God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in mine eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at mine end, and at my departing.– From the Sarum Primer, 1558
Tag: Prayers
Praying the Anima Christi
This is a Catholic prayer often recited after taking communion and dates back to at least the 14th century.
Rich and moving.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O Good Jesus, hear me.
Within Thy wounds hide me.
Suffer me not to be separated from thee.
From the malignant enemy defend me.
In the hour of my death call me.
And bid me come unto Thee,
That with all Thy saints,
I may praise thee
Forever and ever.
Amen.
Prayer of Intimacy
O God, living Truth,
unite me to Yourself in everlasting love!
Often I am wearied by all I read and hear.
In You alone is all that I desire and long for.
Therefore let all teachers keep silence,
and let all creation be still before You;
do You, O Lord, speak alone.
-Thomas à Kempis
Thankful for Grace
Thank You, God, for Your saving grace.
Help me remember I’m neither too bad to disqualify myself
nor too good to qualify myself for relationship with You.
Remind me heaven is not mine to earn
nor is it mine to lose.
Both are Yours alone to bestow, and in Christ You have freely given.
This day, instead of striving to perform for You or obsessing over my sin,
I will simply look to You and live by grace.
Thank You for Your saving grace.
A Franciscan Benediction
May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people
so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done – to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.
A Prayer For Today
My life is an instant,
An hour which passes by;My life is a moment
Which I have no power to stay.You know, O my God, that to love you here on earth-
I have only today.
-Thérèse of Lisieux
A Prayer of Wonder
Why, O God, do You take such interest in me,
a mere man?
You don’t just see me,
You’re looking at me.
You don’t just hear me,
You’re listening to me.
You don’t just know me,
You delight in me.
May I become as in love with You,
As You are with me.
A Prayer for a New Day
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.
Incline my heart to your words,
and let your speech come upon me as dew upon the grass.
– Thomas á Kempis
A Prayer for a New Day
O God, I have tasted Thy goodness,
and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace.
I am ashamed of my lack of desire.O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee;
I long to be filled with longing;
I thirst to be made more thirsty still.
– A.W. Tozer
A Prayer for a New Day
Let me die to myself so that I may serve you;
let me live to you who are life itself. Amen.
– St. Teresa of Avila