Life is fragile, so handle with prayer . . .
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” -Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881 - 1955)
Lancaster Inn Prayer
Give us Lord, a bit o’ sun,
A bit o’ work and a bit o’ fun;
Give us all in the struggle and sputter,
Our daily bread and a bit o’ butter.
Give us Lord, a chance to be
Our goodly best, brave, wise, and free,
Our goodly best for ourselves and others,
Till all men learn to live as brothers.
by Author Unknown: poem at an inn in Lancaster, England
“And help us, this and every day, to live more nearly as we pray.” -John Keble (1792 - 1866)
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
by Jesus Christ: as quoted in “The Bible” (New King James Version), ‘Book of Matthew,’ chapter 6, verses 9 through 13
“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” -Alfred Tennyson (1809 - 1892): “The Passing of Arthur,” line 415
An Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
by Author Unknown
“The Christian on his knees sees more than the philosopher on tiptoe.” -Augustus Toplady
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772 - 1834): “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (1798)
“Dear God, please embrace those who are sick and hurting today and let them feel the warmth of your love. Amen.” -Author Unknown
“I heard a man of prominence say the other day, ‘I have amended the language of my prayers. Instead of saying, ‘Bless the poor and the sick and the needy,’ I now say, ‘Father, show me how to help the poor and the sick and the needy, and give me resolution to do so.’’” -Gordon B. Hinckley (Gordon Bitner Hinckley (1910 - 2008)): speech at Bingham Young University (1978)
“Oh heavenly Father, protect and bless all things that have breath: guard them from all evil and let them sleep in peace.” -Albert Schweitzer
A Child’s Prayer
Now I lay me down to take my sleep,
I pray The Lord my soul to keep;
If I should die before I wake,
I pray The Lord my soul to take.
by Author Unknown: as published in the “New England Primer” (1777); the first record of this poem is found in the “Enchiridion Leonis” (1160)
‘Amen’ means ‘so may it be.’
Dear God, I would like to take a moment, not to ask for anything from you, but simply to say thank you, for all I have.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
The bed be blest that I lie on.
Four angels to my bed.
Four angels round my head,
One to watch, and one to pray,
And two to bear my soul away.
-Thomas Ady: “A Candle in the Dark” (1655)
“Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the night.” -Thomas Fuller (1608 - 1661)
“It is not the arithmetic of our prayers, how many there are; nor the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they be; nor the geometry of our prayers, how long they may be; nor the music of our prayers, how sweet our voice may be; nor the logic of our prayers, how argumentative they may be; nor the methods of our prayers, how orderly they may be; or even the theology of our prayers, how good the doctrine - which God cares for. Fervency of spirit is that which availeth much.” -Author Unknown
Lord, teach me all that I should know;
In grace and wisdom may I grow;
The more I learn to do thy will,
The better may I love thee still.
by Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748)
“Can you neglect to pray while there is one who needs the help your prayer can bring?” -Author Unknown
A Young Woman of Ayr
There was a young woman of Ayr -
Tried to sneak out of church during prayer,
But the squeak of her shoes
So enlivened the pews
That she sat down again in despair.
by Author Unknown
“Guide us, teach us, and strengthen us, oh Lord, we beseech thee, until we become such as thou would’st have us be: pure, gentle, truthful, high-minded, courteous, generous, able, dutiful, and useful; for thy honor and glory.” -Charles Kingsley (1819 - 1875)
Dear God, my heavenly Father
Bless me at school today
And help me learn my lessons
In Jesus name I pray
-Author Unknown
“It is good for us to keep some account of our prayers, that we may not unsay them in our practice.” -Matthew Henry
Heavenly Father, hear our prayer,
Keep us in Thy loving care.
Guard us through the livelong day
In our work and in our play.
Keep us pure and sweet and true
In everything we say and do.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
“Thanks be to thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which Thou hast given us; for all the pains and insults which Thou hast borne for us. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may we know thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly.” -Richard of Chichester (1197 - 1253)
A Soapy Prayer: Almighty and eternal God, help us to no longer be “The Young and The Restless.” Help us, O Lord, to remember that we have only “One Life to Live” and to try to build a “Dynasty.” Let us remain always close to You, walking not in “Ryan`s Hope,” but in Christian hope, for our destination is Heaven, and not “Dallas.” May the mothers and fathers of our community always say to You, bless and protect “All My Children.” These are truly the “Days of Our Lives.” And so, “As the World Turns,” should some of us find need to go to “The Doctors” and “General Hospital,” may we always keep You, dear God, as our “Guiding Light.” We will then not be concerned with a foolish “Search for Tomorrow,” waiting for the “Edge of Night.” For together, dear Lord, may we sail away from “Knot`s Landing” and create “Another World.” Amen.
