Owner: Chi Rho: A Prayer Blog URL:http://chirho.wordpress.com/ Join Date: Sat, 03 Nov 2007 07:06:45 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Chi-Rho is my endeavor to create a written account of my prayer life. I’ll post the prayers I like and admire, my personal prayers, the intercessory prayers I pray and receive. I hope I hear from you, with your prayers or prayer requests. Site statistics:Click here
A Prayer for My Wife 2007-11-06 08:36:30 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
~~ Ephesians 5:25-33
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
~~ Colossians 3:19
In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man Read more:Prayer
Praying the Psalms: God Knows 2007-11-04 08:09:52 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I’m an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I’m never out of your sight.
You know everything I’m going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you’re there,
then up ahead and you’re there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can’t take it all in!
Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you’re there!
If I go underground, you’re there!
If I flew on morning’s wings
to the far western horizon,
You’d find me in a minute—
you’re already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
At night I’m immersed in the light!”
It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;
night and day, darkness and light, they’re a Read more:Psalms
Endurance 2007-11-02 11:20:25 We ask him to strengthen you by his glorious might with all the power you need to patiently endure everything with joy.
~~ Colossians 1:11
Almighty God, who has given me the desire to do right and helped me to do your service, strengthen me to persevere.
Give me the endurance to serve you, and perform my duties.
When I am weary in my good efforts, remind me that the ways of sin are pathways to destruction.
In my darkness of discouragement, give me the light of your presence.
Your Word tells us that, “he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Help me to endure and not fall from your grace.
I ask in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
Read more:Endurance
Why a Prayer Blog? 2007-10-31 06:57:15 Why a Prayer
Blog?
Prayer is a universal human experience and one of the key tenets of Christianity. Prayer illuminates our relationship with God and allows us to express our love for Him as well as our faith and hope in Him.
Prayer provides the connection to share our concerns, fears, needs and desires with our heavenly Father. The fullness of our prayer life is directly related to the fullness of our spiritual life. When we develop our prayer life, we develop a stronger and deeper relationship with God; our prayers become our point of power.
Portraits of Prayer 2007-10-30 17:32:51 Prayer is a universal human experience. There does not appear to be a culture in the world that does not have some means of prayer, some way of communicating with the Divine.
“Somewhere in every man there is the capacity for worship and prayer, for the apprehension of God and the love of him. Praying is a practice like breathing or eating.”
~~ Harry Emerson Fosdick
From Pentecostal ministers roaring hallelujahs to the chants of Greek Orthodox choirs, from a widow silently mourning to a child’s closed-eyes request for a wanted toy, from professional athletes pointing to the sky to the Mormon family on fast Sunday: folks are praying all over the world and in many different ways.
We pray standing; sitting; kneeling; prostrate on the floor; eyes opened; eyes closed; hands folded or clasped; hands upraised; holding hands with others; a laying on of hands and others. Prayers can be recited from memory, read from a book of prayers, or ad libbed as they are prayed. They may be sp Read more:Portraits
, Prayer
Good Morning God 2007-10-30 07:52:30 Good morning God,
I come to you again today in the name of Jesus.
I choose to worship you in spirit and in truth … so help me God.
I choose to glorify you God in everything I am and do today … so help me God.
I choose to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength … so help me God.
I choose to love your Word … so help me God.
I choose to be available for you today to use as you will … so help me God.
I choose to be as Jesus today to every life I touch … so help me God.
I choose to always have a thankful heart and an attitude of gratitude … so help me God.
I choose to walk on the path of truth always in all ways … so help me God.
I choose to keep growing in “faith and love and every grace and seek more earnestly your face” … so help me God.
I choose to become the man of God you want me to be … so help me God.
I choose to become more and more in every way like you Jesus … so help me God.
I choose to be a living witness for you Jesus … so help me God.
Read more:Good Morning
, Morning
Lord’s Prayer As A Text Message 2007-10-28 21:46:56 dad@hvn,ur spshl.we want wot u want&urth2b like hvn.giv us food&4giv r sins lyk we 4giv uvaz.don’t test us!save us!bcos we kno ur boss,ur tuf&ur cool 4 eva!ok?
by Matthew Campbell, York, England
Winner of “R Father…” a Ship of Fools biblical text-messaging competition.
