Prayer For Golfers
Almighty God, as we play through our 18 holes of life, we pray that you will give us a drive that's both long enough to reach our goals, and yet straight enough to keep us out of trouble.
Help us avoid the traps and hazards of life; nevertheless, should we find ourselves in them, give us the tools, skills and desire to escape them with no penalty. May we always stay in bounds.
Help us to be willing to stand by - and not play through - those in genuine need. May we always play with honor.
And finally, when we've putted out on the 18th green, we pray that we will have demonstrated the integrity of our character, so that you will judge us worthy enough to join your threesome and play eternally on your heavenly course. Amen.
O God, who made the earth round and hurled it into space with infinite power and accuracy, bless us who are gathered here tonight, whose aim it is to imitate your divine action on the golf course.
Grant us a portion of your power, smoothness and accuracy. Give us poise, perseverance and patience in our golfing efforts. Implant in our hearts a love for this great game but a greater love for our fellowman on and off the golf course. May brotherly love reign supreme in all our golfing and kindred activities.
Bless our staff, our officers, our champions, our duffers. Increase their proficiency and decrease their scores. Lengthen their woods and straighten their irons. Control their approaches and guide their putts. But above all, O Lord, bestow on them a saving sense of humor and balance so that they may always golf in the spirit of charity, humility and reverence for your name.
Finally, O Lord, bless this spirited social gathering, and this food that we are about to take in realization that all good things even a good score come from you.
Amen.
Dear God,
We are grateful for the chance we had today to play the game of golf. We are thankful for the exercise it provided for our bodies, for the sense of companionship we experienced with other golfers, and for the opportunity we had to enjoy the beauty of creation. Open our minds and hearts to the lessons this game can teach us about life.. that we shouldn't give up after a few bad holes, because things will probably get better if we just keep trying. that we need to be flexible, if the nine iron won't do the trick, maybe the pitching wedge will.. that the lowest handicaps aren't necessarily earned by the women with the latest fashions in golfing attire or the most expensive set of clubs, but by those who work hard at their game with patience and persistence.
Bless each person here whether she ended up a winner or loser when the scorecards were handed in today, for if we enjoyed the game we played together we really were all winners. We ask now for your blessing on this food.
Amen.
Blessed art Thou oh Lord our God !
Thou hast made the sand, the grass the trees,
and gently in the tallest oak,
You waft a gentle breeze.
You drew the bubbling little brook.
You painted the placid pond.
You sigh the deepest twilight.
And smile the brightest dawn.
Beneath the fog, beneath the mist,
that drifts across the ground,
You twirl Your mighty finger,
and spin this world around.
The hills, the valleys, the winding wood,
inspire a soul to sing,
was ever there such beauty, Lord
where rolls the emerald green
Oh God, I know You are a golfer,
Your work does thus demand.
It seems Your only handicap,
is this thing that You call man.
Can this be an island, Lord ?
A place of grace and charm.
Away from daily trouble Lord,
away from daily harm ?
We pray that this may be, dear God,
a place where love extends.
Where travelers come as strangers
and golfers leave as friends !
God, What is my fascination with this game?
Is it the outdoors the green fairways, the blue skies, the lakes and trees,
the feel of the breeze across my face?
Is it the friends with whom I play their companionship, their encouragement, the conversation between holes, the silence as we wait our turn?
Is it the game the balance between grace and skill and power,
the striving for perfection, the loft of the ball, the precision of the putt?
Or is it all of these, and in these, meditations about all of life harmony, friendship, balance, and, every once in awhile, the perfect shot and a glorious Amen.
God,
You've blessed us with the beauty of nature, the abilities of mind and body, plus the insights of modern technology. These blessings join together today in the sport, Golf.
Be with us, that we may enjoy
each moment of today's outing:
May
our vision be keen as an eagle's,
our drives straight as aces,
our irons sure as the birdies' flight,
our putts true and on the mark,
and the fellowship above par!
May we call upon your Holy Name only
in praise, and leave cursing the Devil
to those more qualified
And, if it be your Will, a good score
would make today heavenly! Amen!
Lord, as I walk down the fairways of life,
help me to realize that my greatest opportunities to learn
are actually when I am in the rough,
where I discover things I never knew were there,
and when I'm in the deepest sand,
where I learn that there is a time to walk softly,
and clean-up after myself,
and when I'm playing scramble,
where I learn that I have friends
to make up for what I lack,
and when I find the water,
where I learn that some things
are better left alone.
And when the ball rolls into the hole
for that wonderful par,
help me to realize that
all good things come from you.
Blessed art Thou oh Lord our God !
Thou hast made the sand, the grass the trees,
and gently in the tallest oak,
You waft a gentle breeze.
You drew the bubbling little brook.
You painted the placid pond.
You sigh the deepest twilight.
And smile the brightest dawn.
Beneath the fog, beneath the mist,
that drifts across the ground,
You twirl Your mighty finger,
and spin this world around.
The hills, the valleys, the winding wood,
inspire a soul to sing,
was ever there such beauty, Lord
where rolls the emerald green
Oh God, I know You are a golfer,
Your work does thus demand.
It seems Your only handicap,
is this thing that You call man.
Can this be an island, Lord ?
A place of grace and charm.
Away from daily trouble Lord,
away from daily harm ?
We pray that this may be, dear God,
a place where love extends.
Where travelers come as strangers
and golfers leave as friends !