Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2004 17:32:23 -0400
Sent To: SpiritualityandWellness@yahoogroups.com
Prayer By: Reverend R Clark <clark@acceleration.net>
Greetings Ayla, Karen and ALL!--- In SpiritualityandWellness@yahoogroups.com, Karen Blaise <karenpeace8@y...> wrote:
I've been praying for the terrorists around the world. That their minds would come up higher; overflow with love and understanding. Believe me, I couldn't do that right after 911 but am able to now.At 10:49 PM 9/9/2004, Ayla replied:
I understand this feeling, Karen...I have had trouble with this. I do not understand the mentality of a grown man or woman that could harm innocent people...yet another thing I do not "get."This is a fairly common, long held experience as evidenced by the quote:
“It is as hard for the good to suspect evil, as it is for the bad to suspect good.”
- Marcus Tullius Cicero, statesman, orator, writer (106-43 BCE)
- Prayer is one of the most fascinating subjects for me.
- I found Dr. Larry Dossey's books to be wonderfully inspiring and as they were written by an M.D. he comes from a place of science and the scientific method. He points up with clear experimental evidence that ordinary reality constrictions like time and space do not apply to spiritual matters like prayer and in my mind similar acts like Reiki. There was a kule experiment where a box would generate "random" numbers, this was hidden under another and set to run. Then folks would pray for either high or low numbers to be generated, in the Past, as number generator had already done its thing! They found a statistical correlation that supported prayer as an active force. So when praying or doing Reiki, the length of time spent in prayer or at a particular hand position, or when I choose to do prayer or send Reiki needn't be synchronized with the time of their surgery or whatever. Space and "Distance" from a subject of prayer or Reiki shouldn't be an issue as this is the hallmark of the Reiki 2 training. As convoluted as it sounds, I am still occasionally praying for my father to have an easy transition when he passed three years ago. Because, he had an easy transition.
- Dossey's books for me laid the foundation. This foundation was then built upon by "The Isaiah Effect" by Greg Braden, ISBN 0-609-80796-X, this is one of the most important books of recent years or in the English language for that matter, IMNSHO (in my not so humble opinion). From the cover: “Braden demonstrates how Isaiah's nonreligious, nondenominational, form of prayer transcends time and distance to bring healing to our bodies and peace to the nations of our modern world.” His website is nice place to visit and the basics from the book are revealed here, here and here. (mirror)
- I was introduced to Braden's book by a visiting Buddhist monk to whom I gave a couple rides in my car (each a hundred mile round trip) it was he who put the book in my hand and based on our conversation he seemed to think that I would strongly benefit from a read of it, turned out to be right on! I felt blessed as the monk didn't really owe me anything, 'cause as far as I was concerned I got my "pay" up front by conversing with him on weighty subjects during the rides. This is how I view work in general though, I enjoy what I am doing, so if I am compensated its like many people's Christmas's! I digress, anyway, the book's valuable revelations were simply astonishing. Just when I would think that the book had reached a climax, up would come another golden nugget of information, a case of wonder upon wonders.
“I form the light, and create darkness I make peace, and create evil I the Lord do all these things.”
- Isaiah 45:7“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn, novelist, refusenik, Nobel laureate (1918- )“Whenever I experience something beautiful, I am with Soul. That moment of inward breath, that pause and awareness of "how beautiful this is" is a prayer of appreciation, a moment of gratitude in which I behold beauty and am one with it. I have come to appreciate that having an aesthetic eye takes me effortlessly into soul.”
- Jean Shinoda Bolen in Handbook for the Soul edited by Richard Carlson“You know the value of prayer
it is precious beyond all price.
Never, never neglect it.”
- Sir Thomas Buxton“Not thinking critically, I assumed that the "successful" prayers were proof that God answers prayer
while the failures were proof that there was something wrong with me.”
- Dan Barker, former preacher, musician (b. 1949)“Misery does not extend a welcome mat to joy.”
- Larry Dieli“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”
- Dorothy Bernard
"The Bodhisattva's Way Of Life" (Bodhicaryavatara)
For Every Living Creature
May I be a protector to those without protection,
A leader for those who journey,
And a boat, a bridge, a passage
For those desiring the further shore.May the pain of every living creature
Be completely cleared away.May I be the doctor and the medicine
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world
Until everyone is healed.Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support the life
Of all the boundless creatures.And until they pass away from pain
May I also be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reaches unto the ends of space.
