Prayer – Page 2 – Woodsmoke and Cardamom

Treasures

by Lucy M. Young

I have so many treasures, Lord,
I scarce know where to start to name them all.
I have the wide, blue sky, the stars and moon at night,
Sunrise and glowing sunset.
I have the fresh, clean air to breathe,
And water, pure and sweet, to quench my thirst;
Cooling breezes and refreshing rain,
The fragrance and the splendor of the flowers;
The shade and towering beauty of the trees;
The happy songs of birds;
The bounty of my garden;
The sweetness of the peaches in my little orchard;
The comfort of a kitten purring softly on my pillow;
And I have love -
The love of friends and family and gentle pets;
But best of all, Lord, Your eternal love which never fails.
It guides, upholds and strengthens me each day.
It is the greatest treasure of them all.

Dear Lord, what do You have in mind for me to do? What menial task, What act of love or sacrifice is in Your plan for me? I’m tired of the daily round of meaningless activities. I need a reason for existence, a goal to strive for. Give me, Lord, a dream, And strength to work toward its completion. It needn’t be a great earth-shattering project – Just help me feel my life is not in vain. If nothing else, Lord, let me be a good example of usefulness in spite of handicap, And cheerfulness despite whatever pain may fill my waking hours; Then when at night my body cries for rest, I pray that You may feel I’ve done my best Your purpose to fulfill; And then, Lord, grant me peaceful sleep And quiet happy dreams throughout the night.

Your Will Be Done

by Lucy M. Young

Father, You know my dearest wish -
To walk in comfort, free of the pain that holds me in its grasp.
You know how much I've prayed for sweet release -
At first with faith in quick deliverance,
Later with hope,
Hardly daring to believe I could be freed.

At times I've been so angry with You, Lord.
Forgive me.
I've wept in my despair and tried to bargain;
But now my tears are dried I am resigned -
Your will be done;
And if it be my lot in life to live with pain
So be it,
Only grant me strength to bear it with a smile,
And quietly without complaint accept my cross.

Sometimes I Get Discouraged

by Lucy M. Young

Sometimes I get discouraged
With pain day after day,
With tiredness and weakness
That will not go away.

Forgive me for succumbing
To hopelessness, despair;
And help me do what must be done,
Grant strength my pain to bear.

I pray that it may be Your will
That pain depart from me;
But if this be my lot in life,
Then, Lord, please walk with me.

If I could feel my suffering
Could somehow ease Your pain
Inflicted on the cruel cross,
'Twould not seem so in vain.

So Lord, help me to bear it
Ignore it and go on;
Believing that the day will come
When pain will all be gone.

Just hold my hand when I'm afraid,
Uplift me when I'm low;
Make strong my faith, wipe out despair,
And keep my heart aglow

With love and gratitude for You
And all You've done for me -
For granting me the ability
To feel and hear and see.

Grant Me Serenity

by Lucy M. Young

Dear Lord, grant me serenity,
That I may gracefully accept
Whatever comes my way that can't be altered.
If my body must be crippled,
Let not my mind and heart and soul be crippled also.
Grant me the strength
To rise above my physical affliction,
And be content with what I can accomplish
In spite of it.

Lord, grant me courage
To change my way of life to fit the limits
Placed upon me by my handicap;
To smile in spite of pain;
To laugh at difficulties, disappointments,
And find the strength to do my daily tasks.

But if it be Thy will, dear Lord,
I pray that Thou wilt heal my leg;
That pain may disappear,
And I may walk and work and live in comfort;
However, Lord, Thy will not mine be done.
Whatever be the outcome of this day, I will accept it;
And with Thy help,
I'll strive each day to live a useful, joyous life;
And make my home a pleasant, tranquil place,
That all who come may feel refreshed,
And go their way with peaceful, happy hearts.

Why Must He Die?

by Lucy M. Young

Why must he die, dear Lord?
He is so young.
He has so much to give,
So much to live for.
He never tried to hurt his fellow man;
Was always ready with a helping hand,
A cheerful word,
A smile.
He is not perfect and he made mistakes
As do we all;
But he was never cruel by design.
I must not question Your decision, Lord.
I must accept Your will;
But, Lord, forgive me when I ask once more,
Why must he die so young?

