Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 4/11

Yesterday, I posted a question on FaceBook asking, 

   "Who needs some patience and perseverance?"  

I was amazed at the number of 👍 and 💜 and comments that post received!  

 

So, I looked back in my archives and found a prayer for patience from about 10 years ago and a prayer for perseverance which is more recent - but which I've now tweaked into a newer version.

 

Prayer for Patience

Love is many things, Lord,
   and perhaps above all - love is patient...

 Love waits patiently
   while the beloved delays and demurs, tarries
      and tries the patience of the lover...

With quiet patience,

    love endures defeat and disappointment, 

allowing no discouragement

    to snatch the beloved away...

Without complaint, love suffers

    for the sake of the beloved

and no hardship, no pain 

    proves to be to much for love to bear...

You're a patient lover, Lord:

    you wait for me, 

    you never give up on me,
    you endure my foolishness 

        even when I turn away from you;
    you suffer for my sake 

        and freely bear my burdens...

I've done nothing to deserve your patient love:

   I waste it, I turn from it,

       I deny and reject it, 

but even then, patiently,

   you wait for my heart to change,

   you endure my slow progress,

   and you suffer my self-pity

all because your love for me is patient,

   because you will not let go of me...

 

And, in turn, you ask me, Lord, 

    to love my neighbor,

        to love my sister and my brother, 

    with the same patience

        with which you love me...

So, keep me, Lord, 

    from the quick and hasty judgments;
let me judge others as I'd have them judge me: 

    patiently...  and with justice and mercy...

 

Curb my sharp tongue 

    and give me patience in my speech:
let no harsh words fly from my mouth 

    to wound the innocence of others...

 

Give me patience, Lord,

    in understanding those who are not like me
and help me see in the differences
    what complements and completes us...

Give me the patience I need, Lord 

    to move among others

       with gentleness, reverence and respect,

    careful not to step on others' hearts, 

        letting others go before me,

    caring for others needs 

        before tending to my own...  

Give me patience, Lord, with 

    those I live and work with,
    those I take for granted or ignore,
    those I so often and easily forget
        in my rush to get what I want, 

            when I want it...

Give me patience with strangers, Lord,

    those I meet in the course of every day:

help me respect and love them, Lord,

    as patiently as you love me...

Give me patience, Lord,

    with what I cannot change,

with things beyond my control,

    beyond my influence, my reach;

and help me trust, Lord,

    that all shall be well,

        that all manner of things shall be well... 

And give me patience with me, Lord,
   especially when I'm quick to judge myself,

        to doubt, abuse and hate myself...

Remind me of the mercy you offer me,
   your trust in the person you made me to be,
   your gentle touch upon my wounds and pain,
   that mercy in which you never fail to bathe me...

Forgive and heal me, Lord, 

    when my lack of patience leads me 

        to anger and judgment, 

        to harsh words or silence, 

        to jealousy or self-pity:

when my impatience explodes and spirals 

    into doubt and fear,

calm my anxious heart 

    with your heart's patient grace 

and hold me in your mercy

    'til your patience heals my soul in peace...

Amen.

 

Prayer for Perseverance

 

 

In the dark of night, Lord,
      help me persevere...

 

At the dawn of each new day, Lord,

    help me persevere...

In the dead of winter, Lord,
      help me persevere...

In the noon day heat, Lord,

    help me persevere...

 

When I’m confused and troubled, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

When I don't have a clue, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

When I’m just about to lose it, Lord,

      help me persevere...

On the uphill side of life, Lord,
      help me persevere...

When the walls are closing in, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

When power outweighs truth, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

When I’m angry with myself, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

On my good days and my bad days, Lord,

      help me persevere...

When the odds are all against me, Lord,
      help me persevere...

 When the friends I count on leave me, Lord,
      help me persevere...

When I don’t have all I need, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

When I’ve been betrayed and let down, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

When nothing seems to work, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

When I'm overcome by grief, Lord,

      help me persevere...

When I don’t know where to turn, Lord,
      help me persevere...

As I wait and wait and wait, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

If I’m tempted to despair, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

When the system’s not my friend, Lord,

       help me persevere...

 

When no one understands me, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

In sickness and in health, Lord,

      help me persevere...

When I can't find words to pray, Lord,
      help me persevere...

When I’m ready to give in, Lord,

      help me persevere...

 

When I’m not sure if you’re listening, Lord,  

      help me persevere...

When I’m waiting for good news, Lord,  

      help me persevere...

When my burdens weigh too heavy, Lord,
    help me persevere...

When I fear you might forget me, 

    Lord, help me persevere... 

 

When I’m losing faith in me, Lord,
    help me persevere...

When I suffer for your name, Lord,
    help me persevere...

When I hunger for your word, Lord,
    help me persevere... 

 

When I thirst for peace and joy, Lord,
    help me persevere...

When I find it hard to trust, Lord,
    help me persevere...

When I'm ready to give up, Lord,
    help me persevere...

When my faith is wearing thin, Lord,
    help me persevere...

When I’m feeling lost and hopeless, 

    Lord, help me persevere... 

 

When one more step seems too much, Lord,
    help me persevere... 

 

When I've forgotten why I persevere, Lord,
    help me persevere…

Send your Holy Spirit:   

to maintain my resolve, Lord,
    and help me persevere…

to give my life new purpose, Lord,
    and help me persevere… 

 

to help me do what’s right, Lord,
    and help me persevere… 

 

to point me towards the truth, Lord,
    and help me persevere 

 

to open wide my eyes, Lord,
    and help me persevere… 

 

to shine upon my path, Lord,
    and help me persevere… 

 

to teach me how to trust, Lord,
    and help me persevere… 

 

to put my hope in you, Lord,
    and help me persevere…

 

to strengthen my endurance, Lord,
    and help me persevere… 

 

to deepen my persistence, Lord,
    and help me persevere… 

 

to fortify my backbone, Lord,
    and help me persevere… 

 

to give me guts and grit, Lord,
    and help me persevere… 

 

to live Lord, one day at a time,
    and help me persevere… 

 

Give me energy and courage, Lord,
    and strength of mind and heart;
give me patience and persistence
    to hang tight when I need to,
        to wait when I don’t want to,
    to always do the next right thing,
        to change the things I need to change,
    to know when I should make a move
        - and when I should stay put,
    to know when I should speak up
        - and when I should be silent,
    to trust that things will all work out,
        that all things shall be well,
    - but in your time, Lord, not mine… 

 

So, help me persevere, Lord
    ‘til I find the peace and freedom,
        I long for, heart and soul,
‘til I find all I’ve been waiting for
    and all that I’ve been working towards,
        in you and in your love… 

 

Amen.

 

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