- Santideva "Angel of Peace" a monk, scholar, poet and one of the 'mahasiddhas' or “Great Spiritual Accomplishers” he composed these vows in the 8th century in India.
Prayer of St. Theresa
May today there be Peace within
May you trust your highest power that you are exactly where you are
meant to be....
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you....
May you be content knowing you are a child of God....
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance and to bask in the sun….
It is there for each and everyone of you….“The important thing is not to think much,
but to love much;
and so, do that which best stirs you to love.”
- Saint Teresa of Avila
(Spanish nun who founded the reformed order of the Carmelites in 1562)Prayer of Many Voices
We pray in many voices, from many faiths, in many names, and from many traditions. We pray with heads covered, and with heads uncovered.We pray with heads bowed, and we pray with faces raised. But in all of our diversity, we share much in our prayers.
We pray for joy,
Joy in our world,
Joy in our nations,
Joy in our communities,
Joy in our families,
And joy in ourselves.Remind us of the joy that fills our lives and shapes our days, and call us to be creators and maintainers of joy for those around us.
We pray for love,
Love in our world
Love in our nations
Love in our communities
Love in our families
And love in ourselves.We are profoundly grateful for the love we are given, and we know, humbly, that we ought to be givers of love in a world that cries out for love.
We pray for Peace
Peace in our families
Peace in our communities
Peace in our nations
Peace in our world
And Peace in ourselves.Let us never speak lightly of Peace, but remind us that what divides us is far less important than what unites us.
We are grateful for this conference, for the time together, for the chance to break bread together, share our experiences, and the opportunity to create new paradigms. Keep us mindful of all that we have been given, and help us always to share with those who are less fortunate than we are.
We ask this in the name of all the children of the divine. Amen
Send Thy Peace, O [Lady and] Lord, which is perfect and everlasting that our souls may radiate Peace.
Send Thy Peace, O Lord [and Lady], that amidst our worldly strife we may enjoy Thy Bliss.
Send Thy Peace, O [Lady and] Lord, that we may endure all, tolerate all in the thought of Thy Grace and Mercy.
Send Thy Peace, O Lord [and Lady], our Father and Mother, That we Thy children on Earth may all Unite in One family.
- Hazrat Inayat Khan (Sufi master)Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in Peace
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
- John Lennon, "Imagine"“I am that I am, I am light, I am love, I am Peace, I am beauty, I am joy, I am one with Mother Earth, I am one with the Father and his Creation, I am one with everyone within the reach of my voice, And in this togetherness, we ask the Divine Intelligence, to eradicate all negatives from our minds, from our words, and from our actions. And so be it. Ase, ase, ase.”
- Dr. Babatunde Olatunji,
Prayer for Peace
Creator of the universe, Great God of Light,
May peace prevail on the earth.
Through our prayers and work,
Let the consciousness of all human beings
Be raised so that strife becomes abhorrent.Through our prayers and work,
May there be plenty for all
So that we do not covet our neighbors.And let us take joy in the differences of
Race, religion, and culture,
Knowing that these are the various
Colors in the artwork of the Creator.May peace prevail on the earth.
- A Johrei member
Prayer for Peace (Christian)
Eternal God,
in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness,
no strength known but the strength of love:
So mightily spread abroad your spirit,
that all peoples may be gathered
under the banner of the Prince of Peace,
as children of one creator;
to whom be dominion and glory,
now and for ever. Amen.May the pain of every living being
Be completely cleared away.
May I be the doctor and the medicine
And may I be the nurse
For all sick beings in the world
Until everyone is healed...
May the frightened cease to be afraid
And those bound be freed...
- Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden (from the Prayer for World Peace)“Saint Michael the
Archangel, protect us! Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas,
pray for us. Saint Katharine Drexel and Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for
us. Saint Thomas More, Patron of Politicians, pray for us. Saint Joseph,
Patron Saint of Canada, pray for us. Immaculate Mary, Patroness of the
United States, pray for us. Jesus Christ, King of Kings, have mercy on us!”
- Catholic prayer posted by member worksfermeMay all sentient beings have happiness and the cause of happiness
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering;
May all sentient beings never be separated from the happiness that knows no suffering;
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity, free from attachments and anger, which hold some close and others distant.
- BuddhaO Thou kind Lord! ...Let this American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees and render this just government victorious. Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations of the world. O God! This American nation of worthy of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy. Make it precious and near to Thee through Thy bounty and bestowal.