The Proper Way to Pray
“The proper way for a man to pray,”
Said Deacon Lemuel Keys,
“And the only proper attitude
Is down upon his knees.”
“No, I should say the way to pray,”
Said Reverend Doctor Wise,
“Is standing straight with outstretched arms
And rapt and upturned eyes.”
“Oh, no, no, no,” said Elder Slow,
“Such posture is too proud,
A man should pray with eyes fast-closed
And head completely bowed.”
“It seems to me his hands should be
Austerely clasped in front,
With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,”
Said Reverend Doctor Blunt.
“Last year I fell in Hidgekin’s well
Headfirst,” said Cyrus Brown,
With both my heels a-stickin’ up
And my head a-pointin’ down.
“And I made a prayer right then and there,
The best prayer I ever said,
The prayingest prayer I ever prayed,
A-standin’ on my head!”
by Author Unknown
A seventeenth-century nun, whose name has become lost to history, wrote this prayer: “Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and will someday be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.”
A Prayer
Give me a sense of humor, Lord,
The grace to see a joke;
To get some happiness from life,
And pass it on to folk.
by Author Unknown
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” -“The Bible,” ‘Book of Matthew,’ chapter 21, verse 22
A Cornish Children’s Prayer
From Ghoulies and Ghosties
And Long-Leggity Beasties
And things that go bump in the night
Good Lord, deliver us.
by Author Unknown: as found in Francis T. Nettleinghame: “Polperro Proverbs and Others” (1926), ‘The Cornish or West Country Litany’
The prayers that carry the most weight
and are of rarest beauty
are those in which we don’t demand,
but just report for duty.
-Author Unknown
“From plague, pestilence, and famine, good Lord, deliver us.” -Author Unknown: as quoted in the “Book of Common Prayer” (1662)
A Child’s Prayer
Make me, dear Lord, polite and kind
To everyone, I pray.
And may I ask you how you find
Yourself, dear Lord, today?
by John Banister Tabb
“A single grateful thought towards Heaven is the most perfect prayer.” -Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781): “Minna von Barnhelm” (1767), II, vii
God’s people fail a hundred times
Before each day is done.
But Grace, in whispers, lifts them up
One hundred times and one.
-William D. Blake
“When it is hardest to pray, we ought to pray hardest.” -Author Unknown
Jesus, Friend of Little Children
Jesus, Friend of little children,
Be a friend to me;
Take my hand, and ever keep me
Close to Thee.
Teach me how to grow in goodness,
Daily as I grow;
Thou hast been a child, and surely
Thou dost know.
Step by step O lead me onward,
Upward into youth;
Wiser, stronger, still becoming
In Thy truth.
Never leave me, nor forsake me;
Ever be my friend;
For I need Thee, from life’s dawning
To its end.
by Walter John Mathams: as quoted in “Psalms and Hymns for School and Home” (1882)
“Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks.” -Phillips Brooks (1835 - 1893): “Perennials” (1898)
Twenty-Third Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
by Author Unknown: A Psalm of David, in “The Bible” (authorized King James Version (1611))
“My prayer is not the whimpering of a beggar nor a confession of love. Nor is it the petty reckoning of a small tradesman: Give me and I shall give you. My prayer is the report of a soldier to his general: This is what I did today, this is how I fought to save the entire battle in my own sector, these are the obstacles I encountered, this is how I plan to fight tomorrow.” -Nikos Kazantzakis (1883 - 1957)
Morning Prayers
Now I awake and see the light;
Lord, Thou hast kept me through the night.
To Thee I lift my voice and pray
That Thou wilt keep me through the day.
If I should die before ’tis done,
O God, accept me through Thy Son!
Amen.
by Author Unknown
“Dear God, please untie the nots. All of the can nots, should nots, may nots and have nots. Please erase from my mind the thoughts that I am not good enough.” -Iyanla Vanzant
O Lord, bless our family
Keep us safe from all harm
and protect us from fear and evil.
Teach us to treat others with
dignity and respect.
Help us to forgive
when others may hurt us.
And, if one of us does go astray,
please take his hand and
lead him safely back home.
Amen.
-Debbie Oyler
This is MFOL! . . . a kinder, gentler endeavor in a rough and tumble world . . .
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” -Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881 - 1955)
Lancaster Inn Prayer
Give us Lord, a bit o’ sun,
A bit o’ work and a bit o’ fun;
Give us all in the struggle and sputter,
Our daily bread and a bit o’ butter.
