Prayer – Page 4 – Woodsmoke and Cardamom

Think Not of Tomorrow

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, let me think not of tomorrow
Or the sorrow it may contain;
It may hold either joy or sorrow,
Bright sunshine or gentle rain.

Sufficient unto this day alone
Is the evil thereof, 'tis said;
And we can do nothing about it,
We must gladly accept it instead.

So grant us the strength and the wisdom
To savor each moment today,
Let us love and be loved. May Your mercy
Keep sadness and sorrow away.

When darkness falls softly upon us,
And the stars shine brightly above;
May we rest secure in the knowledge
We're wrapped in Your infinite love.

Sleep

by Lucy M. Young

photo by Martina Misar-Tummeltshammer on Unsplash

Sleep, blessed peaceful sleep,
How it eludes me.
Today and yesterday, 'though gone beyond recall,
Return to haunt me.
Why did I do that foolish thing?
I should have thought before I spoke;
My mouth must open wide to hold the foot
So often placed there.

And then tomorrow looms
With frightening intensity
Before me.
What will I do about the broken promise
Lightly made and easily forgotten?
Which bills to pay and which to leave
Hoping no repercussions may result?

My mind rebels.
What is the use?
Today, tomorrow, yesterday
Are out of my control.
I guess I'll just forget about it all
And go to sleep.

Lord Keep My Faith Intact

by Lucy M. Young

Lord, keep my faith intact,
My courage strong;
And help me to ignore the cruel taunts
Of those who would destroy my confidence
In Your unfailing love.
I need Your strength
For I am weak and often feel discouraged.
Just hold me up, dear Lord, and keep me going
For yet another day.
I cannot stand alone, but with Your help,
I'll keep a cheerful smile upon my face
For all to see, and never let them know
There may be sadness in my secret heart.

This Lovely Day

by Lucy M. Young

photo by Behzad Azandaryan Malayeri on Unsplash

Dear Lord, I thank You for this lovely day -
The azure sky, the golden sun,
The cooling breeze.

Lord, help me make the most of every moment
Let no disturbing thoughts
Or angry words
Disturb the tranquil beauty of each passing hour.

Let me think only of today,
Not looking back nor yet ahead.
The past is gone,
The future, yet to be, held safely in Your hands.

So, with Your help,
I'll treasure every moment;
Then when I lay me down to rest this night,
I'll thank You once again in quiet prayer
For this most lovely day.

Lord, Keep Me Laughing

Lord, keep me laughing
In spite of pain and disillusionment
when my vision's dimmed by unshed tears
And naught around me seems worth living for.

Keep me laughing, Lord,
when all my efforts are in vain;
With disappointment my daily portion;
when everything I say or do is misinterpreted
And failure dogs my footsteps.

Keep me laughing
And help turn my sadness into joy.
When trouble fills my days,
And nights of worry seem to have no end;
when insults, angry words, and criticisms
Are being hurled at my defenseless head,
Lord, keep me laughing to the bitter end.

Words

by Lucy M. Young

"Sticks and stones may break my bones"
  But words can break my heart;
No hurt is worse than that inflicted
  By a verbal dart.

A broken bone will heal in time
  And leave no lingering pain;
The memory of a bruise will fade,
  No soreness will remain;

But a careless word or a vicious taunt
  Leaves pain too deep to heal;
And an angry cruel word once said
  Can never be repealed.

One day we all must give account
  For every spoken word
As we bow in final judgement
  Before our risen Lord.
  


photo by Samuel Martins on Unsplash

The Christmas Star

by Lucy M. Young

The Christmas star is shining in the East.
Its pure and radiant light has never ceased
To guide the faithful with its steady glow,
Just as it led the Wise Men long ago
To a lowly manger in a stable bare
Where lay the Christ Child with his mother fair.

Oh Christmas star, may your pure holy light
Fill every heart with peace and joy tonight;
And may your beams encompass all the earth
Remind all nations of the holy birth
Of the Babe who came that war and suffering cease;
And bring to all the world good will and peace.

May the Christmas star fill your hearts with love and joy today and always



photo by Frantzou Fleurine on Unsplash

Wait Upon the Lord

by Lucy M. Young

Dear Father, grant me patience
 While I'm waiting to be healed
And faith to keep believing
 That to weakness I won't yield.

Grant me strength and courage
 As I cope with daily pain.
Let not my heart grow faint, dear Lord,
 And let me not complain;

For I know you're with me always,
 And when the time is right,
You'll heal me, free my pain-scarred soul
 To soar like a bird in flight.

For if I wait upon you, Lord,
 My strength shall be renewed,
I shall mount up with wings as eagles,
 All the waiting will be understood.

I shall run and not be weary;
 I shall walk and never faint;
For your goodness knows no limit.
 And your love knows no restraint.


Based on Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings as eagles; They shall run and not be weary; And they shall walk and not faint."

The First Robins

by Lucy M. Young

Today I saw two robins on the lawn.
I watched them as they searched for food,
Their keen ears picking up the sound of worms beneath the sod.
How tired and hungry they must be
After their long, long journey from the South.

Dear Lord, watch over them, I pray.
Keep them safe and warm throughout the cold and darkness of the night.
Tomorrow help them find a nesting place secure from predators.
Then let their happy songs be heard
To cheer our winter-weary souls
And tell us Spring is here.


photo by Avery Lutkenhoff on Unsplash