- Prayer for America by Abdul'l-Baha
Witches Rune
Darksome night a shining moon
Harken to the Witches Rune
East then South, West then North
Here come I to call Thee forth.
By all the powers of land and sea
Be obedient unto Me.
Wand and Pentacle, Cup and Sword
Harken Ye unto My word.
Chords and scenser, scourge and knife
waken all ye into life.
Powers of the Witches blade
come Ye as the charge is made.
Queen of Heaven, Field and Dell
send Your aid unto this spell
Horned Hunter of the night
Work My will by Magick Rite.
By all the might of Moon and Sun
as I do will, it shall be done
By all the powers of land and sea
as I say, So Mote It Be.Mother and Father of us all, ...I do not pray for the dead, for they are beyond our reach and in your arms. I pray for those still alive in the rubble, that they may find the strength to survive until rescue comes. ...I pray for the rescuers. Sharpen their sight and hearing, so that they can find. Strengthen their arms so that they can move and lift and heal and quench. Soothe their hearts and minds, who face a horror unimaginable to the rest of us... I pray for the Muslim community, ...that they may not become further victims. I pray for justice. But let it be justice, not vengeance. More than anything, I pray for the families. For those who are waiting to hear (myself included), and those who have already heard. Hold us all in your endless arms of love.
- ? as quoted by Stephanie Bowker“Lord make me an instrument of thy Peace
Where there is hatred let me sow love
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is discord, union
Where there is doubt, faith
Where there is darkness, light
Where there is despair, hope
Where there is sadness, joyOh divine master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life”
- Prayer of St. FrancisDeep Peace of the running wave to you,
Deep Peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep Peace of the quiet earth to you,
Deep Peace of the shining stars to you,
Deep Peace of the gentle night to you,
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you,
Deep Peace of Christ, of Christ the light of the world to you,
Deep Peace of Christ to you.
- Gaelic blessingBless my enemies, O Lord.
Even I bless them and do not curse them.
They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world.
They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself.
They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments.
They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself.
They have spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance.
- Prayer of St. Nicolai VelimirovichMay there always be work for your hands to do
May your purse always hold a coin or two
May the sun always shine on your windowpane
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain
May the hand of a friend always be near you
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
- Irish BlessingMay a good vision catch me
May a benevolent vision take hold of me, and move me
May a deep and full vision come over me, and burst open around me
May a luminous vision inform me, enfold me.
- David Abram quoted in Prayers for a Thousand Years by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias AmidonMay you experience each day as a sacred gift woven around the heart of wonder.
- John O'Donohue in Eternal EchoesMay the dragon of life only roast your hot-dogs and never burn your buns.
May I become at all times, both now and forever:
A protector for those without protection,
A guide for those who have lost their way,
A ship for those with oceans to cross,
A bridge for those with rivers to cross,
A sanctuary for those in danger,
A lamp for those without light,
A place of refuge for those who lack shelter,
And a servant to all in need.
- His Holiness, The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (1935 - )
(Ethics For The New Millennium)Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish.
- Michelangelo, 1475 -1564O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams.
- St AugustineIn the name of Jesus Christ, who was never in a hurry, we pray, O God, that You will slow us down, for we know that we live too fast. With all of eternity before us, make us take time to live—time to get acquainted with You, time to enjoy Your blessings, and time to each other.
- Peter Marshall, 1902 – 1949Accept, O Lord, my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my will. All that I am and have thou hast given to me; and I give all back to thee to be disposed of according to thy good pleasure. Give me only the comfort of thy presence and the joy of thy love; with thee I shall be more than rich and shall desire nothing more.
- St Ignatious of LoyolaO Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness.
- Shakespeare, Henry VI, part 2Thou has given me so much . . . Give me one thing more, a grateful heart.
- George Albert, 1593 – 1633The Effectual Fervent Prayer of a Mother:
“Thou sentest Thine hand from above, and drewest my soul out of that profound darkness - my mother, that faithful one, weeping to Thee for me, more than mothers weep the bodily deaths of their children. For she, by that faith and spirit which had form Thee, discerned the death wherein I lay, and Thou heardest her, O Lord; Thou heardest her, and despiseth not her tears, when streaming down, they watered the ground under her eyes {he alludes here to that devout manner of Eastern ancients, who used to lie flat on their faces in prayer} in every place she prayed; yea Thou heardest her...Thine ears were towards her heart. O Thou God omnipotent, who caredst for every one of us, as if Thou carest for him only; and so for all, as if they were but one!”
