Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
2/14/2007
update on mom
Keep praying. My mom was admitted to the hospital the night before last for the fluid surrounding her internal organs. She is starting the pill form of chemotherapy. They asked about whether they should look into hospice care yet and were told no. This is a hopeful sign. Thanks for all the love and support.
2/10/2007
keep praying
Thanks for your prayers. Mom got home around 1:30am this morning. The tests revealed that the cancer is on the move throughout her internal organs, heart, liver, and kidneys. She will return Monday for more tests. They gave her meds for the stomach pain and at this point she can remain home. This is difficult for us all emotionally. Mom was quite hopeful for healing and now feels resignation again. The waiting and fear are quite hard to deal with. Mom and dad may still be able to keep their Bed and Breakfast date next week. Pray for that. Thanks for caring and being present with us with your prayers through this difficult time.
2/09/2007
please pray
I'd like to send out a general plea for prayer for my mom. Months ago I wrote about her battle with cancer. She and my dad are now in the Emergency Room and doctors are running a battery of tests for the next four hours.I just got off the phone with my dad. He says that the doctors seemed very concerned.
There's a good chance the cancer has spread to her stomach and elsewhere. Please pray for dad right now. When someone you love is in this kind of pain it is a peculiar kind of misery. You wish you yourself could somehow be the one to hurt instead. Dad was planning this beautiful getaway over her birthday next Thursday at a Bed and Breakfast and he's worried they won't be able to do that now.
Thanks for your prayers.
There's a good chance the cancer has spread to her stomach and elsewhere. Please pray for dad right now. When someone you love is in this kind of pain it is a peculiar kind of misery. You wish you yourself could somehow be the one to hurt instead. Dad was planning this beautiful getaway over her birthday next Thursday at a Bed and Breakfast and he's worried they won't be able to do that now.
Thanks for your prayers.
8/04/2006
a Friday liturgy for fasting and prayer
The following is a little liturgy for myself and a friend that we do together on Fridays. It's largely taken from the liturgy for Good Friday (The Book of Common Prayer, 1977, pg. 276) and the Daily Office. (p. 35) The sample petitions at the end are from the cited web link.
Friday Liturgy for Fasting and Prayer
Let us pray.
Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your
family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer
death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament Isaiah 52:13-53:12, or Genesis 22:1-18,
or Wisdom 2:1,12-24 Psalm 22:1-11(12-21), or 40:1-14, or
69:1-23
Epistle
Hebrews 10:1-25
John 18:1-19:37 or 19:1-37,
The Solemn Collects
All standing, the Deacon, or other person appointed, says to the people:
Dear People of God: Our heavenly Father sent his Son into
the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through
him might be saved; that all who believe in him might be
delivered from the power of sin and death, and become heirs
with him of everlasting life. We pray, therefore, for people everywhere
according to their needs.
Let us pray for the holy catholic Church of Christ throughout
the world;
For its unity in witness and service
For all church leaders and other ministers
and the people whom they serve
For our pastors and all the people of this church. For all
Christians in this community.
For those about to be baptized.
That God will confirm his Church in faith, increase it in love,
and preserve it in peace.
Silence
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of
your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our
supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all
members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and
ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray for all nations and peoples of the earth, and for
those in authority among them;
For N., the President of the United States
For the Congress and the Supreme Court
For the Members and Representatives of the United Nations
For all who serve the common good
That by God's help they may seek justice and truth, and live in
peace and concord.
Silence
Almighty God kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of
peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for
the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your dominion may
increase, until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your
love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for all who suffer and are afflicted in body or in
mind;
For the hungry and the homeless, the destitute
and the oppressed
For the sick, the wounded, and the crippled
For those in loneliness, fear, and anguish
For those who face temptation, doubt, and despair.
For the sorrowful and bereaved
For prisoners and captives, and those in mortal danger
That God in his mercy will comfort and relieve them, and grant
them the knowledge of his love, and stir up in us the will and
patience to minister to their needs.
Silence
Gracious God, the comfort of all who sorrow, the strength of
all who suffer: Let the cry of those in misery and need come to
you, that they may find your mercy present with them in all
their afflictions; and give us, we pray, the strength to serve
them for the sake of him who suffered for us, your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for all who have not received the Gospel of Christ;
For those who have never heard the word of salvation
For those who have lost their faith
For those hardened by sin or indifference
For the contemptuous and the scornful
For those who are enemies of the cross of Christ and
persecutors of his disciples
For those who in the name of Christ have persecuted others
That God will open their hearts to the truth, and lead them to
faith and obedience.
