Prayer for the day - August

[MajestyJo]

AUGUST

Lead me this day, Lord,
to live fully in the present moment
and enjoy all that is good around me.
May all that is life-giving remind me of your life and love
that surround me now.

Let us pray:

God our Father,
if I could trace back
through the last two thousand years,
marking out routes
from Jesus himself
and then through people
whose faith has touched others
and so reached me,
I would be astounded
by the individuals I would encounter.
I give thanks, Father,
for all those people
over two thousand years
who have inspired others
and played their part
in passing on
to generation after generation
the living heritage of their faith.
Especially I give thanks
for those who have lived their faith
through difficulties
and hardship and persecution.
I pray, Father, that I may grow
in your faith and love
through good times and bad.
Amen

[MajestyJo]

August 2

Let us pray:
Lord our God, open us up
to your Spirit living within us,
that we may live fully
each day of our lives.
Touch us,
that we may become more aware
of all that is around us,
growing in a sense
of wonder and awe,
and in appreciation
for all that we see and hear
and touch and taste and smell.
May we live in such a way
that we never
take anything for granted,
but always be appreciative
and express our thanks
to those who are part of our lives.
Amen.

=====

August 3

Let us pray for ourselves, that we may live
fully and peacefully each day of our lives -
thinking, too, of those who are presently
living the last few years of their lives:

Lord Jesus,
we can think of your people
down the ages
who have travelled over
life’s stormy sea
and, in dying,
have reached the harbour
of peace, light and happiness.
As you calmed the sea,
we ask you to be with us
and bring peace in our lives each day,
because the boat of our own lives
is small
and the ocean is very large.
As you have set our course,
we ask you to steer our lives
towards the shore of everlasting life.
Bring us, at last,
along with all who are dear to us,
to the quiet rest that we seek,
where you live and reign
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

[MajestyJo]

August 4

Let us pray in silence:

John Vianney said:
“We do not have to talk very much
in order to pray well.
We know that God is there…
Let us open our hearts to him.
Let us rejoice in his presence.
This is the best prayer.”

Let’s simply pause for a moment in silence
in God’s presence
(pause…)

August 5

Let us pray:
Lord, I pray for all who suffer
from hatred and prejudice,
from abuse and ill-treatment,
and for all who are victims
of what others do.
I pray, too, for the people of violence,
that they may change their ways
and learn to respect others
I pray for myself,
that when I face
what is negative or evil
I may have
the courage and generosity
to break the cycle
of violence, hatred, fear or distrust,
and make my own choices
and take responsibility
for the direction
in which I want my life to go.
I pray that I may always do to others
as I would wish them to do to me.
Amen.

August 6

Let’s pray in silence for all victims of war
and violence and unrest in our own
times.
(pause…)

[MajestyJo]

August 7

We’ll use as our prayer today Psalm 8, a
copy of which was left on the Moon in a
metal canister during the first manned
landing in July 1969:

Let us pray:

Lord, our God and King,
your greatness is seen
throughout the earth.
When I gaze at the heavens
which your fingers have formed,
and look at the moon and the stars
which you have set there,
I realise how small we are
in the magnificence of your creation.

Yet you treasure us
above all that you have made,
and you give us control
over all the works of your hand
- animals both wild and tame,
birds in the air,
and the creatures of the sea.

Lord, our God and King,
your greatness is seen
throughout the earth.

August 8

Every child of the Jewish faith learns the
words of a prayer called the “Shema”. Its
opening words are these:
“Hear, Israel, and listen:
the Lord our God is the only God.
You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
and with all your strength.”

Let us pray:
Lord, inspire me
to get my priorities right
and make my choices wisely.
Amen.

[MajestyJo]

August 9

The following words are on display in a
public place. Many thousands of people
have read them:

“Obedience, honesty,
order, cleanliness,
truthfulness, sacrifice,
and love of one’s country.”

They are fine qualities and values for a
person to have and develop, and the
words are intended to inspire the readers.
Where are they written?

They form the inscription on the ceiling
of one of the administration buildings in
Dachau, the Nazi concentration camp,
near Munich. Prisoners were to read
these words frequently. It is good, of
course, to develop such values as are
listed, but there is something “twisted”
and horrific when we remember where
it is that these words are seen:

“Obedience, honesty,
order, cleanliness,
truthfulness, sacrifice,
and love of one’s country.”

