“To pray is nothing more involved than to lie in the sunshine of His grace, to expose our distress of body and soul to those healing rays which can in a wonderful way counteract and render ineffective the bacteria of sin. To be a man or woman of prayer is to take this sun-cure, to give Jesus, with His wonder-working power, access to our distress night and day.” Ole Hallesby
Lex orandi, lex credendi (the law of praying is the law of believing).
“To pray in the midst of the mundane is simply and strongly to assert that this dull and tiring day is holy and its simple labors are the stuff of God’s saving presence for me now. To pray simply because it is prayer time is no small act of immersion in the God who is willing to wait for us to be conscious, to be ready, to be willing to become new in life.” Joan Chittister
“There are spiritual desires, Zech. 12:10; which the saints breathe out unto God, having them first breathed into them by the Spirit, Rom. 8:26.” Thomas Boston
The wisdom of the Scriptures is learned rather by prayer than by study. – St. Philip Neri
Image from Saint-Petersburg Theological Academy (used by permission via Creative Commons).
Prayers to Lead us into Solitude
From Katie Whitmire Prayers to Lead us into Solitude I pause, Father, to commune with you. Help me to be still and know that you are God. Ease awhile any tense muscles or strained nerves or wrought-up emotions. Let me be relaxed in body and calm in spirit so that I may be more responsive to your presence. I pause, Father, to…
St. Patrick’s Breastplate
St Patrick’s Breastplate – Faeth Fiada (The Deer’s Cry)Translation by John Carey Today I gird myself with a mighty power,Invocation of the Trinity.Belief in the threeness, affirmation of the oneness.In the Creator’s presence. Today I gird myselfWith the power of Christ’s birth together with his baptism,With the power of his crucifixion together with his burial,With the power of his resurrection together with…
Breath Prayers
We take short prayers, phrases, psalms upon our lips and quietly breathe them throughout the day. These prayers become a way of focusing our thoughts, feelings, and hearts toward the Lord in the midst of each moment. Here are some Psalms I’ve clipped that have blessed and strengthened me. My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day.…
Prayer of St. Brendan
St. Brendan set sail with a band of friends in search of the Holy Island. The following prayer is attributed to him as he considers this perilous journey. As each of us considers the call of God in our own lives, this prayer might offer a way of seeking and waiting on the Lord. Shall I abandon, O King of mysteries, the soft…
Prayer for the Suffering
Here is a little prayer from the poet Langston Hughes. It often echoes through my mind as I look out at our world. Gather up In the arms of your pity The sick, the depraved, The desperate, the tired, All the scum Of our weary city Gather up In the arms of your pity. Gather up In the arms of your love—…