Silence
Merciful God, creator of all the peoples of the earth and lover
of souls: Have compassion on all who do not know you as you are
revealed in your Son Jesus Christ; let your Gospel be preached
with grace and power to those who have not heard it; turn the
hearts of those who resist it; and bring home to your fold
those who have gone astray; that there may be one flock under
one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us commit ourselves to our God, and pray for the grace of a
holy life, that, with all who have departed this world and have
died in the peace of Christ, and those whose faith is known to
God alone, we may be accounted worthy to enter jnto the
fullness of the joy of our Lord, and receive the crown of life
in the day of resurrection.
Silence
O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably
on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the
effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquillity
the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that
things which were cast down are being raised up, and things
which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are
being brought to their perfection by him through whom all
things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and
reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever. Amen.
The service may be concluded here with the singing of a hymn or
anthem, the Lord's Prayer, and the final prayer on page 282.
If desired, a wooden cross may now be brought into the church
and placed in the sight of the people.
Appropriate devotions may follow, which may include any or all
of the following, or other suitable anthems. If the texts are
recited rather than sung, the congregation reads the parts in italics.
Anthem 1
We glory in your cross, 0 Lord,
and praise and glorify your holy resurrection;
for by virtue of your cross
joy has come to the whole world.
May God be merciful to us and bless us,
show us the light of his countenance, and come to us.
Let your ways be known upon earth,
your saving health among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, 0 God;
let all the peoples praise you.
We glory in your cross, 0 Lord,
and praise and glorify your holy resurrection;
for by virtue of your cross
joy has come to the whole world.
Anthem 2
We adore you, 0 Christ, and we bless you,
because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
If we have died with him, we shall also live with him;
if we endure, we shall also reign with him.
We adore you, 0 Christ, and we bless you,
because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Anthem 3
0 Savior of the world,
who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us: Save us
and help us, we humbly beseech thee, 0 Lord.
Confession
The Celebrant may read one of the following sentences
Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ saith:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and
great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang
all the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22:37-40
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 1 John 1 :8, 9
Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to
help in time of need. Hebrews 4: 14, 16
The Deacon or Celebrant then says
Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.
Silence may be kept.
Minister and People
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against thee in thought, word,
and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved thee with our whole heart; we have not loved
our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly
repent. For the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in thy will,
and walk in thy ways,
to the glory of thy Name. Amen.
or this
Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, we
have followed too much the devices and desires of our own
hearts, we have offended against thy holy laws,
we have left undone those things which we ought to
have done,
and we have done those things which we ought not to
have done.
But thou, 0 Lord, have mercy upon us,
spare thou those who confess their faults,
restore "thou those who are penitent,
according to thy promises declared unto mankind
in Christ Jesus our Lord;
and grant, 0 most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
to the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
The Almighty and merciful Lord grant us absolution and
remission of all our sins, true repentance, amendment of life,
and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sample Petitions for the General Intercessions
Originally from
http://www.nccbuscc.org/liturgy/ashwednesday.shtml
(with a few countries added as an update)
RESPONSE: Loving God, hear our cry.
That the nations of the world will be successful in avoiding wider war in the Middle East;
We pray to the Lord
That all might turn from the selfishness, hatred, and violence that can take root in our hearts;
We pray to the Lord
For leaders of nations, that the power of the Holy Spirit might grant them the wisdom to always seek justice and peace
We pray to the Lord
For those in our military who risk their lives in the service of our nation, that they might be protected from evil and harm;
We pray to the Lord
For peacemakers, that they will be successful in building bridges of peace in our world;
We pray to the Lord
For the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine that they might be protected from harm and that they might know freedom and peace in their land;
We pray to the Lord
That God might grant us the grace to address the deep causes of war, poverty, and injustice that afflict humanity today
We pray to the Lord
That each of us will be ambassadors of hope to a world oppressed by many problems;
We pray to the Lord
That our families will always be schools for peace;
We pray to the Lord
Friday Liturgy for Fasting and Prayer
Let us pray.
Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your
family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer
death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Old Testament Isaiah 52:13-53:12, or Genesis 22:1-18,
or Wisdom 2:1,12-24 Psalm 22:1-11(12-21), or 40:1-14, or
69:1-23
Epistle
Hebrews 10:1-25
John 18:1-19:37 or 19:1-37,
The Solemn Collects
All standing, the Deacon, or other person appointed, says to the people:
Dear People of God: Our heavenly Father sent his Son into
the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through
him might be saved; that all who believe in him might be
delivered from the power of sin and death, and become heirs
with him of everlasting life. We pray, therefore, for people everywhere
according to their needs.