Give us Lord, a chance to be
Our goodly best, brave, wise, and free,
Our goodly best for ourselves and others,
Till all men learn to live as brothers.
by Author Unknown: poem at an inn in Lancaster, England
“And help us, this and every day, to live more nearly as we pray.” -John Keble (1792 - 1866)
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
by Jesus Christ: as quoted in “The Bible” (New King James Version), ‘Book of Matthew,’ chapter 6, verses 9 through 13
“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” -Alfred Tennyson (1809 - 1892): “The Passing of Arthur,” line 415
An Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
by Author Unknown
“The Christian on his knees sees more than the philosopher on tiptoe.” -Augustus Toplady
He prayeth well, who loveth well
Both man and bird and beast.
He prayeth best, who loveth best
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth us,
He made and loveth all.
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772 - 1834): “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” (1798)
“Dear God, please embrace those who are sick and hurting today and let them feel the warmth of your love. Amen.” -Author Unknown
“I heard a man of prominence say the other day, ‘I have amended the language of my prayers. Instead of saying, ‘Bless the poor and the sick and the needy,’ I now say, ‘Father, show me how to help the poor and the sick and the needy, and give me resolution to do so.’’” -Gordon B. Hinckley (Gordon Bitner Hinckley (1910 - 2008)): speech at Bingham Young University (1978)
“Oh heavenly Father, protect and bless all things that have breath: guard them from all evil and let them sleep in peace.” -Albert Schweitzer
A Child’s Prayer
Now I lay me down to take my sleep,
I pray The Lord my soul to keep;
If I should die before I wake,
I pray The Lord my soul to take.
by Author Unknown: as published in the “New England Primer” (1777); the first record of this poem is found in the “Enchiridion Leonis” (1160)
‘Amen’ means ‘so may it be.’
Dear God, I would like to take a moment, not to ask for anything from you, but simply to say thank you, for all I have.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,
The bed be blest that I lie on.
Four angels to my bed.
Four angels round my head,
One to watch, and one to pray,
And two to bear my soul away.
-Thomas Ady: “A Candle in the Dark” (1655)
“Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the night.” -Thomas Fuller (1608 - 1661)
“It is not the arithmetic of our prayers, how many there are; nor the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they be; nor the geometry of our prayers, how long they may be; nor the music of our prayers, how sweet our voice may be; nor the logic of our prayers, how argumentative they may be; nor the methods of our prayers, how orderly they may be; or even the theology of our prayers, how good the doctrine - which God cares for. Fervency of spirit is that which availeth much.” -Author Unknown
Lord, teach me all that I should know;
In grace and wisdom may I grow;
The more I learn to do thy will,
The better may I love thee still.
by Isaac Watts (1674 - 1748)
“Can you neglect to pray while there is one who needs the help your prayer can bring?” -Author Unknown
A Young Woman of Ayr
There was a young woman of Ayr -
Tried to sneak out of church during prayer,
But the squeak of her shoes
So enlivened the pews
That she sat down again in despair.
by Author Unknown
“Guide us, teach us, and strengthen us, oh Lord, we beseech thee, until we become such as thou would’st have us be: pure, gentle, truthful, high-minded, courteous, generous, able, dutiful, and useful; for thy honor and glory.” -Charles Kingsley (1819 - 1875)
Dear God, my heavenly Father
Bless me at school today
And help me learn my lessons
In Jesus name I pray
-Author Unknown
“It is good for us to keep some account of our prayers, that we may not unsay them in our practice.” -Matthew Henry
Heavenly Father, hear our prayer,
Keep us in Thy loving care.
Guard us through the livelong day
In our work and in our play.
Keep us pure and sweet and true
In everything we say and do.
Amen.
-Author Unknown
“Thanks be to thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which Thou hast given us; for all the pains and insults which Thou hast borne for us. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may we know thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly.” -Richard of Chichester (1197 - 1253)
A Soapy Prayer: Almighty and eternal God, help us to no longer be “The Young and The Restless.” Help us, O Lord, to remember that we have only “One Life to Live” and to try to build a “Dynasty.” Let us remain always close to You, walking not in “Ryan`s Hope,” but in Christian hope, for our destination is Heaven, and not “Dallas.” May the mothers and fathers of our community always say to You, bless and protect “All My Children.” These are truly the “Days of Our Lives.” And so, “As the World Turns,” should some of us find need to go to “The Doctors” and “General Hospital,” may we always keep You, dear God, as our “Guiding Light.” We will then not be concerned with a foolish “Search for Tomorrow,” waiting for the “Edge of Night.” For together, dear Lord, may we sail away from “Knot`s Landing” and create “Another World.” Amen.