Read more:Message
, Prayer
, Text Message
Prayer for Expressing Gratitude 2007-10-28 08:59:16 This is the day that God has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
—Psalm 118:24
Morning Prayer
: Prayer for Expressing Gratitude
Gracious God, in the busy-ness of my day, I sometimes forget to stop to thank you for all that is good in my life.
My blessings are many and my heart is filled with gratefulness for the gift of living, for the ability to love and be loved, for the opportunity to see the everyday wonders of creation, for sleep and water, for a mind that thinks and a body that feels.
I thank you, too, for those things in my life that are less than I would hope them to be. Things that seem challenging, unfair, or difficult. When my heart feels stretched and empty, and pools of tears form in my weary eyes, still I rejoice that you are as near to me as my next breath and that in the midst of turbulence, I am growing and learning.
In the silence of my soul, I thank you most of all for your unconditional and eternal love.
Amen.
—from Prayers for Living
Prayer for Young Athletes 2007-11-10 11:36:24 Heavenly Father, be with my young athletes as they test their physical skills.
Let them play well, but fairly.
Let competition make them strong, but never hostile.
Grant them the strength to best their opponent, and lead them to always help the opponent up.
Grant them moments to rejoice, but not in the adversity of others.
Help them stay safe from injury, both physical and emotional.
Help them to learn something that matters once the game is over.
Help them remember that sports are just games.
If they know victory, allow them to be happy.
If they are denied, keep them from envy.
If through athletics, they set an example, let it be a good one.
In the name of Your Son, Jesus
Amen.
Read more:Prayer
Thanksgiving: Geo. Washington 2007-11-10 07:18:41
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to the Read more:Thanksgiving
, Washington
Prayer for Rowan Ford and Her Family 2007-11-09 14:20:27 Heavenly Father, Comforter and Protector, I come asking You to watch over young Rowan Ford. Please take the soul of this little girl into Your arms, comfort her and welcome her home, into Your eternal kingdom.
Lord, I ask that You touch her family and grant the graces necessary for them to shoulder this cross. Although it appears to be the darkest of times, let them realize Your Light of Love shines upon them and that Your children grieve with them and pray for them. Father, walk with her family as they take each difficult step forward. When they falter, let them know that it is You who bears their burden and enables them to carry on. May they never doubt Your love for them, and may they find the peace that comes from abiding with You.
Lord, I ask that You touch the heart of those who harmed her, or have knowledge of the circumstances, that they may do the right thing. I pray that they should come to repentance and receive your forgiveness.
Lord, I ask that You touch the minds of all Read more:Family
, Prayer
How to Spend Thirty Minutes with God 2007-11-08 22:41:00 Rachael Ray promises that her dazzling dishes will never take more than 30 minutes to make, while the exercise DVDs guarantee an effective workout, in that same half of an hour.
This post encourages you to allocate 30 minutes to get “bread for the soul”, with a “spiritual workout” that will strengthen every area of your life.
How to Spend Thirty
Minutes with God
Preparation
(5 minutes)
Spend a few minutes quieting yourself and relaxing, settling into a comfortable, prayerful position. As you begin, ask God to grant you openness, generosity and courage during your time together.
Gracious God, open my heart so that I can hear your Word . . . your Word of Great Possibility and Wonder.
Gracious God, help me to be generous in spirit so that in silence I may be able to embrace your Word of Possibility and Wonder.
Gracious God, grant me a courageous heart to open myself to your Word of Possibility and Wonder.
Adoration
(5 minutes)
I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will si
Mini Manna: By Grace Through Living Faith 2007-11-07 09:15:16 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
~~ Ephesians 2:8-9
You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.
~~ James 2:24
Are these two passages contradictory?
The two passages are not really in conflict, because James and Paul were each talking about two different kinds of works and emphasizing different aspects of salvation.
Paul emphasized that the grace of God saves, and man cannot earn his salvation by merit. The fact that God’s grace saves, does not relieve us of the responsibility to obey God in order to receive the benefits of that grace.
We are saved by many things:
“For in this hope we were saved” (Romans 8:24).
“…he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (Hebrews 5:9)
“… the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
“and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you a Read more:Faith
, Grace
, Living
The Coach’s Prayer 2007-11-06 21:23:43
Heavenly Father guide me
As I try to coach this team
To build each other’s character
And boost their self-esteem.
