I pray for forbearance

I pray for forbearance, in the media and from the lawmakers, and in the stock market, and on the streets, as the new administration gets off to what is being called a rocky start.

I pray that the President, too, will not get discouraged and will be surrounded by intelligence and wisdom to guide and support him in his decisions.

I pray for the President's safety and that of his family, that they will be steered clear of danger and that God will allow them to work for their full term in this country, in our hearts and minds.

I pray for those who did not vote for Obama, that their hearts might be softened enough to see the good he can do to bring us together. To see how far we have come as a country and how much farther this means we can go, together.

--Janice Ellen Wright

Move us to re-order our world so that fewer people go hungry in it

Jesus, God, Spirit, Creator, Brother, Father, Mother...

Please move over the face of our cities in these days. Create order out of chaos. Comfort all who mourn and move us to create conditions for less mournful people. Provide for all in need and move us to re-order our world so that fewer people go hungry in it. Give to those who lack and minister to the souls of those who have more than they need and yet still live in fear of losing even a piece of it. Make your presence known to the lonely. Surround them, hem them in. Then inspire them and send them out.

And God of all creation, one who owns cattle on one thousand hills, one who favors the least of these -- call forth your prophets from every party, from every corner of our nation, from every branch of your church to prophesy to those making the final decisions about the economic recovery bill this week. Give our lawmakers the will to do right by the least of these! Give your people the will to let our voices be heard. Fill us with faith that those who do right by the poor will be provided for by you. Do these things for your glory, O God. Do these things and be glorified, O God. Be glorified as you demonstrate the height and breadth and depth of your love for us.

Jesus, Holy Jesus...

Help us.

Amen. --Lisa

I pray hope is not like some distant relative

I pray hope is not like some distant relative you see once and a while.
I pray that whatever concept of God we have that the spirit of inclusion is somewhere in the midst.
I pray for the poorest nations.
I pray for Jazz.
I pray for everyone to recognize the Holy Spirit is alive and well and not on holiday.
I pray for relief.
I pray for vigilance.
I pray for laughter.
I pray for humankind to be kind.
I pray for my daughters, your daughters, your sons.
I pray because sometimes that's all I know to do. --Jeff

Prayer and affirmation for parents of special needs children

God, today, my entire being cries out to You on behalf of my precious son. May my loving supplication carry with it the hopes of other parents of special needs children.

One of the biggest difficulties of raising special needs children is having to fight for them all the time--either with various systems or against other people's limited and limiting views. May we change the way our culture perceives these children. May we change public policy and education, for all children.

Someone said to me, "Maybe instead of advocacy, you should go back to art history." She said, "A friend of mine had a Down syndrome child and it took over her life; she disappeared." I believe her friend didn't vanish but was transformed. Sometimes you wake up and you have only one road in front of you and only you can walk it. What is the alternative--give up on your child? Sometimes transformation is the only choice.

Friends who are surprised by my new discipline of exercise and running ask if I'm training for something. I say, "No," but that's not true. I am not training for an athletic event. I am not training to fight the New York City Board of Education, although I will. I am not training to knock out a meaningful place in this world for my son
and other kids who are different, although I will do my damnedest.
I am not even in training for my own sanity, although sanity is a
good thing.

I am training to be able to hold my whole self entirely still, a translucent speck in the infinite mirror of the Universe, and say, "Yes, God, I will." I am training to live the life I have been called to live, as well as I can: to transform. I pray that all parents of special needs children can find their way toward whatever transformation they may need.

--Susan

posted on my son's birthday

Soften our hearts

Dear Lord, you have given us a leader

who speaks with your compassion.

Help him and all our leaders

stay the course they have set themselves

to help the people of this country

to care for each other and

for the many who are in trouble now.

Soften our hearts so that we respond

to others as your son has taught us.

Keep our president and his family

safe from any who would hurt them.

Lord, hear us and help us. --Patsy

Psalm 72 is my prayer, too (ref. Jan. 28 post)

Psalm 72 is my prayer too. I pray that as our President begins his formidable charge to help restore our nation and help its people, as well as to negotiate peace and help to reconcile nations, he will look to You, seek Your guidance, and follow Your Will. I especially pray for the safety and well-being of President Obama and his family.

--Jacqueline

For those who read this site or send prayers: a love note from the blogger

When you send me prayers, I read them, then I pray them. I pray for you. When I post your prayers, I read them again. I pray them. I pray for you. When I check how the page looks after I post your prayers, I pray them. I pray for you.

Those who read the site--I pray for you whenever I open it. Those who "follow" it--I pray for you by name. I pray for all of you when I run in the park, which is about every other day.

I am just a middle-aged woman, sitting at a computer in a room the size of a small suburban walk-in closet, in a rented apartment in a 2-family house in Queens, praying for you. I will continue to pray for all of you for the rest of this 100 days.

I encourage you not just to read this site but to pray it. May we all find a new richness of spiritual experience. May we all feel closer to God, to one another, and to creation. May we find the will to change things that we can change and the means to do it.

May God bless you and keep you. --Susan