Prayer – Woodsmoke and Cardamom

Prayer for a Rainy Day

by Lucy M. Young

Oh, hear my prayer this rainy day
And answer it, dear Lord, I pray.
The cold, gray clouds and dripping skies
Have hidden the sunshine from my eyes.

Forgive my pessimism, Lord,
Remind me of Your sacred word.
I can't be gloomy if I say,
"Dear Lord, I thank You for this day."

"This is the day that the Lord has made."
Gloom and sadness all must fade.
"Let us rejoice and be glad in it."
And make the most of every minute.

The Lord sends rain as well as sun;
His blessings fall on everyone.
Let me greet each hour with a cheerful song
And a smile to help the day along.

Where Are You, Lord?

Dear Lord, where are You?
I know You're near - You're never far away -
But how I wish that I might feel Your touch
Or see Your face.

Where are You, Lord?
I know You're near.
You keep me safe from harm day after day;
You hold me up when I am weak;
You dry my teafrs.

Why should I wonder where You are?
I know -
I see Your face in smiling faces all around me;
I feel Your touch in the warmth of a friendly hand;
Your constant love in the love of friends and family;
Your strength in outstretched helping hands.

Where are You, Lord?
You're walking with me daily, step by step;
Upholding and sustaining me through trial and tribulation.
I rest secure in Your steadfast love.

Be With Them, Lord

by Lucy M. Young

Father, be with all who need Your help today.
I do not know their names and all their special needs
But You, in Your great wisdom, know each one.
You know their needs, their secret loads of care.
You know which hearts are aching
And need the comfort of Your loving arms.
You know the ones whose pain is great
And need Your healing hands to ease their suffering.
You know who is discouraged,
Bowed down beneath their yokes of ceaseless toil,
And need Your helping hands upon their shoulder.

I would that I could help these needing people.
But, Lord, I know You can:
So hear my heartfelt prayer this Sunday morning
And bless, sustain, uplift and comfort them
That they may know the sunshine of Your love;
May feel secure knowing that You care
And will be ever with them in their need.

Lord, Walk With Me

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, walk with me throughout each day
And hold my trembling hand;
Guide every faltering footstep,Lord,
Please help me understand
Why pain and weakness haunt my days,
And what I'm doing wrong.
Grant courage, strength, humility
And fill my heart with song.

Lord, walk with me and be my crutch,
My strength and constant guide;
Forgive me, Lord, and hold me close.
Let faith and hope abide
Forever in my heart of hearts.
Cast out all fear and woe,
Hold fast my heart my mind and soul,
And never let them go.

Snowdrops

by Lucy M. Young

There is a corner in my garden, overgrown by grass and weeds,
Where the snowdrops grow;
Sheltered from the harshest winds and deepest snows of winter
By the sturdy trunk and spreading branches of the weeping willow tree,
Intrepidly enduring February's bitter cold.

Each year I look for them,
And wonder if they'll make it through the ice and snow,
The frozen earth and tangled undergrowth;
But each year they appear, more plentiful than ever,
Waiting patiently beneath the snow
To bravely lift their pure white, fragrant blossoms
To the winter sun.

Dear Lord, may I be like the snowdrops -
Undaunted by the storms of life,
The stress and strain and pain of daily living.
Let me lift my face each day to the sunshine of Your love;
And, like the snowdrops, smile and dance
To the eternal music of the stars.

Close to You

by Lucy M. Young

Dear Lord, I know You're there somewhere -
I never doubt it;
But, Lord, today You seem so far away.
I cannot reach you.
My heart is sad and empty.
My weary soul yearns for the gentle peace that only You can give.

I love You, Lord.
I need You.
With every breath I take I need You more.
Forgive my many sins of both commission and omission.
Cleanse my mind and heart and soul.
Eradicate unworthy, sinful thoughts and feelings.
Show me the path that I must take to bring me close to You,
And let me feel Your loving presence in my heart once more.

I Need You

by Lucy M. Young

I need You, Lord.
Every minute of every hour of every day and night I need You.
Even if, as often happens, I forget to ask Your help,
I need You.
Without Your help I may as well give up lie down and die.
'Twould be so easy, Lord, to do just that -
No more trouble, pain or worry;
No more anger or hostility;
But that's a coward's answer,
And I want to live and love and serve -
My mind set free from doubt and fear to soar on wings
           of love and faith.
I cannot stand alone.
I need You constantly,
And 'though I sometimes may forget to ask,
Lord, hold me up, don't let me fall,
And guide my every step throughout each day.

Helpful People

by Lucy M. Young

Father, I come to You today with gratitude for friendly, thoughtful people
           who help me on my way -
Opening doors for me and carrying packages,
Stopping traffic so that I may cross the street on my crutches;
Waiting patiently for me to make my clumsy way through crowded stores.

They smile,
And in their smiles I sense Your loving presence.

Lord, bless these good, considerate people.
Make smooth their way through life.
Ease their burdens, calm their fears,
Comfort them;
And guide them safely through each day.
Help them, Lord, as they have so unselfishly helped me.

Father, Forgive Me

by Lucy M. Young

Father, forgive me.
I'm so tired of constant pain and weakness,
Trying to accept it without question,
Striving to be grateful for what I'm capable of doing
And wish for nothing more.
But, Father, there is so much to be done
And I've no strength to do it.

Pain rules my life and everything I do.
I want to work,
I want to put my house and life in order,
But pain and weakness force inaction on me.
My faith is weakening.
Forgive me, Father.
Strengthen me.
Help me to overcome the things that drag me down -
Self-pity, doubt, ineptitude and anger at my lot in life.
Hold me up.
Help me forget myself completely and ignore my pain.
Forgive my weakness and despair.
Guide my faltering footsteps through this day.
Eliminate my doubt,
And fill my heart with gratitude for Your unfailing love.

Gloria

by Lucy M. Young

Gloria, a very dangerous hurricane, is moving up the coast,
Leaving panic and widespread destruction in her path.
It is so quiet here -
The night is calm, no breeze is stirring -
It's difficult to realize that only hours away this vicious
          storm approaches,
Uprooting trees and flattening man-made structures.

Dear Lord, watch over us we pray.
Protect the birds and all Your little creatures.
Keep safe their homes and ours;
And just as You controlled the wind and waves on Galilee,
So, Lord, control the fierceness of this storm.
Alter her course and send her screaming out to sea
Away from land and people.
Let her vent her rage upon the open ocean
Where nothing no one can be harmed;
And soothe her mindless fury with Your quiet voice.