May I keep an even temper
And remember it’s a game.
Let me not have favorite players
But treat them all the same
Grant me patient wisdom
As I praise them or correct
Remembering that I must work
To earn each one’s respect.
Lord, whether we may win or lose,
May all who are watching see
The kind of coach at every game
That you would like me to be.
Amen.
Read more:Coach
, Prayer
Thanksgiving Proclamation: Kennedy 2007-11-15 21:53:13
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord.”
More than three centuries ago, the Pilgrims, after a year of hardship and peril, humbly and reverently set aside a special day upon which to give thanks to God for their preservation and for the good harvest from the virgin soil upon which they had labored. Grave and unknown dangers remained. Yet by their faith and by their toil they had survived the rigors of the harsh New England winter. Hence they paused in their labors to give thanks for the blessings that had been bestowed upon them by Divine Providence.
This year, as the harvest draws near its close and the year approaches its end, awesome perils again remain to be faced. Yet we have, as in the past, ample reason to be thankful for the abundance of our blessings. We are grateful for the blessings of faith and health and strength and for the imperishable spiritual gifts of love and hope. We give thanks, too, for our fre Read more:Kennedy
, Proclamation
, Thanksgiving
Torture is a Moral Issue 2007-11-15 10:26:57 In living our lives of, “what’s for dinner?” , “who’s picking up the boys from practice?” and “it costs that much!?”, we let issues that we normally take a stand on, drift off our radar. Unfortunately some of these issues, and images, just will not go away.
Recently, a military manual detailing the day-to-day operations of the United States military’s Guantánamo Bay detention facility was leaked to the web. The manual provides an inside look into the facility where the U.S. has, we have, imprisoned hundreds of suspected terrorists since 2002.
The ghosts of Abu Ghraib rush back into my consciousness, along with the disappointment and anger. While the folks who know me might classify me as a “bleeding heart liberal”, I too experienced 9-11. I expect our government to respond and take measures to protect the American people. I respect the fact that our military and intelligence forces have worked hard to prevent furth Read more:Moral
, Torture
Professional Misconduct: The Boorish Behavior of Pro Athletes 2007-11-15 07:56:10 Professional athletes are paid millions to play games. Why are they such beacons of boorish behavior?
Disrespect, insubordination and misogyny are the norm, with the sports pages filled with tales of drugs, gun fights, rapes, dog fighting, and all manner of crime.
I extolled the virtues of Stephan Marbury and his $14.95 basketball shoe to my youth basketball team, only to have Mr. Marbury brag of his limousine "sexcapades" (during Isiah Thomas' sexual harassment trial) and walk out on his team before a game this week.
Sharon Stoll, a professor at the University of Idaho, has spent her career studying the values and morals of elite athletes, and concluded that a great many jocks are deficient in moral reasoning, which governs honesty, fairness and responsibility.
“In sport we have moved away from honorable behavior,” Stoll contends, with more emphasis on winning at all costs and material rewards.
Stoll operates the Center for Ethical Theory and Honor in Competitive Spo Read more:Behavior
Call My Family, Lord 2007-11-14 10:14:23
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
~~ 1 Peter 2:9
Father, I pray today that you may count my family worthy of your calling.
Enable us to become increasingly loving, full of integrity, and steeped in the knowledge of you and your Word.
I ask that you work in our lives that we may grow in all things that please you.
Help us to establish and pursue only those plans, goals, and purposes that are in keeping with your will and intent for our lives;
By your power cause every good purpose and faith-prompted act of ours to bear abundant fruit.
I pray this so that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in our lives and our lives in Him.
I thank you for your marvelous grace, for we know:
~~It is only by your grace that we can love unconditionally.
~~It is only by your grace that we can become fruitful.
~~It is only by your grace Read more:Family
Sweet Science Or Carnal Cruelty? 2007-11-13 18:48:17 I have been a fan of boxing for as long as I can remember. I think there is nothing more basic in sport then the idea of two people, evenly matched, with nothing but their will and desire, going face to face to determine who is better. I also treasure the time my grandfather spent with me watching the best matches of the 60’s and 70’s.
That being said, I am finding it more and more difficult to watch professional boxing. It makes me a little queasy, giving me that "something's not right" feeling.
