While in Colorado, I attend a prayer group on Thursday nights at a local jail. The person who leads the group regularly uses prayers from my blog as part of the service. I wrote this prayer a couple years ago but have just expanded it with a dozen new petitions. As you pray tonight, please remember the inmates I'll be praying with tomorrow...
Just to pause in your presence
and welcome the silence:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To sit in the dark
and wonder, “Where are you?”
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To rest in the quiet
and trust you are near:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To breathe in the stillness,
and ponder your mystery:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To listen and hear
even one word from you:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To hand you my brokenness,
hoping for healing:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To live my life
just a day at a time:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To wait for you now
as I waited all day:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To sit with my doubts,
and lean on my faith:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To open my heart
and pour out my story:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To know the world's chaos
while calm by your side:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To face all the lies
and admit to the truth:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To take a deep breath
and hope for your peace:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To ponder my past
and pray for your pardon:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To search in my heart
for the pulse of your love:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To close my eyes tight
just to hold back
the tears:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To remember my family
and ask you to bless them:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To gaze at the Cross
and remember, "I'm loved!"
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To hear in the darkness
a whisper of grace:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To
open my soul
and then wait to be filled:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To thank you for friends
who help me each day:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To humbly mumble
my jumble of thoughts:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To find the strength
to do the right thing:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To recall and give thanks
for the good times I’ve known:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To find in your Word
your wisdom and truth:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To live with my loneliness,
calmed by your presence:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To hope and believe
that all shall be well:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To seek and find joy
in the depths of my sorrow:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To confess all my sins
and trust in your mercy:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To cry from the depths,
of my loss and my grief:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To call to my mind
how your mercy has saved me:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To dream of my future
and where you will lead me:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To hear only silence
and speak not a word:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To trust that my silence
is your language, too:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To accept the things that I cannot change
and to change all the things I can:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To remember past blessings
and ask you for more:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To believe beyond doubt
that I’m held in your hands:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To surrender to you
all my worries and fears:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To lay bare my life
to the mystery you are:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To open my lips
and give praise to your name:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
To hope for good sleep
sound and restful and deep:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord...
From all that I have
and all that I am:
this is my prayer tonight, O Lord,
this is my prayer tonight…
Deep in the forest where the wild winds sing.
I stand alone beneath heaven's wing.
The trees reach high. The branches sway.
As I talk to God on the sacred day,
I'm happy, Lord, my voice takes flight.
For all you've given me feels so right.
In this world of chaos, pain and strife,
you lead me gently through the valleys of life.
This world spins fast, so cruel, so cold.
But your hand holds mine when I grow old,
I count on you to guard my soul,
to keep me safe, to make me whole.
Though answers don't always come by day.
In dreams at night, you softly say
I'm with you, still the words may hide.
Trust me always, I'm your guide.
Oh, Father, hear my prayer tonight.
Your love is my guiding light.
Through shadows deep and battles fought,
I'll trust in you, you leave me not.
You're my savior, my hope, my way.
Keep me safe through each new day.
The rustling leaves seem to hum your name.
A quiet echo, a holy flame.
Here in the stillness, I find my peace.
My worries fade as faith increases.
With every step down paths unknown,
I lean on you for you've shown
that even storms will pass away
and brighter skies will greet the day.
Oh, Father, hear my prayer tonight.
Your love is my guiding light.
Through shadows deep and battles fought,
I'll trust in you, you leave me not.
You're my savior, my hope, my way.
Keep me safe through each new day.
So here I stand, surrounded by trees,
thankful for whispers carried on breezes.
For though you speak without a sound,
your truth resounds all around.
And as I leave, I know I'll find
your voice eternal in heart and mind…
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