Praying for our Youth

Is there really such a thing as a generation gap? Do kids think, or approach problems differently than their parents? Yes to both. Perhaps it has always been this way but the speed of changing technology and the capability of communicating worldwide has brought new challenges to kids that their parents or grand-parents never faced. This is complicated by the ammount of cash a modern youth has in her pocket, not to mention credit cards.
Our children grow up so much faster than we did, and face dilemmas that we never thought about. Most of us do not have the answers to the questions our kids ask, nor do we have the solutions to the problems and temptations they face. We can easily say, "Just say No", but that answer from Nancy Reagan in her 1986 War On Drugs campaign is not enough for the youth of 2011. As Christians, parents, friends, and brothers and sisters to the youth, we must be a greater presence. Our task is to listen, love, and support the ones to whom we are passing our legacy.
Let us pray...
Lord, the young people of today face harder choices and greater temptations than we ever imagined. Give us the words of comfort and hope that will guide and inspire them to greatness that we could never imagine. Strengthen them with the power to overcome the obstacles that greed, hate and injustice throw in front of them. Help us to model dignity, justice and truthfulness and be there when they stumble. Show us how we can take part in their lives instead of being too tied up with work or watching reality shows as the reality of their lives disappears.
We brought our young up with hope and promise to be the doctors, teachers, contractors or technicians, and to have a proud future. But instead of inheriting "The American Dream" they will face a nightmare of unimaginable problems. We pray for the journey before them. We ask your Spirit to give hope and strength when they face their own hour of trial. Equip them with the whole armor of God that they may be prepared to stand against the evil of their day. Amen.

A prayer for liberty

As I listen to the news this morning, I am amazed at the courage of protesters in Libya. The long throttle Qaddafi has held on freedom in Libya seems to be at an end, but at what price? Taking freedom and liberty for granted is second nature to Americans. Oppression became the status-quo in Egypt and Libya until now. The Egyptians and Libyans have reminded us that freedom is costly and worth the risks it takes to achieve it.
As we pray for those seeking liberty and freedom from oppression, let us hold our values of liberty high, and pray that we will not be seduced by opportunists or marketeers who would try to change our freedoms into cliches or simple slogans.
Let us pray...
O God of liberty, your call to hope is heard around the globe. Tyrants cannot stand when freedom enters into the hearts of your people. No matter where your children are, no matter how they speak to or about you, you desire them to be free. We pray for those who are held prisoner, who live in fear for their lives, who are not able to choose their government or who do not have the simple freedoms we cherish. We ask for the Spirit of peace and justice to move in these lands and bring hope to the places of darkness.
May our leaders hold the tyrants accountable. May old alliances that were built upon the sands of convenience, money and greed crumble, and may the Kingdom of God be the shining example of hope throughout the world. We pray these things in the name of the one who is truly powerful and gives liberty and hope to all, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

A prayer for our pets

If you like to watch people in fancy evening dress prance around a small arena with a mutt on a leash behind them then the Westminster Dog Show is your kind of television. While I'm not so enamored with the owners and handlers of the dogs, I do admire the poise, beauty, strength and intelligence of these incredible canines. This year's winner was Hickory, a magnificent Scottish Deerhound.
We have two dogs in our household, and while they do not always have poise, they are beautiful animals full of strength and intelligence. I am thankful for the blessings my canine friends bring.

Let us pray...
Oh God of all creation, our world is a garden of beauty and grace that we share with all the creatures of this world. We give thanks for the joy and goodness our pets bring to us. They remind us of love with no conditions and teach us that loyalty is a gift for the common good. Remind us, again and again, that life is to be shared with all who live on this planet. All creatures, from the largest of the whales to the tiniest mouse have a place to fill. Give us wisdom to recognize your hand in the myriad forms of life in our world, and protect the creatures you have put here.
We especially give thanks for our best friends; the dogs, the cats, the birds and other animals in our lives. Bless them too. Amen.

A Prayer for Presidents

President's Day is next Monday, February 21st. It is the holiday when we celebrate two great presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. It would seem appropriate to lift a prayer in thankfulness for those who have led our nation, and even more so, to pray for our current president, Barak Obama.
Let us pray....
O God who steers the course of the mighty winds and lays the depths of the oceans, you have lifted up nations across the seas of time. Many civilizations have come and gone like the grass growing in the summer sun. Our nation has filled its place in time with greatness as well as with shame. It has affected the lives of millions who seek their own goodness and freedom.
We pray for our president, Lord, that you will bless him with wisdom and his time of office might be used for the ways of peace and justice. We ask that his policies and decisions impact our work, our play, our jobs and our freedoms with prosperity and hope. Bless the choices of the president and the congress so the blessings of justice be multiplied for all the citizens of the world. Let our nation be free of the injustices that create poverty, disease and crime. May President Obama be sheltered in safety as he leads us. We pray in the name of the one who reigns now, and forever, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Papers that cut

How many times do you have to shuffle through papers? Probably every day, even if you are one of the lucky ones that doesn't have to file a 1040A form. We rifle through bank statements, junk mail, bills, health forms and ballots on a regular basis without blinking an eye. There is so much information that we have to check, fill out, record, file and shred that we often don't even think about the amount of paperwork that we go through on a daily basis. This prayer is for those who live with paper cuts and dried-out ball-point pens.