- Confessions of St. Augustine
Financial Blessings Prayer
“Heavenly Creator most Gracious and Loving, We open to You that You abundantly bless my family and me. I know that You recognize that a family is more than just a mother, father, sister, brother, husband and wife, but all who believe and trust in You. Creator, I send up a request for financial blessing for not only the person who sent this to me, but for myself and all to whom I send this message. The power of joined belief and energy by those who believe and trust in You is more powerful than any thing. I thank you in advance for your blessings. Great Universal Creator, deliver the person reading this right now from debt and debt burdens and bring them into generous flowing financial abundance. Release Your wisdom that I may be a good steward over all that You have given me, for I know how wonderful and mighty You are, and how when we have the faith of a mustard seed You will pour out blessings. I thank You now for the recent blessings I have received and for the blessings yet to come because I know You are not done with me yet. So it is!!!”Good morning, Lord! What are You up to today? Can I be a part of it? Thank You. Amen.
- Norman Grubb
Dear Master, in whose life I see
all that I long and fail to be;
Let thy clear light for ever shine.
To shame and guide this life of mine.
Though what I dream and what I do
In my poor days are always two,
Help me, oppressed by things undone,
O thou, whose dreams and deeds were one.
- John HunterDear God, The little plans I tried to carry through have failed I will not sorrow. I'll pause a little while, Dear God, and try, again, tomorrow.
- John FicoLord, make my life a window for Your light to shine through and a mirror to reflect Your love to all I meet. Amen.
- Robert SchullerLord, thou madest us for thyself, and we can find no rest till we find rest in thee.
- St. Augustine
Yes, Lord!
Jesus, I give all of this to you.
Jesus, I just started out a dream for my neighborhood.
I didn't ask you to make me a messenger to the world.
I just wanted to love neighbors.
But Jesus, here it is.
Here's my future,
here's my loneliness,
here are all the pressures,
here are the criticisms,
and I gave Him everything.
And I told Him to take me again and I would try to make
“Yes, Lord” the continuing motto of my life.
- Anne Kiemel“Divine Spirit of All There Is, please fill this place with your sacred presence. Support me in my efforts to express my love for self. Help me see my own divinity.”
- Reverend Laurie Sue Brockway ©2K4 “O God, help me to believe the truth about myself no matter how beautiful it is!”
- Macrina Wiederkehr, "A Grateful Heart" by M. J. Ryan, ed.
Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Millenium!*
* From us ("the wishor") to you ("hereinafter called the wishee") Please accept without obligation, implied or explicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, politically correct, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all, and a financially successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2001 (which marks the first year of the new Millenium), but with due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures or sects, and having regard to he race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform or dietary preference of the wishee.
By accepting this greeting you are bound by these terms that:
- This greeting is subject to further clarification or withdrawal.
- This greeting is freely transferable provided that no alteration shall be made to the original greeting and that the proprietary rights of the wishor are acknowledged.
- This greeting implies no promise by the wishor to actually implement any of the wishes.
- This greeting may not be enforceable in certain jurisdictions and/or the restrictions herein may not be binding upon certain wishees in certain jurisdictions and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wishor.
- This greeting is warranted to perform as reasonably may be expected within the usual application of good tidings, for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first.
- The wishor warrants this greeting only for the limited replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wishor.
Disclaimer: Any references in this greeting to "the Lord", "Father Christmas", "Our Saviour", or any other festive figures, whether actual or fictitious, dead or alive, shall not imply any endorsement by or from them in respect of this greeting, and all proprietary rights in any referenced third party names and images are hereby acknowledged.
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
- The Serenity Prayer“And Jabez was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.”
- The Holy Bible KJV - 1 Chronicles 4:9-10Thanks and Praises to the Most High!
May JAH Bless
The I's goings out and The I's coming ins,
The Sun not smiting The I by day
Nor the Moon by night,
For my Bredren and Companions sake
I Now say Peace Be With In The-I's house
And Prosperity With In The I's palaces! Selah.One Love, Reverend R Clark
“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”
- Julian of Norwich
“Pray to God but keep rowing to shore.”
- Russian Proverb“Prayer is the wing wherewith the soul flies to heaven.”