Let us pray for the holy catholic Church of Christ throughout
the world;
For its unity in witness and service
For all church leaders and other ministers
and the people whom they serve
For our pastors and all the people of this church. For all
Christians in this community.
For those about to be baptized.
That God will confirm his Church in faith, increase it in love,
and preserve it in peace.
Silence
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of
your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our
supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all
members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and
ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray for all nations and peoples of the earth, and for
those in authority among them;
For N., the President of the United States
For the Congress and the Supreme Court
For the Members and Representatives of the United Nations
For all who serve the common good
That by God's help they may seek justice and truth, and live in
peace and concord.
Silence
Almighty God kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of
peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for
the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your dominion may
increase, until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your
love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for all who suffer and are afflicted in body or in
mind;
For the hungry and the homeless, the destitute
and the oppressed
For the sick, the wounded, and the crippled
For those in loneliness, fear, and anguish
For those who face temptation, doubt, and despair.
For the sorrowful and bereaved
For prisoners and captives, and those in mortal danger
That God in his mercy will comfort and relieve them, and grant
them the knowledge of his love, and stir up in us the will and
patience to minister to their needs.
Silence
Gracious God, the comfort of all who sorrow, the strength of
all who suffer: Let the cry of those in misery and need come to
you, that they may find your mercy present with them in all
their afflictions; and give us, we pray, the strength to serve
them for the sake of him who suffered for us, your Son Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray for all who have not received the Gospel of Christ;
For those who have never heard the word of salvation
For those who have lost their faith
For those hardened by sin or indifference
For the contemptuous and the scornful
For those who are enemies of the cross of Christ and
persecutors of his disciples
For those who in the name of Christ have persecuted others
That God will open their hearts to the truth, and lead them to
faith and obedience.
Silence
Merciful God, creator of all the peoples of the earth and lover
of souls: Have compassion on all who do not know you as you are
revealed in your Son Jesus Christ; let your Gospel be preached
with grace and power to those who have not heard it; turn the
hearts of those who resist it; and bring home to your fold
those who have gone astray; that there may be one flock under
one shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us commit ourselves to our God, and pray for the grace of a
holy life, that, with all who have departed this world and have
died in the peace of Christ, and those whose faith is known to
God alone, we may be accounted worthy to enter jnto the
fullness of the joy of our Lord, and receive the crown of life
in the day of resurrection.
Silence
O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably
on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the
effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquillity
the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that
things which were cast down are being raised up, and things
which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are
being brought to their perfection by him through whom all
things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and
reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever. Amen.
The service may be concluded here with the singing of a hymn or
anthem, the Lord's Prayer, and the final prayer on page 282.
If desired, a wooden cross may now be brought into the church
and placed in the sight of the people.
Appropriate devotions may follow, which may include any or all
of the following, or other suitable anthems. If the texts are
recited rather than sung, the congregation reads the parts in italics.
Anthem 1
We glory in your cross, 0 Lord,
and praise and glorify your holy resurrection;
for by virtue of your cross
joy has come to the whole world.
May God be merciful to us and bless us,
show us the light of his countenance, and come to us.
Let your ways be known upon earth,
your saving health among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, 0 God;
let all the peoples praise you.
We glory in your cross, 0 Lord,
and praise and glorify your holy resurrection;
for by virtue of your cross
joy has come to the whole world.
Anthem 2
We adore you, 0 Christ, and we bless you,
because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
If we have died with him, we shall also live with him;
if we endure, we shall also reign with him.
We adore you, 0 Christ, and we bless you,
because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Anthem 3
0 Savior of the world,
who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us: Save us
and help us, we humbly beseech thee, 0 Lord.
Confession
The Celebrant may read one of the following sentences
Hear what our Lord Jesus Christ saith:
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and
great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt
love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang
all the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 22:37-40
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. 1 John 1 :8, 9
Seeing that we have a great high priest, that is passed into
the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us come boldly unto the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to
help in time of need. Hebrews 4: 14, 16
The Deacon or Celebrant then says
Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.
Silence may be kept.
