Monthly prayers
Monthly Prayers from St Leonard's
 
September 2010
 

As it was, as it is,
And as it shall be evermore,
God of Grace, God in Trinity!
With the ebb, with the flow, ever it is so,
God of grace, O Trinity,
With the ebb and flow.

Anon
June 2010
July 2010
O God of love, who hast given a new
commandment, through Thine only
begotten Son, that we should love one
another, even as Thou didst love us, the
unworthy and the wandering, and gavest
Thy beloved Son for our life and salvation;
we pray our life on the earth, a mind
forgetful of past ill-will, a pure conscience
and sincere thoughts, and a heart to love our brethren.
Amen

From: Coptic Liturgy of St Cyril
(shared by Eric Pettinger)

The Tender Smile
“The beauty of the world is
Christ’s tender smile for us
Coming through matter” – Simon Weil
And so we pray –
“O God we find it strange and difficult
To love you, but help us to love this world, and especially the people in it,
And grant that we may come to meet and love you in and through what we love.”

From “On loving God”
Shared by Flora Launden
April 2010
May 2010

Spirit of God
We thank you for raising up Jesus.
Though we are yet in the body,
Raise us up too into newness of life.

Kate Compston
Almighty Father
Whose will is to restore all things
In your beloved Son, the king of all:
Govern the hearts and minds of those in authority
And bring the families of the nations,
Divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to His just and gentle rule;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

From the Alternative Service Book (1980)
February 2010
March 2010

O Lord, rescue me from myself
and give me unto you.
Take away from me all those things that draw me from you
and give me those things
that lead to you.

Eric Abbott (1906-1983)
Dear Lord, teach me to be generous;
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds;
To toil, and not to seek for rest;
To labour, and not to ask for any reward,
Except that of knowing that I am doing your holy will.

St Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)
December 2009
January 2010
God our Father,
whose Word has come among us
in the Holy Child of Bethlehem:
may the light of faith illumine our hearts
and shine in our words and deeds;
through him who is Christ the Lord.
Amen

Lord of the years,
We ask your blessing on the year to come.
Give us the resilience to bear its disappointments,
Energy to seize its opportunities,
and openness to accept the more abundant life which you have promised to us in Christ Jesus our Lord

From More Everyday Prayers
October 2009
 

We pray for:
- our closest family who have to put up with all our different moods
- the friends who have stayed by us at all times
- the friends we only keep in contact with through Christmas cards
- the quality of our own friendship to others

  
August 2009
September 2009

Lord may our words be full of truth this month:
Truth which challenges hypocrisy and cowardice, even amongst our friends;
Truth which upholds the rights of the powerless, the poor and the neglected;
Truth which does not count the cost, but acts according to conscience;
Truth which speaks with humility and integrity, and without arrogance or malice.
May our words be full of truth this month

Dwell among us , Lord this month. May we never be able to escape you dazzling presence.
Dwell among us as we work, where we usually don’t think of you but need you all the same.
Dwell among us at home, where emotions run high and we are angry or hurt.
Dwell among us in church, when we are tempted to consult everyone except you.
Dwell among us in our closest relationships, where yours is the bond of peace and jot.
Dwell among us this month.

June 2009
July 2009

Lord Jesus, in the hush of this moment we pray that your tender spirit may steal into our hearts and reveal to us how near and how dear you are.

There are times when you are not real to us, and we know why. It is not because you have withdrawn from us, but because we have wandered from away from you. Not because you are not speaking, but because we are not listening. Not because your love for us has cooled, but because we have fallen in love with things instead of people. O Lord melt the coldness of our hearts that we may fall in love again with you who loves us always.
Amen

Dwell among us, Lord, this week May we never be able to escape your dazzling presence.
Dwell among us as we work, where we usually don’t think of you, but need you all the same.
Dwell among us in church, when we are tempted to consult everyone, except you.
Dwell among us in our closest relationships, where yours is the bond of peace and joy.

Dwell among us.
April 2009
May 2009

Lead me from death to life,
from falsehood to truth.
Lead me from despair to hope,
from fear to trust.
Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace.
Let peace fill our heart,
our world,
our universe.

 Grant, O Lord, that we may ever walk in your presence, with your love in our hearts, your truth in our minds your strength in our wills that when we finally stand before you, it may be with the assurance of your welcome and the joy of  our homecoming,
Amen.
March 2009
February 2009
The 23rd Psalm for Busy People
The Lord is |my pace-setter, I shall not rush.
He makes me to stop and rest for quiet intervals,
He provides me with images of stillness, which restore my serenity.
He leads me in ways of efficiency; through calmness of mind, and his guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day I will not fret, for his presence is here.
His timelessness, his all importance will keep me in balance by annointing my mind with the oils of tranquility.
My cup of joyous energy overflows.
Surely harmony and usefulness shall be the fruits of my hours For I shall walk in the pace of my Lord and dwell in his house forever.