The Proper Way to Pray
“The proper way for a man to pray,”
Said Deacon Lemuel Keys,
“And the only proper attitude
Is down upon his knees.”
“No, I should say the way to pray,”
Said Reverend Doctor Wise,
“Is standing straight with outstretched arms
And rapt and upturned eyes.”
“Oh, no, no, no,” said Elder Slow,
“Such posture is too proud,
A man should pray with eyes fast-closed
And head completely bowed.”
“It seems to me his hands should be
Austerely clasped in front,
With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,”
Said Reverend Doctor Blunt.
“Last year I fell in Hidgekin’s well
Headfirst,” said Cyrus Brown,
With both my heels a-stickin’ up
And my head a-pointin’ down.
“And I made a prayer right then and there,
The best prayer I ever said,
The prayingest prayer I ever prayed,
A-standin’ on my head!”
by Author Unknown
A seventeenth-century nun, whose name has become lost to history, wrote this prayer: “Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself that I am growing older and will someday be old. Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and on every occasion. Release me from craving to straighten out everybody’s affairs. Make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.”
A Prayer
Give me a sense of humor, Lord,
The grace to see a joke;
To get some happiness from life,
And pass it on to folk.
by Author Unknown
“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” -“The Bible,” ‘Book of Matthew,’ chapter 21, verse 22
A Cornish Children’s Prayer
From Ghoulies and Ghosties
And Long-Leggity Beasties
And things that go bump in the night
Good Lord, deliver us.
by Author Unknown: as found in Francis T. Nettleinghame: “Polperro Proverbs and Others” (1926), ‘The Cornish or West Country Litany’
The prayers that carry the most weight
and are of rarest beauty
are those in which we don’t demand,
but just report for duty.
-Author Unknown
“From plague, pestilence, and famine, good Lord, deliver us.” -Author Unknown: as quoted in the “Book of Common Prayer” (1662)
A Child’s Prayer
Make me, dear Lord, polite and kind
To everyone, I pray.
And may I ask you how you find
Yourself, dear Lord, today?
by John Banister Tabb
“A single grateful thought towards Heaven is the most perfect prayer.” -Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729 - 1781): “Minna von Barnhelm” (1767), II, vii
God’s people fail a hundred times
Before each day is done.
But Grace, in whispers, lifts them up
One hundred times and one.
-William D. Blake
“When it is hardest to pray, we ought to pray hardest.” -Author Unknown
Jesus, Friend of Little Children
Jesus, Friend of little children,
Be a friend to me;
Take my hand, and ever keep me
Close to Thee.
Teach me how to grow in goodness,
Daily as I grow;
Thou hast been a child, and surely
Thou dost know.
Step by step O lead me onward,
Upward into youth;
Wiser, stronger, still becoming
In Thy truth.
Never leave me, nor forsake me;
Ever be my friend;
For I need Thee, from life’s dawning
To its end.
by Walter John Mathams: as quoted in “Psalms and Hymns for School and Home” (1882)
“Do not pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks.” -Phillips Brooks (1835 - 1893): “Perennials” (1898)
Twenty-Third Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
by Author Unknown: A Psalm of David, in “The Bible” (authorized King James Version (1611))
“My prayer is not the whimpering of a beggar nor a confession of love. Nor is it the petty reckoning of a small tradesman: Give me and I shall give you. My prayer is the report of a soldier to his general: This is what I did today, this is how I fought to save the entire battle in my own sector, these are the obstacles I encountered, this is how I plan to fight tomorrow.” -Nikos Kazantzakis (1883 - 1957)
Morning Prayers
Now I awake and see the light;
Lord, Thou hast kept me through the night.
To Thee I lift my voice and pray
That Thou wilt keep me through the day.
If I should die before ’tis done,
O God, accept me through Thy Son!
Amen.
by Author Unknown
“Dear God, please untie the nots. All of the can nots, should nots, may nots and have nots. Please erase from my mind the thoughts that I am not good enough.” -Iyanla Vanzant
O Lord, bless our family
Keep us safe from all harm
and protect us from fear and evil.
Teach us to treat others with
dignity and respect.
Help us to forgive
when others may hurt us.
And, if one of us does go astray,
please take his hand and
lead him safely back home.
Amen.
-Debbie Oyler
This is MFOL! . . . a kinder, gentler endeavor in a rough and tumble world . . .