In silence I can try to imagine myself
there as an inmate at Dachau, reading
those words whilst thinking of what was
going on in that terrible place. I can also
try to think of what might encourage me
there.

(pause…)

This is an excerpt from the page of this date in
‘Praying Each Day of the Year’,
a 3-volume book
by Nicholas Hutchinson, FSC.

August 10

Andrew Carnegie said:
“The man who dies rich,
dies disgraced.”
We can pause to ask ourselves what he
may have meant by those words.
(pause…)

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus,
you talked about the need for us
to have our priorities right,
and not to hoard possessions.

You said that where our treasure is,
there our heart and commitment
will really be.
Touch our hearts
that we may love people
and use things
- and never the other way around.

Inspire us to seek first your kingdom
and use our talents and gifts
for the benefit of others. Amen

[MajestyJo]

August 11

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus,
you are the light of the world.
Let us never cut ourselves off
either from the light and life
that you give to us,
or from the good influence
that others have on us.
When we encounter darkness
in our lives,
enable us to bring to it
the light that we already have
within us. Amen

Colours of day (“the sun disappears”); I
watch the sunrise; Only a shadow; The
light of Christ.

[MajestyJo]

Let us pray for all priests whom we know:
God our Father, we pray
for those whom you have called
to serve your people as priests.
Every day
may they live in your presence
and deepen their friendship
with Jesus, your Son.
Fill them with your Spirit
and inspire them
to be faithful in prayer
and always place their trust in you.
May they grow in faith and compassion
as they celebrate
the Sacraments of your love
and bring good news to the poor
and healing to the broken-hearted.
Inspire them to live in such a way
that they are credible witnesses
of the transforming power
of your love,
as they share the hopes and the joys,
the sorrows and the frustrations
of those entrusted to their care.
Give them the gifts they need
to accompany your people
along the path of holiness. Amen.

“Try to deepen every day
your friendship with Christ.”

[MajestyJo]

August 13

Let us pray:

Lord, if I ever cut people off
or isolate myself
from the needs of others,
alert me to what I am doing.
Open my eyes
to see what unites people
rather than what divides us.
Show me
how to build bridges
between people
rather than putting up walls
that divide. Amen.

August 14

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, you said
that no-one could have greater love
than to give up their life
for someone else.
Remind us
in our personal circumstances today
that care and compassion
and love and sacrifice
can change everything. Amen.

August 15

And so we pray today:
Mary, our Mother,
your total giving of yourself
reminds us
that we hold in trust
from God our Father
all our accomplishments
and talents and gifts
- trusted as we are
to offer them in his service,
and bring happiness and well-being
to our brothers and sisters.
Your “Yes” to God’s invitation
to be the mother of his Son
reminds us
that prayer is not just words
but is from the heart.
We ask you to pray to Jesus for us
that the Holy Spirit
may live fully in us, too,
so that we may pray
in the way that each of us finds best.
So may we be prepared to join you
in saying “Yes” to God our Father,
that Jesus may be born anew
in our hearts.
Amen.

[MajestyJo]

August 16

Let us pray:
God our Father,
we have been reminded
of the destruction and even death
that water can bring,
and we can reflect
that we are called
to die to selfishness and sin
- living, instead,
in the fullness of life
that Jesus promises.
In a country that is blessed
with an abundance of water,
perhaps we don’t fully appreciate
how vital water is for all life.
Water is used as a sign in Baptism
- a symbol of dying
to selfishness and sin,
and living the new life
that Jesus brings.
When Jesus was baptised
in the River Jordan,
he was placing himself beside
all who had sinned
and needed to make a new start
and live in a better way.
At that time, Father,
you were heard to say
that Jesus was your well-loved Son,
and the Holy Spirit rested upon him.
Fill us with your Spirit
that we may grow
in the realisation and faith
that we, too,
are your sons and daughters
whom you love greatly.
Amen.

August 17

Pray for Others

I pray for others, knowing they are loved and protected.

I hold my loved ones in prayer today remembering that, no matter what may be happening in their lives, they are divinely supported and their needs are met. The kingdom of God is their abundant supply.

There is only One Presence and One Power in the Universe—God the good. The power of God lives in each of us. I see my loved ones joyfully experiencing the power and presence of God in their lives.

As we walk through this life together, we each express the divine in our own unique way. Appreciating this truth, I send love to every living being on planet Earth.