Here I Am Again

by Lucy M. Young

Here I am again, Lord,
My worries clutched in my beseeching hands.
I have to pay the monthly bills
And there's so little money.
How do I divide and spread it out among them all?

How trivial my puny little troubles must appear
To You who must control the universe;
And yet I come to You each day for guidance,
Knowing Your gentle heart and loving arms
Will hold me,
Leading me with tender patience
Through the turmoil of my day,
Helping me to know what I must do.

No human difficulty is too insignificant
For Your attention;
And, busy as You are, You'll find the time
To solve whatever problems, great or small,
I bring to You.

I thank You, Lord,
For always being there for me;
And pray that I may keep from disappointing You
As I strive to know and do Your will each day.

My Life is in Your Hands

by Lucy M. Young

My life is in Your hands, dear Lord,
Do with it what You will;
For I am only here on earth
Your purpose to fulfill.

I know not what You want from me,
What small part I must play
To make Your world a better place,
So guide me, Lord, I pray.

You know I'm weak and fearful, Lord,
Unsure of what to do;
Afraid of failure, insecure,
But truly loving You;

Sincerely wanting to serve You well,
Trusting You more each day;
I care not what You ask of me
I'll do whate'er You say.

I'll follow You where'er You lead
Throughout the livelong day,
My life is in Your loving hands
As I slowly find my way

Through snares of indecision,
And pitfalls of deceit,
Betrayal, disappointment,
From people that I meet.

My life, my heart, my mind are Yours
So guide me, Lord, I pray;
Your love and strength will hold me up
On the straight and narrow way.

A Prayer for this Day

by Lucy M. Young

Father, I thank You for this bright new day,
And for the opportunity to start anew,
My slate wiped clean of yesterday's mistakes.
I thank You for another chance to put my life in order,
And try to live according to Your plan.

Set my feet upon the path You've chosen for me.
Hold my hand, dear Lord, for I am weak
And fearful of obstructions in my way.
I need Your love and strength to hold me up
And guide my faltering footsteps.

Help me to be aware of others' pain,
To see and feel the needs of fellow travelers
Along the way;
Then show me how to comfort and uplift each one
With love, compassion, or a helping hand.

Lord, guide my every thought and deed and word
Throughout this day,
That I may never be the cause of worry or of hurt.
Strengthen me that I may serve You well and faithfully,
So that when day is done and darkness falls across the land,
I'll feel that I have done my best for You.

Lord, Calm My Troubled Spirit

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, calm my troubled spirit,
Soothe the restlessness within me,
Ease the tension in my body,
And the coldness in my soul.
My heart is filled with dread
As I face the day before me.
What's wrong with me? Why must I feel this way?
I wait impatiently for the quiet shades of evening
When I can rest, forgetting all my worries,
Then morning comes, and 'though I cling to sleep,
I must awaken
To the pressures of another empty day.

The world outside my window
Is alive with springtime magic -
The joyful songs of birds and the busy hum of bees;
A glorious display of daffodils and tulips,
And balmy breezes laden with the scent of hyacinths.
The golden glow of sunlight
Brightens every shadowed corner.
A glorious swatch of velvet blue
Is draped above the earth;
Yet sadness dims my vision
With a mist of unshed tears,
And I cannot see the beauty of the day.

Lord, shake me up,
And calm the stormy grayness of my spirit.
Dispel this cloud of gloom surrounding me.
Replace my doubt with trust
And my dread with fearless joy,
Then let me walk secure in the knowledge of Your love.

Lord, keep my spirit free,
My faltering faith replenished,
And fill my empty heart with light once more.

Category: Prayer

Treasures

Your Plan for Me

Your Will Be Done

Sometimes I Get Discouraged

Grant Me Serenity

Why Must He Die?

Here I Am Again

My Life is in Your Hands

A Prayer for this Day

Lord, Calm My Troubled Spirit