Prayer For Today

1. A Prayer

Teach me Father, how to go
Softly as the grasses grow:
Hush my soul to meet the shock
Of the wild world as a rock;
But my spirit prompt with power,
Make as simple as a flower.
Let the dry heart fill its cup,
Like a poppy looking up;
Let life lightly wear her crown
Like a poppy looking down.
When its heart is filled with dew,
And its life begins anew.

Teach me, Father, how to be
Kind and patient as a tree;
Joyfully the crickets croon
Under shady oak at noon:
Beetle, on his mission bent,
Tarries in that cooling tent.
Let me, also, cheer a spot,
Hidden field or garden grot;
Place where passing souls can rest
On the way, and be their best.

2. Awareness

God - let me be aware.
Let me not stumble blindly down the ways,
Just getting somehow safely through the days,
Not even groping for another hand,
Not even wondering why it all was planned,
Eyes to the ground unseeking for the light,
Soul never aching for a wild-winged flight.
Please, keep me eager just to do my share,
God - let me be aware.

God - let me be aware.
Stab my soul fiercely with others' pain,
Let me walk seeing horror and stain.
Let me hands, groping, find other hands.
Give me the heart that divines, understands.
Give me the courage, wounded, to fight.
Flood me with knowledge, drench me in light.
Please keep me eager just to do my share.
God - let me be aware.

3. Never Waste Your Pain!

Dear Lord...
Please grant that I shall
Never waste my pain; for...
To fail without learning,
To fall without getting up,
To sin without overcoming,
To be hurt without forgiving,
To be discontent without improving,
To be crushed without becoming more caring,
To suffer without growing more insensitive,
Makes of suffering a senseless, futile exercise,
A tragic loss,
And of pain,
The greatest waste of all.

4. Just For To-Day

Lord, for to-morrow and its needs
I do not pray;
Keep me, my God, from stain of sin
Just for to-day.
Help me to labor earnestly,
And duly pray;
Let me be kind in word and deed,
Father, to-day.

Let me no wrong or idle word
Unthinking say;
Set thou a seal upon my lips
Through all to-day.
Let me in season, Lord, be grave,
In season gay;
Let me be faithful to thy grace,
Dear Lord, to-day.

And if, to-day, this life of mine
Should ebb away,
Give me thy sacrament divine,
Father, to-day.
So for to-morrow and its needs
I do not pray;
Still keep me, guide me, love me, Lord,
Through each to-day.

5. I Feel You Near

Oh gracious Lord, hear my plea
Upon this day I bring to thee
My heart cries out, Oh! Help me, God
Guide and direct me where I trod.

Today, help me so that all I do be done in love
Allow your peace abundantly flow from above.
As I pray, You ever remain nearer and dearer
Thank you, God, I feel you near!

6. Dear Lord

Dear Lord, of all the words of Thine
Which for our comfort ring and shine
Through sacred air, on sacred page,
From sacred lips in every age,
No one has brought such blessed cheer
To me, — no one is half so dear,
No one so surely cometh home
To every soul, as this which from
A pure heart wrung with sorrow came,
"For He remembereth our frame."

Dear Lord, to Thee a thousand years
Are as a day; with contrite tears
One prayer I pray! My little life,
It's good, it's ill, it's grief, it's strife,
Oh, let it in Thy holy sight
Like empty watches of a night,
Forgotten be! And of my name,
Dear Lord, who knowest all our frame,
Let there remain no memory
Save of the thing I longed to be!

7. Thank Thee For The New Day

O God, we thank thee for the new day,
for another opportunity to redeem ourselves.

O thou who art infinite wisdom and the source of all strength,
grant that whatever it brings of good fortune or disappointment, pain or pleasure,
we may meet it with a brave heart and a cheerful face
and use it to thy glory and the good of our fellow-men.

Help us to keep so interested in the welfare of others
that we shall not think of ourselves;
so intent on winning thy approval that we shall not be unduly
concerned over the opinions of men.

When the strength and time thou has allotted for this day's struggle are spent,
grant, O Lord, we ask, that we may find ourselves a little nearer
to the goal thou hast set for us in the Christ-life.
Amen.

8. With This New Day

With this new day, O God,
let some new strength be mine,
to walk in patience,
the way appointed for me.

Let me be strong to battle with the ills that shall beset me,
to toil with faith and honest heart,
to keep myself untainted and make my life helpful to my fellowmen.

Help me to be forgetful of myself,
but thoughtful to do no evil to any man.

Thy hand is strong and mine is weak.
I need Thy guidance,
let Thy strength be mine,
that though I stumble I may not fall nor fail.
And when the day is done, may happy memories be mine
Amen.

9. Possibilities Of This Day

We thank Thee, O Father,
for the yet unwrought possibilities of this day.
Show us Thy purpose; or, if it please Thee,
withhold the entire plan,
yet may our faith claim a divine sanction for each hour's
work as a part of the fulfilment of Thy purpose.

We pray for strength and patience to have our souls
rightly impressed by the cares, the joys, and disappointments of life.

Make the things of the body only incidental to us.
Save us from all but the best things.
Give us the happiness of harmony with Thee.

Wilt Thou grant these things through the
power of Thy spirit, and in the name of Thy perfect
Son, the vision of whom transforms our lives!
Amen.

10. A New Day - A Gift

O Thou, who makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice,
help us to welcome this new day as Thy gift,
to take up its duties with courage, and to follow the light
which Thou shalt give.

Conscious of the meaning and purpose of life,
undismayed by the failures of past days,
and ever remembering that Thy strength is made perfect in human weakness,
may we consecrate ourselves anew to the glad service of life,
knowing that in so doing we enter into fellowship with all who
have been workers together with Thee,
and into increasing likeness of soul to Thy holy Son.

May the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
and may life become stronger and sweeter and richer,
until at last we receive through grace the "well done!" of the Master
Amen