- Saint Ambrose“Prayer is hope's breathing. When we stop praying, we stop hoping.”
- Dom Pedro Casaldaliga, "Lent" by Megan McKenna“The noblest is
When he who prays
Is inwardly transformed
Into what he kneels before.”
- Angelus Silesius, "Searching for the Meaning of Life" by Willigis Jager
A Remembering Chant
I sing to the Goddess
my voice is strong
I drum to the Goddess
an ancient songI do not know the words
I simply make a sound
my hand strikes the drum
remembering an ancient soundI dance to the Goddess
my feet upon the Earth
I sway to find the rhythm
of an ancient birthI dance, I sing, I drum, I chant
the memories grow clear
I dance, I sing, I drum, I chant
and the Goddess is here
Make Me Strong in Spirit
Make me strong in spirit,
Courageous in action,
Gentle of heart,Let me act in wisdom,
Conquer my fear and doubt,
Discover my own hidden gifts,Meet others with compassion,
Be a source of healing energies,
And face each day with hope and joy.
Prayer for Ten Accomplishments
- Lama Surya DasMay we realize true sincerity and integrity,
Inner purity of mind,
Dispassionate equanimity towards all we see,
Right understanding of this dreamlike world and the next,
Loving compassion towards others and the genuine intention to be helpful
In alleviating suffering and confusion.
May we directly perceive the truths of impermanence, mortality and
Interconnectedness,
Relinquish wandering thoughts and rampant desires,
Accomplish freedom of mind and clarity of spirit,
Remember with gratitude those who have gone before
And shown the way,
And vow to reach together full and complete enlightenment.(The above prayer was written by the wandering hermit Surya Das at Pao Lin Monastery atop the Buddha Mountain on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, after reading an ancient collection of Chinese prayers to Amitabha Buddha. September 1975)
“Prayer lays hold of God's plan and becomes the link between His will and its accomplishment on earth. Amazing things happen, and we are given the privilege of being the channels of the Holy Spirit's prayer.”
- Elisabeth Elliot“Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.”
- Corrie Ten Boom“Work as if you were to live a hundred years, pray as if you were to die tomorrow.”
- Benjamin Franklin“Prayer must carry on our work as much as preaching; he preacheth not heartily to his people that will not pray for them.”
- Richard Baxter, (1615 – 1691)“Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.”
- Spurgeon“God warms his hands at man's heart when he prays.”
- John Masefield“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him...I am convinced that neither death nor life, niether angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.”
- "The Holy Bible" Romans: 8“If your day is hemmed in with prayer, it is less likely to come unraveled.”
“When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message.”
- Oswald Chambers“Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together. Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other's hearts in prayer.”
- Charles Finney“The Spirit, when He prays through us, or helps us to meet the mighty "toughness" of right praying, trims our praying down to the will of God....”
- R.A. Torrey“Leaders must be released from the idea that they must be great prayer warriors before they can begin to call others to prayer.”
- David Bryant“God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world the better the world will be, the mightier the forces against evil...”
- E.M. Bounds“It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone.”
- Hudson Taylor“There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.”
- D.A.T. Pierson“The great people of the earth today are the people who pray, [not] those who talk about prayer...but I mean those who take time and pray.”
- S.D. Gordon“All vital praying makes a drain on a man's vitality. True intercession is a sacrifice, a bleeding sacrifice.”
- J.H. Jowett“Work, work, from morning until late at night. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer.”
- Martin Luther“To get nations back on their feet,we must first get down on our knees.”
- Billy Graham“Prayer is the exercise of drawing on the grace of God.”
- Oswald Chambers“Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue; God's voice is its most essential part. Listening to God's voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to mine.”
- Andrew Murray“Prayer at its highest is a two-way conversation and for me the most important part is listening to God's replies.”
- Frank C. Laubach“Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.”
- J. Sidlow Baxter“God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.”
- Oswald Chambers“To desire revival...and at the same time to neglect [personal] prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another.”
- A.W. Tozer“God does not delay to hear our prayers because He has no mind to give; but that, by enlarging our desires, He may give us the more largely.”
- Anselm of Canterbury“Prayer is not only asking, but an attitude of mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural.”
- Oswald Chambers“History is silent about revivals that did not begin with prayer.”
- Edwin Orr“The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray. It is not the only thing; but it is the chief thing. The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; nor those who say they believe in prayer; nor yet those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time to pray.”