Minister and People
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against thee in thought, word,
and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved thee with our whole heart; we have not loved
our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly
repent. For the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in thy will,
and walk in thy ways,
to the glory of thy Name. Amen.
or this
Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, we
have followed too much the devices and desires of our own
hearts, we have offended against thy holy laws,
we have left undone those things which we ought to
have done,
and we have done those things which we ought not to
have done.
But thou, 0 Lord, have mercy upon us,
spare thou those who confess their faults,
restore "thou those who are penitent,
according to thy promises declared unto mankind
in Christ Jesus our Lord;
and grant, 0 most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
to the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.
The Almighty and merciful Lord grant us absolution and
remission of all our sins, true repentance, amendment of life,
and the grace and consolation of his Holy Spirit. Amen.
Sample Petitions for the General Intercessions
Originally from
http://www.nccbuscc.org/liturgy/ashwednesday.shtml
(with a few countries added as an update)
RESPONSE: Loving God, hear our cry.
That the nations of the world will be successful in avoiding wider war in the Middle East;
We pray to the Lord
That all might turn from the selfishness, hatred, and violence that can take root in our hearts;
We pray to the Lord
For leaders of nations, that the power of the Holy Spirit might grant them the wisdom to always seek justice and peace
We pray to the Lord
For those in our military who risk their lives in the service of our nation, that they might be protected from evil and harm;
We pray to the Lord
For peacemakers, that they will be successful in building bridges of peace in our world;
We pray to the Lord
For the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine that they might be protected from harm and that they might know freedom and peace in their land;
We pray to the Lord
That God might grant us the grace to address the deep causes of war, poverty, and injustice that afflict humanity today
We pray to the Lord
That each of us will be ambassadors of hope to a world oppressed by many problems;
We pray to the Lord
That our families will always be schools for peace;
We pray to the Lord
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4/19/2006
learning about mental illness and being a friend
For the last week or so a good friend of mine who has a history of severe panic attacks has really been through the ringer. He and I have been close for about two years now. We share many interests, especially in spiritual and theological conversations. He has been a specific answer to prayer for me. Shortly before he moved here to JPUSA I asked God for someone who could come along side and really share in my conversations and interests. In this friend God gave me much more than I asked!
Now it really pains me to see him in physical, emotional and spiritual torment. I've never been so directly effected by mental illness. His panic attacks and post-concussion syndrom have spurred on mental obsessions that at this time are leading him into an in-patient facility. We've been spending hours together daily. I don't think I've ever really known what it was to be a paraklete, a comforter and friend in a situation like this. My friend says all the time "this is scary as hell." He can't sleep, has little appetite and virtually no control of his mind. All I do is listen, remind him of our faith, and share the simple things that have helped me. Yesterday I was sharing something I received from Craig Slane's Bonhoeffer As Martyr and I began to cry. I realized that this kind of deep reflection and willing to belief was exactly what I needed to hear!
Jean Vanier writes about belonging in community with those with mental illness in Community and Growth. While I've leaned for years on these writings, only with my friend recently have I had the joy of experiencing just a bit of what he describes as it is specifically related! Mental anguish, obsessive thinking, the feeling of immanent peril and irrational fear are way beyond my human ability to really help. I am personally so prone to fear and rebellion. Over the last week I have seen God come through for us. Of course I should say we are not alone. Numerous others here offered constant prayer and reassurance all along. I would appreciate your prayers as well.
Now it really pains me to see him in physical, emotional and spiritual torment. I've never been so directly effected by mental illness. His panic attacks and post-concussion syndrom have spurred on mental obsessions that at this time are leading him into an in-patient facility. We've been spending hours together daily. I don't think I've ever really known what it was to be a paraklete, a comforter and friend in a situation like this. My friend says all the time "this is scary as hell." He can't sleep, has little appetite and virtually no control of his mind. All I do is listen, remind him of our faith, and share the simple things that have helped me. Yesterday I was sharing something I received from Craig Slane's Bonhoeffer As Martyr and I began to cry. I realized that this kind of deep reflection and willing to belief was exactly what I needed to hear!
Jean Vanier writes about belonging in community with those with mental illness in Community and Growth. While I've leaned for years on these writings, only with my friend recently have I had the joy of experiencing just a bit of what he describes as it is specifically related! Mental anguish, obsessive thinking, the feeling of immanent peril and irrational fear are way beyond my human ability to really help. I am personally so prone to fear and rebellion. Over the last week I have seen God come through for us. Of course I should say we are not alone. Numerous others here offered constant prayer and reassurance all along. I would appreciate your prayers as well.
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