Tag Archives: prayer

A prayer to know God

As many of you I have heard people worry they would not know what to say to God were they to try and pray. It seems a large number think a secret code or passwords are necessary. I think scripture as a whole points to a heart condition when approaching God rather than smooth talk.

There are no magic words to calling on the name of the Lord (Romans 10:13). How Rosaria Champagne Butterfield opens her heart in this prayer, I think, reveals the repentance and faith God seeks. This is how she describes the night of her salvation.

That night, I prayed, and asked God if the gospel message was for someone like me, too. I viscerally felt the living presence of God as I prayed. Jesus

seemed present and alive. I knew that I was not alone in my room. I prayed that if Jesus was truly a real and risen God, that he would change my heart. And if he was real and if I was his, I prayed that he would give me the strength of mind to follow him and the character to become a godly woman. I prayed for the strength of character to repent for a sin that at that time didn’t feel like sin at all–it felt like life, plain and simple. I prayed that if my life was actually his life, that he would take it back and make it what he wanted it to be. I asked him to take it all: my sexuality, my profession, my community, my tastes, my books and my tomorrows.

Later she reflects on what it means to repent, her reflection brimming with biblical insight:

I learned the first rule of repentance: that repentance requires greater intimacy with God that with our sin. How much greater? About the size of a mustard seed. Repentance requires that we draw near to Jesus, no matter what. And sometimes we all have to crawl there on our hands and knees. Repentance is an intimate affair. And for many of us, intimacy with anything is a terrifying prospect.

From The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, pgs. 20, 21.

A prayer from St. Patrick

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.
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I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

(HT: Klampert)

When faith strengthens faith

faithA few thoughts on the subject of faith, an excerpt from my Keeping Company With God prayer journal.

It seems to me that faith is a long term deal more than a short term solution. Less “I’m praying for a good deal on a house,” and more “I’m confident that God is in control of the universe, regardless of what happens to me.”

It is obvious that there is a “day-to-day” faith that sees us through decision making, relationships and storms. This seems to be the kind of faith that pervades our prayer times-“Lord, make my child well.” Our longer term faith is less expressed in prayer than it is lived out over the course of years. It becomes a disposition of our existence-not fate-but trust in the all seeing, knowing and caring God of the Bible.

In this life, the long-term faith must always inform the short term faith and not vice-versa. When long term faith is experienced as contentment in the actions of the sovereign God, then short term faith is encouraged. When the struggle of short term faith becomes the foundation of long term faith, then both waver and may collapse. We cannot, nor are we expected to go day-to-day without the assurance that God is for us in the end. In the end we are helped when we view our short term trials and persecutions in the light of a yonder star, not the flashlight in hand.

Paul wrote, “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8). God’s view is always the long term view and that should be ours as well.