- S.D. Gordon“The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity...if we want to see might wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God's standing challenge, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and might things which thou knowest not."”
- J. Hudson Taylor“All I know is that when I pray, coincidences happen; and when I don't pray, they don't happen.”
- Dan Hayes“There is a place where thou canst touch the eyes
Of blinded men to instant, perfect sight;
There is a place where thou canst say, "Arise"
To dying captives, bound in chains of night;
There is a place where thou canst reach the store
Of hoarded gold and free it for the Lord;
There is a place--upon some distant shore--
Where thou canst send the worker and the Word.
Where is that secret place--dost thou ask, "Where?"
O soul, it is the secret place of prayer!”
- Alfred Lord Tennyson“Pursuing prayer is prayer on a mission. It is diligent, fervent, constant, persevering, determined, and convinced.”
- David Bryant“God's way of answering the Christian's prayer for more patience, experience, hope, and love often is to put him into the furnace of affliction.”
- Richard Cecil“I have lived to thank God that not all my prayers have been answered.”
- Jean Ingelow“Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God.”
- Edwin Keith“To pray well is the better half of study.”
- Martin Luther“Prayer is not eloquence, but earnestness; not the definition of helplessness, but the feeling of it; not figures of speech, but earnestness of soul.”
- Hannah More“Study your prayers, a great part of my time is spent getting in tune for prayer.”
- Robert McCheyne“Too many women have too much leisure time for their own good. They have time for criticism, gossip, faultfinding, and complaining. They have time for idle games and lay too much attention to things of the flesh. There are other women who have too little time for the enduring things of life. They are too busy flitting about doing this and that. They have great activity and much doing, but they lack time for building Christian characters. Both kinds of women -- the too-idle and the too-busy need to take time for meditation and quiet repose in prayer to God. They need time to cultivate their souls that in turn they may cultivate their children's lives.”
- Billy Graham“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul.”
- (Mahatma) Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi“If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master's presence. And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in our Lord's presence, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour will be very well employed.”
- St.Francis de Sales“I saw more clearly than ever, that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not, how I might serve the Lord, how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man may be nourished.... I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God and to meditation of it.”
- George Mueller of Bristol“The Christian needs to be alone during a definite period of each day for meditation on scripture...and for prayer...even during times of spiritual dryness and apathy.
It matters little what form of prayer we adopt...or how many words we use. What matters does, the faith, which lays hold on God, know that He knows our needs before we even ask Him. That is what gives Christian prayer its boundless confidence and its joyous certainty. We simply make petitions and requests to One who has the heart of a Father.
Of course, God's will must be the primary object of our prayers... and we must recognize prayer as an instrument of God's will. Therefore, we pray that God's will may be done throughout the world...and in intercessory prayer we bring people... from around theworld... into the presence of God.
Every intercession potentially draws the one for whom it is intended into a life-changing relationship with Christ. And in intercession I move into the other man's place. I inter his life...his guilt and distress. I am afflicted by his sins and his infirmity. If...as we pray...we recognize our own responsibility for the world's guilt and our own guilt in the death of Christ...then we can act upon and affect the lives of men and women throughout the world.”
- Dietrich Bonhofer“Prayer for Jesus Christ, formed the brackets in which He accomplished His earthly work. It fortified Him with wisdom and power before action occurred, and it renewed, refreshed, and revived Him when His human strength was exhausted. On the front end, He prayed for fruit, in the middle, He bore fruit. Afterwards, He thanked God for fruit.”
- Dan Hayes“Every morning lean thine arms awhile
Upon the window-sill of heaven
And gaze upon thy Lord,
Then, with vision in thy heart,
Turn strong to meet thy day.”
- Thomas Blake“What can I give Him poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would give Him a lamb,
If I were a wise man, I would do my part,--
But what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.”
- Christina G. Rossetti"All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother. I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." - Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), Sixteenth President of the USA “ held a moment in my hand, brilliant as a star, fragile as a flower, A shiny sliver out of one hour. I dropped it carelessly. O God! I knew not I held opportunity.”I
- Hazel Lee“To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer as a noticeable characteristic of our lives. The more we pray, the more we come to heartbeat of God. Prayer starts the communication process between God and ourselves. All the options of life fall before us. At that point we will either forsake our prayer life and cease to grow, or we will pursue our prayer life and let Him change us.
