold our hand.  Be thou our vision and give us clarity to discern the path of your desire and of ultimate truth and meaning. In the Spirit of your heart we pray. AMEN

Dear God,    The previous day has brought us through sights and sounds of our waking.     Night comes with its veil of darkness and mantle of sleep; did we rest?   Did we find peace?     Morning light opens our eyes and brings new breath into our lungs.      Our blood boils and our cells rejoice.     Are we yet still alive? Does the day have miracle and mystery enough for our spirit?     Can we find serenity in your grace, O God, and be the hearts desire of our true love.     In your peace, yes. AMEN

Dear God,    For morning light we are grateful and give thanks.  For new opportunities that the day brings we are thankful.  For the potential that rests inside our hearts and minds to greet the day and explore options and be in praise,  we give thanks. May we be lifted up in service this day to do good things, kind things, caring things and share the good news of life and love.  Saturate us in your grace so we might choose life and live. AMEN

Lord,    May your word relax us and set us beside still waters in the silent meadow.    May your word feed us and give us the nourishment we need and crave.    May your word bring into harmony the symphony of sounds that surround us.    May your word delight in us, and create the bliss of justice and loving compassion.    AMEN

Gently, Oh so gently, we open our minds to the rhythm of the day.  We greet God with a smile and a prayer of thanks. We ask for guidance and a humble spirit for this journey. We are potential in the possibilities. Gently, we will be con-creators of love and grace. AMEN

Dear God,    Some of us are filled with anxiety and dread.  We don't know what the future is bringing and our palms are sweaty and we breathe in short bursts. Help us to float in faith  through the anxiety.  We cannot always alter coming events but we can achieve a calm spirit and a prayerful attitude. Flow into us, O God, and wash away our fears and stress.  Cleanse our cells and fill our bloodstream with the spirit of your love.   Immerse us in your grace and we will be at peace.  AMEN

Dear God,     Sometimes when we are weary and worn and too tired and sick to pray we hope that others are praying for us; that their silent prayers will float to our heart like migrating butterfly's and  inspire our soul and lift our spirits. And when we are alone in ourselves we pray that "the Spirit will pray for us with sighs too deep for words".  May we be filled with new hope and new Spirit, O God. AMEN