Ben Sternke

Field notes on life and mission with God after Christendom

Prayers

Remind Me Of Your Steady Power

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David in Prayer, by Rembrandt
David in Prayer, by Rembrandt

O God,
this is a hard time,
a season of confusion,
a frantic rush
to fill my closets,
my schedule,
and my mind,
only to find myself empty.

Give me hope, Lord,
and remind me
of your steady power
and gracious purposes
that I may live fully.
Renew my faith
that the earth is not destined
for dust and darkness,
but for frolicking life
and deep joy
that, being set free
from my anxiety for the future,
I may take the risks of love
today.

From Guerillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle, by Ted Loder.

A Prayer For Listening and Changing

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This evening before hearing the Scriptures we will be praying this prayer (by Brueggemann):

Holy God – in this precious hour, we pause
and gather to hear your word –
to do so, we break from our work responsibilities
and from our play fantasies
we move from our fears that overwhelm
and from our ambitions that are too strong.
Free us in these moments from every distraction,
that we may focus to listen,
that we may hear, that we may change.
Amen.

(ht JR)

My Life, My Joy, My Health

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Praying with Augustine this morning…

Great are You, O God, and greatly to be praised;
great is Your power, and Your wisdom infinite.
We who are but a particle of Your creation, praise You.
You awaken us to delight in Your praise;
for You made us for Yourself,
and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.

What are You then, my God?
Most high, most good, most omnipotent;
most merciful, yet most just;
most hidden, yet most present;
most beautiful, yet most strong;
stable, yet incomprehensible;
unchangeable, yet all-changing;
ever old, ever new;
supporting, filling, and overspreading;
creating, flourishing, and maturing;
seeking, yet having all things.

You, O God, are my life, my joy, my health.

(found here)

Do not be afraid

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HT to JR Woodward for posting this prayer by Walter Brueggemann. I needed to pray it today.

Salvation Oracles [On reading Isaiah 43:1-5]

There is a long list of threats around us:
terror,
cancer,
falling markets,
killing,
others unlike us in all their variety,
loneliness,
shame,
death –
the list goes on and we know it well.

And in the midst of threat of every kind,
you appear among us in your full power,
in your deep fidelity,
in your amazing compassion.
You speak among us the one word that could matter:
“Do not fear.”

And we, in our several fearfulnesses, are jarred by your utterance.
On a good day, we know that your sovereign word is true.
So give us good days by your rule,
free enough to rejoice,
open enough to change,
trusting enough to move out of new obedience,
grace enough to be forgiven and then to forgive.

We live by your word. Speak it to us through the night,
that we may have many good days through your gift.

From Prayers for a Privileged People

Pentecost Sunday Prayer

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Icon-Pentecost Almighty God,
on this day you opened the way of eternal life
to every race and nation
by the promised gift of your Holy Spirit:

Shed abroad this gift throughout the world
by the preaching of the Gospel,
that it may reach to the ends of the earth;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
for ever and ever. Amen.

(ht)