The beginning of prayer is silence...
God speaking in the silence of the heart.
And then we start talking to God
from the fullness of the heart.
And he listens.

The beginning of prayer is scripture...
We listen to God speaking.
And then we begin to speak to him again
from the fullness of our heart.
And he listens.

That is really prayer.
Both sides listening
And both sides speaking.

~~~

"We need prayer to understand God's love for us.
You have to read that beautiful passage
in Isaiah where God speaks and says:
'I have called you by name.
You are mine.
Water will not drown you,
fire will not burn you.
I will give up nations for you.
You are precious to me.'

We are precious to him.
That man dying in the street - precious to him;
that millionaire - precious to him;
that sinner - precious to him.
Because he loves us."

~~~

St. John Chrysostom

It is possible to offer fervent prayer
even when walking in public
or strolling alone, or seated in your shop...
while buying or selling, or even while cooking.

Scripture

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.
Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,
The Creator of the ends of the earth
He does not faint or grow weary;
His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the faint
And strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
And the young will fall exhausted;

But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

- Book of Isaiah

~~~

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves."

- Psalm 34:19

~~~

"I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
And set my feet upon a rock,
Making my steps secure."

- Psalm 40:1-2

~~~

"I am the Resurrection and the Life
he who believes in me,
though he dies,
shall live.

- John 11:25

Prayers

Traditional Celtic Christian Prayer

Deep peace of the running wave to you,
Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,
Deep peace of the shining stars to you,
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
Amen

~~~~

A Blessing

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face
to shine upon you and be gracious to you,
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

- Book of Numbers

~~~~

Prayer of Frances de Sales

If only I possessed the grace, good Jesus,
to be utterly at one with you!
Amidst all the variety of worldly things around me,
Lord, the only thing I crave is unity with you.
You are all my soul needs.
Unite, dear friend of my heart,
this unique little soul of mine
to your perfect goodness.

You are all mine; when shall I be yours?
Lord Jesus, my beloved, be the magnet of my heart;
clasp, press, unite me for ever to your Sacred Heart.
You have made me for yourself; make me one with you.
Absorb this tiny drop of life into the ocean of goodness whence it came.

~~~~

Traditional Jewish Prayer

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining.
I believe in love even when feeling it not.
I believe in God even when He is silent.

~~~~

St. Teresa of Avila

Trust in God.
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you.
All things pass.

God alone never changes.
Patience achieves
All it strives for.
He who has God
Finds he lacks nothing,
God alone suffices.

~~~~

Traditional Christian Prayer

God of all consolation,
In your unending love and mercy for us
You turn the darkness of death
Into the dawn of new life
Show compassion to your people in their sorrow.

Be our refuge and our strength
To lift us from the darkness of this grief
to the peace and light of your presence.

Your son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
By dying for us, conquered death
And by rising again, restored life.

May we then go forward eagerly to meet him,
And after our life on earth
Be reunited with our brothers and sisters
Where every tear will be wiped away.

~~~~

Traditional Jewish Prayers

I have the Lord always before me;
Surely He is at my right hand,
I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad,
And my glory rejoiceth.
Thou makest me know the path of life;
In Thy path is fullness of joy,
In Thy right hand bliss for evermore.

~~~~

May God remember the soul of my beloved ones
Who have been called to eternal rest.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of eternal life.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.

Hymns

Traditional Christian Hymn

Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom
Lead thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet;
I do not ask to see the distant scene;
One step enough for me.

I was not ever thus,
nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path;
but now lead thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will:
remember not past years!

So long thy power hath blessed me,
sure it still will lead me on.
O�er moor and fen, o�er crag and torrent,
till the night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

- John Henry Newman, 1833

~~~~

You are Near

Yahweh, I know you are near
Standing always at my side.
You guard me from the foe,
and you lead me in ways everlasting.

Lord you have searched my heart
And you know when I sit and when I stand.
You hand is upon me,
protecting me from death,
keeping me from harm.

Yahweh, I know you are near
Standing always at my side.
You guard me from the foe,
and you lead me in ways everlasting.

Where can I run from your love?
If I climb to the heavens you are there;
If I fly to the sunrise
Or sail beyond the sea,
still I'd find you there.

You know my heart and its ways,
You who formed me before I as born,
In the secret of darkness before I saw the sun,
In my mothers womb.

Yahweh, I know you are near
Standing always at my side.
You guard me from the foe,
and you lead me in ways everlasting.

Marvelous to me are your works;
How profound are your thoughts my Lord.
Even if I could count them
They number as the stars,
You would still be there.

Yahweh, I know you are near
Standing always at my side.
You guard me from the foe,
and you lead me in ways everlasting.

By Dan Schutte, based on psalm 139
Words and music (c) 1981

~~~~

Traditional Shaker Song

I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth,
At Beth-le-hem I had my birth.

Dance, then, wherever you may be.
I am the Lord of the dance, said he.
I'll lead you all wherever you may be,
I will lead you all in the Dance, said he.

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black
It's hard to dance with the devil on you back
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high,
And they left me there on a cross to die.

Dance, then, wherever you may be.
I am the Lord of the dance, said he.
I'll lead you all wherever you may be,
I will lead you all in the Dance, said he.

They cut me down and I leapt up high,
I am the life that'll never, never die,
I'll live in you if you'll live in me;
I am the Lord of he Dance, said he.

Dance, then, wherever you may be.
I am the Lord of the dance, said he.
I'll lead you all wherever you may be,
I will lead you all in the Dance, said he.

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