Prayers – Choose Joy: Poems, Prayers and Prose

Silence

In the sheer silence

You speak to me, loving God –

I breathe and listen.

Bell Lake, Woodbury, NJ
(photo by: Carla A. Romarate-Knipel)

Early Morning Prayer

Gracious, loving God,

On this cold, wintry day

I thank you for the warmth of your love

that covers me like a blanket,

keeping me safe and secure.

As the snow lays on the ground.

I am comforted by your words through the prophet Isaiah,

that though my “sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow.”

Thank you for your grace and forgiveness.

Help me to fall asleep again, and in the darkness breathe

deeply and close my eyes.

Watch over me and all I love until I awaken to the dawning

of a new day.

A New Year’s Day Prayer

It’s the first day of the new year, O God.

I thank you for the past year – with all its

…blessings, hardships, and challenges.

I thank you that you were with me

the whole time.

Even in the darker days, your Light

shone

… to illuminate my path,

… to warm my heart,

and lead me forward.

Now here I am,

at the beginning of a

new year.

May I go through this day and this year,

with confidence

in your everlasting, unconditional

love.

May I look up to You, who look upon me with

favor,

not because I am perfect, but because you are

perfect

and by my faith in Jesus, you have made me your

child.

Send me forth then into this new year, into your

world,

with hope and strength

to be your living, breathing blessing

to everyone I meet on this path,

journeying together…

to the future that you have prepared

for all your beloved children,

with faith, hope and love.

In the name of Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega,

the Author of my beginnings and endings.

Amen.

Morning Prayer

Good morning, dear God!

The sun has greeted you already while my eyes were closed, my body still asleep.

In Ilonggo, I say, “Maayong Aga!” It sounds more soft, more tender when I say it out loud to you,

our Loving Creator – the source of life, language and love.

Thank you! “Salamat gid!”

Again, gratitude in Ilonggo glides out of my lips like honey dripping with sweetness.

I say “Salamat, thank you, gracias, merci,” for a new day, so full of possibilities…

you and me, together –

walking through it, hand in hand, with love.

May I not let go of your hand, nor lose sight of you, and take off towards another direction.

Please help me to trust you every step of the way, even with all that’s going on in my life and in this world that are driving me to be in doubt and mired in despair.

Remind me of this “Salamat” moment, the peace and joy and quiet with you before I rose from sleep to meet the fevered demands of the day.

May this memory be a gift that I carry in my heart to give me strength, come what may.

So be it.

Salamat gid!

In the name of Yeshua, the Messiah.

Amen.

Good Friday haiku

My grandma said, “hush,”

Today God is dead, be still –

Weep, lament and pray.

Prayer – Awe

I open my eyes from slumber and see the sunbeams softly fill the room with light. I breathe deeply, aware that once again, I am alive, reborn and renewed by you, O Loving Creator who watched over me while I slept last night.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Let me not forget this quiet moments of gratitude and awe in your holy presence. Let me go through this day with eyes wide open, ready to be in awe of the beauty and goodness in me and around me today. Let me be in awe of what goes unnoticed, a leaf, a fallen branch, a bud waiting to flower...and by your grace, in these moments, let me feel your presence, take me by the hand. In the name of Yeshua, who calmed the storm and fed the hungry multitude. Amen.

An Advent Prayer

Our Good and Gracious God,

In this season of waiting, I pray that you will wait with me…

…in hope

…in peace

…with joy

and love.

I humbly pray that your holy, comforting presence keep watch with me

and my beloved who lays broken, waiting to be made whole.

Like Zechariah, may I embrace the silence of not knowing, with faith.

With Elizabeth, help me to have the courage to live through this season of waiting.

With Mary, lead me to a place in my heart that dares to sing with joy

in the midst of unanswered

questions.

In all these longings and pleas, may your Holy Spirit empower me and all I love

to be bold in claiming your gift of salvation, who came to us first as a tiny, fragile

baby, cradled in the hay of our humanity.

In the precious name of Yeshua. Emmanuel. Amen.

Prayer after the Election

Almighty and merciful God,

It is the day after the election in this country whose motto is “In God we Trust.”

Help me and every citizen in this country to step back and reflect what it means

to truly trust in You. Help us to rely on your wisdom and to depend on you for

strength and hope to get through this time of waiting. May your love conquer our fears

and draw us closer to you, the source of all goodness and grace, and to each other.

Forgive us of our pride, our selfishness and lack of compassion especially for the weak

and vulnerable among us. Restore and heal our land, O God and raise up leaders

who are humble and willing to serve with sincerity and empathy. Help us not to look out

for our own selfish interests, instead renew our minds and hearts that we may look

beyond ourselves and see those in need, and realize that in caring for them, we are caring for

You. In the name of Jesus, who came to serve and not to be served. Amen.

Prayer for Peace

Eternal God,

I humbly ask for your gift of peace.

Help us to receive it with humility and grace.

Let not the evil and greed that threaten harmony among your children,

prevail.

Draw us to yourself and your love, that we may live with compassion

towards everyone, even those who do not share our views about

how things ought to be done.

Help us to realize that we can live and thrive

even with our differences if we only try to see that deep in our hearts

we all desire to care for those we love.

Hear our prayer, O God.

Have mercy on us, I pray. Amen.

A New Day: A Prayer for Renewal

Dear God,

A new day has begun. Once more, I can begin anew and be a channel of your grace in the world. Let me not be too busy to stop and breathe deeply and feel you life-giving Spirit in me. Help me to care for myself so that I may care for others with more energy and joy. Renew me from within that I may live each moment of this day with a fresh and vibrant resolve to serve you and others with humility and compassion.

I pray this in the name of Jesus, who is alive forevermore. Amen.