Prayer for Friday, July 10, 2010 · 2 July 2010

Hi God,

When I looked up this morning
(and again this afternoon, if truth be told),
at the blue sky against the green trees,
I wanted to preserve that beauty forever.
I know I’m not supposed to get attached like that.
I should merely enjoy each moment as it unfolds.
As Paul says, I should be content
in whatever state I find myself.
But … if I could bottle beauty,
that’s what I’d choose.

I thank you that I can experience
that special blessing from time to time.
It makes the dreary, long winters easier to bear.
Oops, there I go again,
forgetting to remain always content
in whatever state I find myself.

So my prayer today
is that you help us truly
to find ways to remain content
even when things aren’t to our liking.
Also, please have mercy on my soul,
malcontent sinner though I seem to be.

Amen

Scriptural Reference:
Phil 4: 10-13

— lgpiper

Comment

Prayer for Tuesday, June 29, 2010 · 29 June 2010

Hi God,

I watched a little bit of the World Cup
and I saw that soccer players
are much like baseball players.
They thank You whenever they
score a goal or hit a home run.
How come they don’t thank You
when they strike out or muff a kick?
Shouldn’t they also thank You
for reminders to remain humble?
Or is it all a charade
and You don’t actually
change the trajectories
of kicked or pitched balls?
Somehow, I think that You
have better things to do
than to effect our silly games.

So my prayer today
is that You help us get real
in our expectations of You.
It would also be nice if
You could help us get real
in our attempts to understand
Your expectations of us.
Probably, we’ll have to spend
more time listening.
That’s gonna be tough
for those of us
who would rather babble
than shut up and listen.
I also ask that You, please,
have mercy on my soul,
babbling sinner though I be.

Amen

— lgpiper

Comment

Prayer for Tuesday, June 15, 2010 · 15 June 2010

Hi God,

The old guy who sat down next to me
at the Social Security Office today
told me that the Lord, i.e. You,
had given us a lovely day.
I actually noticed that myself this morning
when I took first one dog…
and then the other…
out for a morning walk.

So, of course, it got me thinking,
how come we never thank You
for the crappy days?
How come baseball players
thank you for home runs
but don’t thank you for strike outs?
In theory, we learn and grow
from the bad as well as from the good.
Does that mean we’ll learn anything
from the massive oil leak in the Gulf?

Sorry, I don’t think I know
where I’m going with this.
Do we learn more by trying to talk to you,
even when our attempts fall flat,
than we do by remaining silent?
I hope so.

So my prayer today
is that you help us to learn and grow
from both the lovely and not lovely,
from the home runs and the strikeouts,
from the natural marvels and the natural disasters.
Also, I ask you, please,
to have mercy on my soul,
inarticulate-at-times sinner though I be.

Amen

— lgpiper

Comment

Prayer for Thursday, May 27, 2010 · 27 May 2010

Hi God,

I’m thinking about stiff-necked people.
It began when I realized I was one.
The realization came first
when I noticed how sore and stiff
my neck was while I was practicing.
No doubt it’s arthritis from age.

But that got me thinking about
Moses and the children of Israel.
They turned from You;
You called them stiff-necked
and vowed to do away with them.
Fortunately, Moses talked You out of it.

So then I’m wondering about
the nature of spiritual stiff-neckedness,
the kind the Children of Israel evinced.
Is it like a spiritual arthritis?
The problem with arthritis
is that if we give in to it,
we get even stiffer and more immobile.
Is that what happens with spiritual arthritis?
We put off our spiritual practice,
because it seems a bit awkward or uncomfortable.
But then that makes us even more spiritually immobile.
I dunno, that’s what I’m wondering about.

So my prayer today is to ask You
to help us to loosen our stiff necks,
so we don’t become immobilized by
the temporary discomfort that might feel
when we consider initiating our prayers and meditations.
Rather, help us continue with them
and so find the comfort that comes
from our striving to connect with you.

Also, I ask that you, please,
have mercy on my soul,
stiff-necked sinner though I be.

Amen

Scripture Reference
Exodus:32 – 33

— lgpiper

Comment [1]

Prayer for Wednesday, April 14, 2010 · 14 April 2010

Hi God,

I suppose that it is good
that I have the dogs
to make me go out
on a fine day like this.
Why would anyone be inside today?
Well, they might be in bed,
nursing a cold, hoping to rest up
for an early morning tomorrow.
But dogs don’t think about such things.
To them the day is fine,
as indeed it is,
and therefore to be savored.
I feel blessed by them…I think.

Amen

— lgpiper

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