O Lord of the setting sun, it seems that our world is piled high with papers and file cabinets that have little to do with the beauty that you have created, and yet our lives is quite often corralled by red tape. Help me cut through the red tape and provide for my family and those I love. Give me wisdom and clarity as I fill out the forms and get to the bottom of all of the stack of papers in front of me. But even more importantly, help me to focus on what is important; namely, the loves of my life, the beauty of creation, the goodness of my friends and the joys that I too often shove aside as I reach fo that stack of bills. Lift me, O Spirit of God, above these trivial things and teach me to let them go. Amen.

Praying with a bat

My grandson tried out for little league last week, and of course, he got on the team. I have no doubt that his father's coaching ability and enthusiasm for the game had no small part in him making the team. I asked him what position he was going to play, and after a long silence with some "mmmm"'s and "uhhhh"'s, he said that he was going to be the guy who stood in the middle of the field, but couldn't remember what they called him. But even so, he will tell his dad takes a video of the game, so I can watch him.
We need to pray for our children as they pick up the bat and try something new, even when they haven't a clue what they are doing.
Let us pray....
O God of play and sport, you have blessed us with games and fun. Our lives are too busy with papers, meetings, calendars and agendas. Give us the wisdom to play, and even more importantly, to teach our children to play. Give us fresh creativity every day. Show us how to sit on the floor and build legos with our children. Lead our hearts so that we spend more time playing baseball, reading books or trying out our children's favorite video game.
Lord, you invited all children to come to you. Let our lives be an invitation as well so they may think of us as good playmates to be trusted and loved. Keep our hearts pure so our children can learn by example. Remind us to focus on the gifts of joy, hope and play, and how we are often led into the Kingdom of God by children.

Another possible prayer for little league is:
Dear Lord Jesus, bless Suzy (or Johnny) as she plays today. Let her have fun, and enjoy laughing and playing with new friends. Let her know that no matter what happens, I am very proud of her and know she is a wonderful and incredible girl. Bless all the kids who are playing and keep them safe. As she holds that bat, we know that whether she hits the ball or does not, she will have done her best. Bless us all, in Jesus name!

a pray for work

Ecclesiastes says, "(You) can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in (your) work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.
Let us pray...
O God who worked in creation, still works in the green fields and toils in the seas and harvests the rain of the air, we give thanks for your work and continued love to us. You call us to work for the good of our brothers and sisters and food our own daily bread. We find the fruits of our labor satisfying and are glad to share it with those we love and those in need.
We must confess, O God that there are days we dread going to work. When the task is hard, those we work with are difficult to bear, or other needs weigh on our heart. Help us, O God to be mindful of our work. Bring work to those who search for it, and give prosperity through the toil and labors of our nation. Bless us with good honest work O God, so we might look at the tasks we have accomplished and say, "It is good!"

6 months after

Today is February 11th, exactly six months after September 11th, the day many we remember as a day of violence and terror. September 11th will always be a painful day when we gather together to pray for those who were lost in 2001. But, February 11th, 2011, ten years and six months after the falling of the twin towers, we watched as the Egyptians peacefully changed their nation for the sake of freedom. We as Americans can learn something from the Egyptians. For in their quest for peace, they stopped their protests no matter what they were doing to pray. Was there ever a peaceful Christian revolution brought about by peace and prayer? Perhaps Martin Luther King was right. Non-violence, prayer and protest can go together. It is time for us to pray for peace, and demand that those who would keep power illegitimately, listen to our prayers.


Let us pray....
O God of peace, we give thanks for new found freedom and liberty in the world. The quest for dignity and freedom has not been quelled by guns and power. Teach us O God, the lessons that Moses learned when he depended upon your strong hand. Just as he did not tolerate the despotic rule of Pharaoh, so, we too will no longer live where brothers and sisters do not have peace. Let us rejoice, Lord God and celebrate with those finding peace, but even more, let us work and struggle with those who have yet to drink of the sweet joy of liberty. Amen.

A prayer for shopping

I've always wondered what Jesus would say about the need we have to go shopping. I can certainly find hints about his thoughts in a few Gospel passages, such as the rich young man and the eye of a needle, or the parable of Lazurus and Dives, or even the coin with Ceasar's face imprinted on it. But even so, shopping is a necessity of life. We have to shop for groceries or clothes, or other daily needs. 
Religious folk tell us that God and prayer should be a part of that "daily grind". But how many of us take the time to pray as we get out of the car, grab the grocery shopping cart and begin tooling our way around the aisles of the grocery store? Why not get in the habit of make a regular chore into an opportunity for regular prayer?"

