Find a quiet time and place to pray...
take a few deep breaths... be still...
and know that God is near...
A word to reflect on:
A clean heart create for me, O God,and a steadfast spirit renew within me...
Psalm 51
In this quiet time each day, Lord,
my heart speaks to yours,
your heart speaks to mine...
Today, Lord, I ask for a new heart, a clean heart...
Beginning now, even as I sit with you here in the stillness,
wash my heart with your mercy:
wash away my sins and give me a clean slate,
a fresh start, a new beginning...
Give me a pure heart
to put your law, your love and the needs of others
ahead of my own wants and wills and desires...
Give me a heart strong enough
to say the truth when it's mine to speak,
to do what's fair when I'm tempted to cheat,
and to reach out generously and not hold back...
Give me a wise heart
open to your counsel, thirsty for your grace
and hungry for your word...
Give me a hope-filled heart
open to what is good, to what can be,
to all you have in store for me...
Give me a loving heart, Lord,
that gives of itself, on its own
and doesn't cost the cost...
Embed in my new heart a steadfast spirit:
faithful to you, faithful to prayer,
faithful to those entrusted to my care,
faithful to what's just and good and
worthy of a heart fashioned by your hand..
As much as I desire this new heart, Lord,
I know I'll yet resist your offering it to me...
My fears, my old ways,
my grudges and resentments,
my anxious holding on to what I know rather
than surrend'ring to what I don't -
all this makes me slow, wary and afraid
to welcome even your gentle hand
into the chambers of my soul...
And so I pray your Spirit move me
to open what I keep closed,
to let go what I jealously cling to,
to empty my heart of all its clutter,
to invite you in where you belong,
where I belong to you...
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me:
and please, Lord, begin your work in me today...
In the stillness of my prayer,
help me know that you are near, that you are here,
that you are God:
Lord of my heart, Lord of all my days...
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and steadfast spirit in my soul...
Here are some tips for praying 10 minutes a day. If you find these daily prayer reminders helpful, please let me know - and share them with others. You'll find an archive of these daily posts here.
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I find the prayers you post very helpful; I am especially grateful for the commentaries on the Sunday readings and periodically remind my blog readers to go to your blog as I have it listed under mine. Thank you for being so faithful about keeping your blog which I am sure helps many. I loved today's prayer! Helen rscj
ReplyDeleteAnother wonderful prayer. I shall take it with me on a 30 day Ignatian silent retreat that begins Sunday night. My blog will go on even if I won't be able to read it!
ReplyDeleteYour prayers will be appreciated.
Paul
Be assured of my prayer for your retreat, Paul! It's a blessing for me to know that my prayer will go with you! Please pray for me while' your away for those 30 days.
ReplyDelete