Praying With Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-c.394)

You truly, O Lord, are the pure and eternal fount of goodness; ... who did curse, and did bless; you did banish us from Paradise, and did recall us; you did strip off the fig-tree leaves ... and put upon us a costly garment; you did open the prison and did release the condemned; you did sprinkle us with clean water, and cleanse us from our filthiness. No longer shall ... the flaming sword encircle Paradise around, and make the entrance inaccessible to those that draw near; but all is turned to joy for us that were the heirs of sin; Paradise, yea, heaven itself may be trodden by man, and the creation, in the world and above the world, that once was at variance with itself, is knit together in friendship: and we ... are made to join in the angels' song, offering the worship of their praise.
- from "On the Baptism of Christ"

For God’s Help

Blessed Lord, who wast tempted in all things like as
we are, have mercy upon our frailty.  Out of weakness
give us strength.  Support us in time of temptation.
Embolden us in the time of danger.  Help us to do thy
work with good courage; and to continue thy faithful
soldeiers and servants unto our life’s end; for thy
name’s sake.

In Time of Temptation

O God, if thou dost permit us to be taken up into the
mount of temptation to see the kingdoms of the world
and the glory of them, grant that we may see also the
world’s need and the fields white already to harvest,
that so, by thy grace, we may desire only thy glory
and the redemption of our fellowmen, and lose our
wills in thine, whose service is perfect freedom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For Mercy

O Thou, who searchest the hearts of men; Look with
mercy upon our sins, especially our sins against the
truth; forgive them and help us to walk this day in
the light.  Deliver us from timid silence; give us
courage to speak the truth with boldness, and grace to
speak the truth with love; and save us in thought,
word, and deed from the perils of self-deception;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

For Consecration

O God, who alone canst uphold the minds of men,
without whose beauty and goodness our souls are unfed,
without whose truthfulness our reasons wither;
Consecrate our lives to thy will, giving us such
purity of heart, such depth of faith, such
steadfastness of purpose, that, in thy good time, we
may come to think thine own thoughts after thee;
through Jesus Christ our Savior.  

Prayer for Peace

This is from Bill Clendineng of the Plainfield Friends Meeting.

One of the most fundamental things that we can pray for is peace. It is also one of the greatest needs in our world today. But how do we preay for peace? I came across a simplle and profound suggestion: Pray for peace one person at a time!

1. Pray for the person in your family who annoys you the most, whether near-family or far. Do something nice for them.

2. Pray for an annoying neighbor. Pray for special blessings from God for that neighbor. Smile at them the next time you see them.

3. Pray for the most obnoxious co-worker, classmate or acquaintance you know. Give them a smile also.

4. Pray for the person in your church that you have a hard time dealing with. Invite them out for a cup of coffee and some conversation.

5. Pray for the stranger you might have crossed paths with--the guy in the store with the tattoos or the woman who looked like she was carrying a heavy load of burdens inside.

6. Pray for the last person you heard swearing. Ask God to replace their attitude with a heart of worship.

7. Pray for a political leader you have a hard time saying anything nice about. Envision them doing profound acts of kindness.

8. Pray for a local soldier. Ask that God will be real in his or her life.

9 Pray for the most evil person in the world that comes to mind. Remember how Paul was transformed from a destroyer of Chritians to a follower of Jesus.

There is one important thing to keep in mind--Do not pray that the people you are praying for will become like you want them to be. Ask God to touch them so that they might become the person he wants them to be.

Try it--Just one week of prayers for these people.
Trust God to do great things.

"You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (Matthew 5:43-45 NIV)

Submitted by Carl Harcourt