Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 2/28

The Lord is gracious and merciful, 

slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lord is good to all 
and compassionate toward all his works.
The Lord is faithful in all his words 
and holy in all his works.
The Lord lifts up all who are falling 
and raises up all who are bowed down.  
The Lord is just in all his ways  
and holy in all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him,  
to all who call upon him in truth.
- Psalm 145

This psalm describes you to a T, Lord -

   a perfect portrait!

But I know you call me 

    to live and love as you do 
and I'm not sure I find myself

    in the words of the psalm...

So I ask for your help today, Lord:
   help me be more like you, 

help me better "fit to a T" 
    how you ask me to live, 

        how you call me to love...

Help me be gracious today, Lord,
especially with people around me 
whom I easily take for granted:
    my spouse, my children, my parents;

    my friends and neighbors, my colleagues;
    and those who serve my needs all day long.
With all of these, 

    help me be gracious and kind
   in my words and deeds, in my attitude, 
   in my attention to the people I see every day...

Help me be slow to anger and merciful today, Lord, 
   to anyone who's offended me,
        who's wronged or failed me;
    help me see the depth of your mercy
       when I offend or fail you

    and help me generously forgive my neighbor

        as you have pardoned me...

 
Help me good and compassionate today, Lord,
    and not just to my friends and loved ones
        but to folks who annoy and bother me,
    the people who drive me up the wall,
       the people I try to avoid;
help me be as good and compassionate with others
   as I hope and pray they'd be with me...

Help me today, Lord, to be faithful and holy in all my words:
   help me tell the truth and keep my word;
   help me bear witness to only what's just and fair;
   help me keep my language and humor clean;
   help me speak what wisdom is mine to share;
   help me speak the words, and only the words, 

        that others truly need to hear.
And, Lord, help me know 

    when I should shut up and butt out...

Help me be holy and just 

    in my work, in my deeds;
keep me honest in all me dealings
   and just in how I treat others;
let my faith and prayer make holy my deeds
   and may all my works give you praise...

When others call upon me today,
   let me hear their needs and their pleas for help.
Open my eyes and my ears, Lord,

    and open my heart and hands,

let me never be too busy
    to lift up those whose spirits are falling,
    and to raise up those bowed down by sorrow.
As you are near and hear me, Lord 

    when I call upon you for your help
let me be there for others

    as you are there for me...  

In the stillness of my prayer today,
    help me see the moments when I might be
        gracious and slow to anger,            

        faithful, holy and ready to serve
             any who call on my help...

Amen.

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