Professional boxers pound each other resulting in bloody faces, bruised bodies, and damaged vital organs. The long-term ill effects on their central nervous systems has been medically documented and proven — post concussion syndrome is a common thing when the goal is to concuss the opponent into submission.
According to the Journal of Combative Sport, 1,465 boxers have died in the ring — including Duk Koo Kim, whom I watched receive a relentless beating at the hands of Read more:Cruelty
, Science
, Sweet
What Would You Do? 2007-11-13 08:57:12
An earlier post, How to Surf the Web and Help the Poor, addresses this conflict, God’s call to us and presents a few easy ways to help.
We Give You Thanks, O Lord 2007-11-12 22:56:59 We give You thanks, O Lord.
For faith in a world laden with fears;
For joy in a world drowning in tears;
For justice in a world that is so unfair;
For hope in a world filled with despair;
For the family and friends we know and love;
For your grace and guidance from above;
For our humble home; For all we wear;
For our daily bread; For our nightly care;
We give You thanks, O Lord.
Amen.
~ by Lester Wall
Read more:Thanks
Thanksgiving Proclamation: Eisenhower 2007-11-12 20:36:40
As a nation much blessed, we feel impelled at harvest time to follow the tradition handed down by our Pilgrim Fathers of pausing from our labors for one day to render thanks to Almighty God for His bounties. Now that the year is drawing to a close, once again it is fitting that we incline our thoughts to His mercies and offer to Him our special prayers of gratitude.
For the courage and vision of our forebears who settled a wilderness and founded a Nation; for the “blessings of liberty” which the framers of our Constitution sought to secure for themselves and for their posterity, and which are so abundantly realized in our land today; for the unity of spirit which has made our country strong; and for the continuing faith under His guidance that has kept us a religious people with freedom of worship for all, we should kneel in humble thanksgiving.
Especially are we grateful this year for the truce in battle-weary Korea, which gives t Read more:Eisenhower
, Proclamation
, Thanksgiving
Prayer for Donda & Kanye West 2007-11-11 23:21:37
Heavenly Father, Comforter and Protector, I come asking You to watch over Donda West. Please take her soul into Your arms, comfort her and welcome her home, into Your loving care.
Donda is gone now from this earthly dwelling, and has left behind those who mourn her absence. Grant them the graces necessary for them to shoulder this cross. When they falter, let them know that it is You who bears their burden and enables them to carry on.
Bless her loving son Kanye
West. Grant that he may hold his mother’s memory dear, never bitter for the lost, never regretful for the past, but always in hope of the eternal kingdom where you will bring them together again.
I ask this through Christ our Lord,
Amen
Read more:Kanye West
, Prayer
Praying the Psalms: Praise God, For He is Worthy 2007-11-20 08:12:29 I lift you high in praise, my God, O my King!
and I’ll bless Your name into eternity.
I’ll bless You every day,
and keep it up from now to eternity.
God is magnificent; He can never be praised enough.
There are no boundaries to His greatness.
Generation after generation stands in awe of Your work;
each one tells stories of Your mighty acts.
Your beauty and splendor have everyone talking;
I compose songs on Your wonders.
Your marvelous doings are headline news;
I could write a book full of the details of Your greatness.
The fame of Your goodness spreads across the country;
Your righteousness is on everyone’s lips.
God is all mercy and grace—
not quick to anger, is rich in love.
God is good to one and all;
everything He does is suffused with grace.
Creation and creatures applaud You, God;
Your holy people bless You.
They talk about the glories of Your rule,
they exclaim over Your splendor,
Letting the world know of Your power for good,
the lavish splendor of Your kin Read more:Praise
, Psalms
, Worthy
Today’s Morning Prayer: A Heart Free From Pride 2007-11-19 11:52:50
My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.
~~ Psalm 131
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
~~ James 4:6
“Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance. “
~~Saint Augustine
I give thanks to You, heavenly Father, for protecting me through the night and granting me another day. I ask You to fortify me with the grace of Your Holy Spirit, and give Your peace to my soul, that I may be free from all needless anxiety and worry. Help me to desire always that which is pleasing and acceptable to You, so that Your will may be my will.
Today
, make known to me, and take from my heart, e Read more:Heart
, Morning
, Prayer
, Pride
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