Either option is painful. To not grow in His likeness is to not enjoy his fullness. When this happens, a haunting voice continues to ask, "What could I have become in him if I would have been a man of prayer?" To grow in His likeness is to enjoy His fullness. When this happens, the priorities of the world begin to fade away.”
- Richard Foster“I shall see no hope until the individual members of the church are praying for revival, perhaps meeting in one another's homes, meeting in groups amongst friends, meeting together in churches, meeting anywhere you like, and praying with urgency and concentration for a shedding forth of the power of God.... There is no hope until we do.”
- D.D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Hatsurei-ho Meditation
- Sit either on the floor or upright in a chair in a relaxed position.
- Close your eyes and focus your attention on your Hara or Tan tien (2-3 finger widths below the navel).
- Place your hands on your lap with the palms facing down.
- State your intention silently, “I am going to practice Hatsurei-ho now.”
- Bring your dominant hand up to just below the other shoulder, palm downwards.
- Draw your hand in a diagonal movement down to the same side hip.
- Bring your non-dominant hand up to just below the other shoulder, palm downwards.
- Make the same diagonal sweeping movement across to the same side hip.
(Repeat this dry brushing two more times)
- Connect to Reiki.
- Raise your hands over your head, with the palms upwards (hands in a line with your shoulders pointing outwards).
- Visualise the flow of Reiki as light or energy coming into your hands and running down your arms through your body and down into your Hara.
- When you feel the flow of Reiki then gently lower your palms back into your lap with the palms upwards again.
- Sitting still with your hands resting on your lap,
- Breathe through your nose in a normal fashion.
- Pay attention to your breathing and focus on your Hara.
- As you gently breathe in, visualise light flooding in through your crown chakra and travelling down your body to reach your Hara
- Pause slightly before you exhale and feel the light becoming stronger and filling your entire body freeing all tension.
- As you breathe out visualise that you are exhaling the light from every pore of your entire body, also from your hands and feet and head, in all directions and out into infinity.
- Continue this breathing light for as long as you feel comfortable doing so. When you are ready, move on.
- Bring your hands together in front of you in gassho, or prayer position.
- Focus your attention on the place where the middle fingers touch each other.
- Continue to sit breathing normally for as long as you feel comfortable doing so. When you are ready, move on.
- You stay in exactly the same position, except now when you breath in you visualise the light of Reiki being drawn in through your hands and straight through on into your Hara. It is as if you are breathing through your hands.
- Pause before you exhale allowing the energy to build up before releasing it,
- Breathe out from your Hara and through your hands.
- Continue this flushing breathing for as long as you feel comfortable doing so. When you are ready, move on.
- Recite the Reiki Principals:
Just for today, Do not anger; Do not worry; Be grateful; Work hard; Be kind to others.
(Repeat twice more)
- Bring your hands back down to your lap.
- Say “I am finishing Hatsurei-ho now.”
- Sit for a few moments to re-orient yourself.
- Love when you are ready.
An Irish Nun's Prayer on Aging
Lord thou knowest, better than I know myself that I am growing older, and will someday be old.
Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject, and on every occasion.
Release me from trying to straighten out everybody's affairs.
Make me thoughtful but not moody: helpful but not bossy, With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou knowest Lord that I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details, give me wings to get to the point.
Seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing and love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.
I dare not ask for grace enough to enjoy the tales of others pains, but help me to endure them with patience.
I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility, and a lessening of cocksureness, when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.
Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.
Keep me reasonably sweet. I do not want to be a saint - some of them are so hard to live with - but a sour old person is one of the crowning works of the devil.
Give me the ability to see good in unexpected places, and talent in unexpected people, and the grace to tell them so.
Amen
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.
- Irish BlessingRelated:
The Lost Mode of Prayer by Greg Braden (mirror)
Drumming As A Form of Prayer by Jim PathFinder Ewing (Nvnehi Awatisgi)
Drumming Peace One Oh One
Drum Reiki
Drums: How they beat stress by By Ann Trieger Kurland
Finding Healing Music in the Heart by Corey Kilgannon
Healing, Drumming & Praying by Jim PathFinder Ewing (Nvnehi Awatisgi)
Melodic Instruments at Drum Circles
Sound
Non-Christian Prayer
Shamanism: Drumming and/or Drugs
Drumming 'n Drugs
Voices at Drumcircles: Testimony and TheoriesLiterary and Graphical Freeware: Not for Commercial Use.
Copyright (c) 1998-2011 R. Clark - clark@acceleration.net .
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