Prayers
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Prayers of Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226
You are holy
You are holy, Lord, the only God and your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong, you are great,
You are the most high, you are almighty.
You, holy Father, are the king of heaven and earth.
You are three and one, Lord God, all good.
You are good, all good, supreme good, Lord God, living and true.
You are love, you are wisdom
You are humility, you are endurance.
You are rest, you are peace.
You are joy and gladness, you are justice and moderation.
You are all riches and you suffice for us.
You are beauty, you are gentleness.
You are our protector, you are our guardian and defender.
You are courage, you are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, great and wonderful Lord.
God almighty, merciful Saviour.
Lord, make us to walk in your way;
Where there is love and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance;
Where there is patience and humility, there is neither anger nor annoyance;
Where there is poverty and joy, there is neither greed nor avarice;
Where there is peace and contemplation, there is neither care nor restlessness;
Where there is fear of God to guard the dwelling, there no enemy can enter;
Where there is mercy and prudence, there is neither excess nor harshness;
This we know through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is discord, vision.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
Where there is sadness, joy.
O divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Prayer of Nicholas Ferrar
O most mighty and merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee, if it be thy good pleasure, to continue to us that singular benefit which thou hast given us in the friendship of thy servant, our dear brother, who now lieth on the bed of sickness.
Let him abide with us yet a while for the furtherance of our faith; yet awhile spare him, that he live to your honour and our comfort.
Thou hast made him a great help and furtherance of the best things among us. O Lord we beseech thee, restore to us our dear brother, by restoring him to health.
Nicholas Ferrar (1592-1637) for George Herbert, who was gravely ill.
Nicholas Ferrar, born in 1592, was the founder of a religious community that lasted from 1626 to 1646.
After Nicholas had been ordained as a deacon, he and his family and a few friends retired to Little Gidding, Huntingdonshire, England, to devote themselves to a life of prayer, fasting and almsgiving (Matthew 6:2,5,16).
They restored the abandoned church building and became responsible for regular services there. They taught the neighborhood children and looked after the health and well-being of the people of the district. They read the regular daily offices of the Book of Common Prayer, including the recital every day of the complete Psalter. Day and night, there was always at least one member of the community kneeling in prayer before the altar, that they might keep the word, "Pray without ceasing."
They wrote books and stories dealing with various aspects of Christian faith and practice. They fasted with great rigor, and in other ways embraced voluntary poverty so that they might have as much money as possible for the relief of the poor.
The community was founded in 1626 (when Nicholas was 34). He died in 1637 (aged 45) and in 1646 the community was forcibly broken up by the Puritans of Cromwell's army. The memory of the community survived to inspire and influence later undertakings in Christian communal living, and one of T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets is called "Little Gidding."
Prayer of abandonment
Father,
I abandon myself into your hands;
do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do,
I thank you:I am ready for all,
I accept all.Let only your will be done in me,
and in all your creatures.I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you Lord, and so need to give myself;
to surrender myself into your hands, without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my father.
Charles de Foucauld
Charles de Foucauld was born in 1858 and led a dissipated life as a young cavalry officer. In 1890 he became a monk and went on to become a deacon to the Poor Clares in Jerusalem and Nazareth. His Rules for brothers and for sisters in community were the inspiration for the Little Brothers of Jesus and the Little Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
Prayers from the 2005 DIAKONIA World Assembly
Choreographer Divine,
you danced creation into being
and call us to partner you in the dance.
Teach us the steps of faith.
Whether our life be in quick step or slow,
may we be in tune with the rhythm and flow of your dance.
When we twist and turn in the dark places of our lives
and discouragement and despair trip us,
hold us gently in your arms
and lift us in an arabesque of love and hope.
As we dance to unknown places and new opportunities,
may we encourage others,
not just to tap their feet
but to risk joining in the dance of life.
Prayers for the diaconal work of the church
Loving God, your Son prayed that all people might be one in you.
We give thanks for the example of the diaconate in your church.
We pray for deacons, deaconesses and diaconal workers of all traditions
and the countries and contexts in which they serve.
Lord in your mercy,
(All) Hear our prayer.
We give thanks for the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
We ask you for understanding of your will and strength to serve.
Lord in your mercy,
(All) Hear our prayer.
We thank you for your peace and healing given to us.
We ask you to bring reconciliation and wholeness
where there is division, sickness and sorrow.
Lord in your mercy,
(All) Hear our prayer.
We give thanks for our calling and the gifts you have given us.
Refresh us for our ministry and help us to show your love in our lives.
Lord in your mercy,
(All) Hear our prayer.
In a moment of silence,
we offer up to you the prayers of our hearts.
(Here there may be a symbolic gathering of everyone's prayers by collecting into one place small symbols such as glass beads, pebbles, water or leaves etc.)
We gather our prayers into one
and pray as our saviour taught us,
(in the language of our choice) Our Father…
The theme is 'Christ – the Water of Life' (Bible Text: John 4:14)
We were each given a glass bead as we entered the cathedral, to represent a drop of water and asked to hold this in our hand during the prayers.
Creator God,
as we pray for hope throughout our world,
inspire us with the wisdom of your spirit
and may our brother Jesus lead us to love and serve you.
Scripture says 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water'.
We pray for all those to whom we minister,
that your love will flow out to them through us.
(Cantor) Laudate, omnes gentes, laudate Dominum!
(All) Laudate, omnes gentes, laudate Dominum!
The man born blind was told by Jesus to go and wash in the pool, and he was healed.
We pray for the sick, especially those who do not have access to treatment, and for all those who care.
Laudate omnes gentes...
Jesus said 'Let anyone who is thirsty come to me'.
We pray for those who live where there is drought,
who have neither water to drink nor food to eat,
and for all people and organisations that try to help.
Laudate omnes gentes...
Lord, you calmed the waves of the sea by saying 'Peace, Be still!'
Bring justice and peace to our world.
Help us to stand with the poor
and be the voice of those who suffer because of disaster, war, greed or discrimination.
Laudate omnes gentes...
Christ, you were able to tell the woman of Samaria about her past.
We thank you for the flow of human history,
for all the events and people who have shaped and moulded our lives
Laudate omnes gentes...
As we gather our drops of water and pour them into the well, may all our prayers be gathered together and be received by Jesus Christ the Living Water of Life.
(The beads were gathered up and brought to 'the well' as we sang)
(All) Confitemini Domino, quoniam bonus:
Confitemini Domino, Alleluia!
Let us gather our prayers in the words Jesus gave us,
(in the language of our choice) Our Father…
The blessing of God,
the Creator, who made, from one,
every nation that occupies the earth;
the Son, who brings the water of life
to every tribe and language and people and nation;
the Spirit who brings us together in unity,
be with us and remain with us always.
Amen
Look not mournfully upon the past, it will not come again.
Wisely improve the present, it is God's gift to you.
Go forth into the shadowy future with courage;
and in the peace and love of God.
Northumbrian origin
Prayers ©Stella Bristow, Pat Wright, Anne Marr: DIAKONIA Worship Group.
For further prayers or information, please contact Diaconal Association of the Church of England or Methodist Diaconal Order.