Prayer For Ordinary Radicals
Let us become a tree branch on the vine
that is you,
a branch that bears much fruit.
Let us accept you in our lives
in the way it pleases you to come into them:
as Truth, to be spoken,
as Life, to be lived,
as Love, to be followed,
as Joy, to be given:
as Peace, to be spread about:
as Sacrifice, to be offered;
among our relatives and friends,
among our neighbors and all people.
Lord Jesus,
let us realize that every action of ours
no matter how small or how secular
enables us to be in touch with you.
Let our interest lie in created things -
but only in absolute dependence
upon your presence in them.
Let us pursue you and you alone
through the reality of created things.
Let this be our prayer -
to become closer to you
by becoming more human.
Almighty and eternal God,
by your Son you promised us
forgiveness of our sins
and deliverance from eternal death.
We pray that by your Holy Spirit
you will daily increase our faith
in your grace through Christ
and establish us in the certain hope
that we will not die,
but peacefully sleep
and be raised again on the last day
to eternal life and salvation;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one true God, now and forever.
Lord God, heavenly Father,
we most heartily thank you
that by your Word
you have brought us out of the darkness of error
into the light of your grace.
Mercifully help us to walk in that light,
guard us from all error and false doctrine
and grant that we may not become ungrateful
and despise and persecute your Word,
as your people did long ago,
but receive it with all our heart,
govern our lives according to it
and put all our trust in your grace
through the merit of your dear Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one true God, now and forever.
Though he was in the form of God,
He did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,
Being born in the likeness of men.
And being found in human form he humbled himself
And became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him
And bestowed on him the name which is above every name,
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
In heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
To the glory of God the Father. Amen
Lord,
You are the fullness of life, of holiness, and of joy.
Fill our days and nights with the love of your wisdom,
that we may bear fruit in the beauty of holiness,
like a tree watered by running streams.
Hold not your tongue, O God of my praise : for the mouth of the wicked, the mouth of the deceitful, is opened against me.
They speak to me with a lying tongue : they encompass me with hateful words and fight against me without a cause.
Despite my love, they accuse me : but as for me, I pray for them.
Speak, Lord, for we are listening : call us, like you called Mary, by name.
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us bow down and the bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.