Quicken, O Lord, by your Holy Spirit every member of your Church that they may be alive to the opportunities and responsibilities of these times.

Save us all from complacency and from fear of new ways. Inspire our minds and stir our wills to pray and to work until Your will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
Amen
January 2009
December 2008

May God bless you with discomfort.
At easy answers, half truths, and indifferent relationships,
So that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
For those who face pain, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To change their pain to joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done,
Amen
Lord keep me from being talkative and particularly from the fatal habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject on every occassion.

Release me from trying to straighten out everybodies affairs.

Make me thoughtful, but not moody - helpful but not bossy. With my vast of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it, but thou knowest Lord that I want a few friends at the end.

Keep my mind free from the recitle of aches and pains. They are increasing and my love of rehearsing them becomes sweeter as the years go by. I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of other's pains. Help me to endure them with patience.

Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally it is possible that I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet. I don't want to be a Saint, some of them are hard to work with; but a sour old woman is one of the crowning works of the devil.
Help me to extract all possible fun out of life; there are so many funny things around me and I do not want to miss any of them.
Amen
November 2008
October 2008

As your merciful goodness endures for ever, O Lord,
Remember the frailty of your children;
Deal with us not according to our sins
But, in your compassion, redeem our life
And crown us with your mercy and loving-kindness;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

 The God we worship is never confined to this holy place,
so go and travel with the God who is found in surprising places. 
Go and take up the adventure of faith in praise of our God. 
And may the holy mystery of God be found beside the road,
the wonder of the costly love of Jesus embrace you
and the Spirit bless and keep you always. 
Amen
September 2008
August 2008

Evening Prayer

Almighty God, we give you thanks for surrounding us, as daylight fades, with the brightness of the vesper light; and we implore you of your great mercy that, as you enfold us with the radiance of this light, so you would shine into our hearts the brightness of your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Father,
I have knowledge, so will You show me now,
How to use it wisely and find a way somehow
To make the world I live in a little better place,
And make life with its problems a little bit easier to face.
Grant me faith and courage and put purpose in my days,
And show me how to serve Thee in effective ways.
So my education, my knowledge and my skill
May find their true fulfillment as I learn to do Thy will.
And may I ever be aware in everything I do,
That knowledge comes from learning, and wisdom comes from You.
Amen.
July 2008
June 2008

A Morning Prayer

Dear Lord,
I give You my hands to do your work;
I give You my feet to go Your way;
I give You my eyes to see as You see;
I give You my tongue to speak Your words;
I give You my mind that You may think in me;
I give You my spirit that You may pray in me.
Above all, I give You my heart
that You may love in me- love the Father and love all humankind.
I give You my whole self, Lord,
that You may grow in me, so that it is You who lives and works
and prays in me.

God be in my head
And in my understanding

God be in mine eyes
And in my looking

God be in my mouth
And in my speaking

God be in my heart
And in my thinking

God be at mine end
And at my departing
May 2008
April 2008

I Asked

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey …

I asked for health, that I might do great things:
I was given illness that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy:
I was given poverty, that I might be wise …

I asked for power, that I might have people’s praise:
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God …

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life:
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things …

I got nothing I asked for, but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayer was answered;
I am among all people most richly blessed.

An anonymous Confederate Soldier

Prayer for the Parish

Almighty God who governs all things in heaven and earth
mercifully hear the supplications of your people.

Grant to our Parish all things needful for its spiritual welfare
and through the guidance of your Holy Spirit may we be of one heart
and mind in the fold of your holy church. 
To the honour and glory of your name
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

 

 

 
March 2008
February 2008

How happy are the poor in spirit;
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle;
They shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn;
They shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right;
They shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful;
They shall have mercy shown to them.
Happy the pure in heart;
They shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers;
They shall be called the sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right;
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5: 3-10

 

 
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year
' Give me a light that I may tread safetly into the unknown. '

And he replied, ' Go into the darkness and put
Your hand into the hand of God
That shall be to you better than light an
Safer than a known way !,

So I went forth and finding the Hand of God
Trod gladly into the night
He led me towards the hills
And the breaking of the day in the lone east .

So heart be still !
What need our human life to know
If God hath comprehension ?

In all the dizzy strife of things
Both high and low,
God hideth his intention.'


Minnie Loise Haskins, 1908
 
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