Let us pray....
O Lord who provides for our every need, I ask your blessing, strength and endurance as I wander around this store, seeking the best buys and best quality of food (clothing, auto, toys, etc.) for me and mine. Keep the smile in my heart, so that I might greet strangers and friends and be a blessing. Remind me with every purchase that I do not live by bread alone, but by every Word that comes from you. Make me a good steward of the gifts you have given me, so that I (or my family and I) might use your abundance for blessing others. With every purchase, teach us to rejoice in the good gifts that we have and lead me away from the temptation of greed. I pray this in the name of my Lord Jesus who holds all things in his hands. Amen.

A New Holiday

As I did the weekly grocery shopping yesterday, I found enormous displays of chips, salsa, beer, chicken wings, pizza,  hoagies and bags of nuts all screaming out for shoppers to take them home for today's Superbowl extravaganza. One maker of pepperoni reported that if all the sausage they had made for this event were stacked end to end, it would go all the way through the earth. That's a lot of meat!
Americans are great at partying, whether it is from the trunk of a car in a football parking lot, to a Halloween party where we dress in costumes we wouldn't be caught dead in. The Superbowl is an unofficial national holiday celebrating good times, the incredible joy of heated competition and the great American invention of commercials. In other words, It's Party Time!
Prayer is a good thing, even at parties. So, if you can find a time between commercials and preferably before you make the chart for the football pool, here's a prayer for the food:
Let us pray....
God of all good gifts, we give thanks for the blessings we find today. We've come together to shout, laugh and have fun. Let our hearts be joined in laughter and friendship as we are amazed at the great sports in the game.  Let our  mouths be delighted with the incredible food that has been prepared by our loved ones and friends. This is a a holiday to rejoice in the blessings of friendship and the gifts of good and fun food. We are thankful for your blessings, O God. Amen.

The First Prayer

What is the first thing you eat, drink or even do in the morning. After stumbling out of bed, do you find your way into the kitchen to make that first cup of coffee? Do you head to the bathroom and do your daily necessities? Maybe that is too much information (TMI, as my daughter calls it.) Or do you just sit for a minute, wait for the morning aches to fade and the haze from sleep clear from your mind? I am usually awakened by the dogs who want me to tell them one more time that I love them and lick my face or whatever is exposed outside the covers. Whether it is the coffee or the dogs that wake me up, God is usually not one of the very first things I think of, and I think God is OK with that, but when I smell the coffee, have a little breakfast or kiss my wife, then I become much more thankful. Maybe that first prayer is delayed until I am warming up in the shower, or maybe its as I am reading the paper, or maybe its just a momentary sigh about a trouble of the day, knowing that I will need help. Whenever that first prayer happens, I know that it will be heard.

Let us pray....
Oh God of the dawning beauty, the earth has reached another morning, and another chance for a fresh start. Bless me and mine today as we face the tasks, the joys and challenges that will face us. There may be trouble that is unexpected; there may be joys greater than I could have imagined; or there could be just another day to walk with you, Lord and find the blessings in the ordinary events of the day. May your Spirit bring me to choices that will bless and share goodness with everyone who walks beside me onto today's path.

The gift of my best friend.

Last night, we discovered that our service dog might be closer to a pure-breed than a mutt. He might just be a Leon Berger, a relatively new breed to the American Dog scene. This may give him a little more prestige than he had when we just thought of him as a mutt. The down side of this is that Leon Bergers have a relatively short life, which makes me very sad. It seems an odd quirk that such wonderfully intelligent and beautiful animals that can bring joy and function as a wonderful working dog have such short lives. I think that this will be one of my questions for God. Why is such beauty so short lived.


Let us pray...
O God of beauty and grace, we give thanks that we have known and loved such beautiful creatures in our life times. We often think your goodness comes through a smile, a sunset, the right word or a star spangled night sky. But there is just as much love and goodness in a wagging tail or sand-papery lick. Let us rejoice every day for the goodness in your creation no matter how it comes to us. Teach us how to respect all of the beauty we walk with, especially when we are out walking with our best friend. Amen.

Published today

Today was the First official day of publication for Prayers 2 Pray, a book of prayers for many situations.

In the television program, “MASH”, Father Mulcahey was the chaplain of the MASH 4077 unit. The Father seemed to have a prayer book that had prayers for everything from calming a nursing mother to blessing a jeep. It is my hope to provide prayers for all situations, so with your help and feedback, we can create an online prayer book that would rival Father Mulcahey’s.

The book can be found at Prayers 2 Pray. Please go take a look at it and let me know what you think.