I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth … so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.—Ephesians 3:18-19

Daily Word

Regular prayer not applicable.

August 18

Let us pray:
God our Father,
we read of the commandment
“do not kill”
and think it doesn’t apply to us
because we don’t take anyone’s life.
Yet there are times
when we take life from others
by cruel words, sarcasm,
doing people down,
and gossiping.
Lead us to choose to bring life to others
- and not death.
Inspire us to break the cycle
of whatever is negative
or violent or evil
whenever we encounter them.
Let us not look for vengeance
- to get our own back -
but lead us to be generous
and ready to conquer evil
with goodness. Amen.

[MajestyJo]

August 19

Let us pray:

God our Father, in saying
that you have written our names
on the palm of your hands,
you are telling us that each person
is unique and special to you.
We pray that individuals
may discover in themselves
the treasures you have given them,
and develop and put to good use
the qualities
they hold in trust from you.
I pray and commit myself today
to promote goodness and happiness,
by treating others
with respect
and care and understanding.
May others treat me today, Father,
in the same way as I treat them,
and so may we all
bring out the best in one another
and grow in the way
we look at ourselves and others.
Amen.

August 20

Let us pray:

... so we thank you, Lord,
for making us people of quality.
We pray that we may use our gifts well
and not keep them unused,
unwrapped,
because a gift is no good
unless it is shared.
We thank you
that we are people of quality
whom your hands have made.
May you be blessed forever!

August 21

I will be with you (“stormy waters”); Walk
with me, O my Lord (“just as you calmed
the wind… conquer, my living Lord, the
storms that threaten me” - (Mark 10 -verse 3)

[MajestyJo]

August 22

Let us pray:

God our Father,
I thank you
that many people
have used their gifts well
and have helped me and inspired me
and brought cheerfulness and joy
in my life.
May I, too,
live in such a way
that I bring blessings to others
by my attitude and actions
and my presence with them.
Remain with me
and lead me to that final day
when I, too, will be able to say:
“I see all heaven before me
and the great God himself.”
Amen.

August 23

Let us pray:
Lord, may my attitude
and all that I think and do
always be based on
a spirit of love and care,
so that I may make a difference
in my own part of the world
by treating people
as individuals. Amen.

August 24

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus,
open my eyes to recognise you
as you walk beside me,
accompanying me
on my journey in life each day.
Amen.

August 25

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, you tell us
that those who mourn are “blessed”,
knowing that only those
who love greatly
can mourn.
We know, too,
that it is better
to have loved and lost someone
than never to have loved at all.
We ask you today
that through our own sufferings
of different kinds,
we may discover
strength and peace
through helping
and supporting others
in their difficulties. Amen.

[MajestyJo]

August 26

Let us pray:

Lord God, Creator of light
at the rising of your sun
each morning,
let the greatest of all lights - your love -
rise, like the sun,
within my heart.

August 27

Let us pray:

Loving Lord,
inspire me
to be welcoming and generous
in my attitude to others,
showing individuals
that they matter and are important.
May I make a difference
to someone
in my part of the world today.
Amen.

August 28

“Leave the past to God’s mercy,
the present to his love,
and the future to his providence.”

St Augustine who was born in 354 AD in the time of the
Roman Empire, in what is now the north
African country of Algeria

Let us pray:

Lord, we give you thanks
for the assurance
that the past
can be left to your mercy,
the present to your love,
and the future to your providence.
Help us to grow more aware
of your loving presence,
that we may live more authentically
and proclaim
by our words and actions
the good news
of the fullness of your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

August 29

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus,
your friends said to you:
“Teach us how to pray”.
We ask that you give us
the fullness of your Spirit
to help us to pray,
so that we may grow
in friendship with you.
Amen.

[MajestyJo]

August 30

Let us pray:

Lord Jesus,
in the world that you love so much
we are surrounded with advertising
on the streets, in magazines,
on TV and on the Internet
- all trying to convince us
of ways of enjoying ourselves
and becoming likeable and popular.

Keep our vision clear
and show us how to distinguish
between what is shallow
and what is of lasting value.
Inspire us
to choose ways of deeper happiness
that lead to fullness of life.
We ask this of you who said:
“I am the way, the truth and the life”.
Amen.

August 31

Let us pray:
Lord, I ask
for the power of your Spirit in my life
that I may live in such a way
that I show kindness
in another’s trouble,
and courage in my own.
Amen.