PRAYER

Matthew 6:5-13


                           Line Drawing of Praying Hands by Dawn Hudson


Prayer is an important tool for anyone who is a follower of Christ.  If you do a little research, you will find that there are different prayers according to purpose, focus, or need.  For example, there are prayers of Supplication, Praise, Confession, Healing, Salvation, etc.  The most well known or recognized prayer is called the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6 where He says, “...In this manner, therefore, pray:...”  Verse 9a  (NKJV)


The prayer that I  am sharing this week is one that I read a long time ago that made me smile and check myself. Some of you may be familiar with it.  I ran across it recently, and decided to share.


Prayer of an Anonymous Abbess: 


  • “Lord, thou knowest better than myself that I am growing older and will soon be old.

 

  • Keep me from becoming too talkative, and especially from the unfortunate habit of thinking that I must say something on every subject and at every opportunity. 


  • Release me from the idea that I must straighten out other peoples' affairs. 


  • With my immense treasure of experience and wisdom, it seems a pity not to let everybody partake of it. But thou knowest, Lord, that in the end I will need a few friends. 


  • Keep me from the recital of endless details; give me wings to get to the point.


  • Grant me the patience to listen to the complaints of others; help me to endure them with charity. But seal my lips on my own aches and pains -- they increase with the increasing years and my inclination to recount them is also increasing. 


  • I will not ask thee for improved memory, only for a little more humility and less self-assurance when my own memory doesn't agree with that of others. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be wrong. 


  • Keep me reasonably gentle. I do not have the ambition to become a saint -- it is so hard to live with some of them -- but a harsh old person is one of the devil's masterpieces. 


  • Make me sympathetic without being sentimental, helpful but not bossy. Let me discover merits where I had not expected them, and talents in people whom I had not thought to possess any. And, Lord, give me the grace to tell them so.  Amen.


         Margot Benary-Isbert” 


Blessings,

~CWP~

Comments

  1. Curley BellFebruary 20, 2021 at 6:38 PM

    I like this! Yes by God’s Grace we will mature gracefully. I want to always be relevant but not forceful!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elohim, The God of Creation

Image
  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.                                                                                                   Genesis 1:1 , NKJV God has many "names"or "titles"that reflect His character and benefits. Today, I am focusing on Elohim, the God of Creation.  I was blessed to celebrate another birthday a couple of days ago, and my gift was to travel to another state with loved ones where the eclipse could be seen in its totality.  I saw the one locally in 2017, but that partial one paled by comparison to this one.    Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on Unsplash To say that it was awesome is such an understatement.  Visitors traveled from as far west as California, and there were some who were French speaking from who knows where.  I am seldom at a loss for words, however, this was an exception.  Seeing God's creation on full display as it went though the various phases was awe inspiring and caused me to tear up.  The change i
Read more

PASSION WEEK/HOLY WEEK

Image
No one can take my life from me.  I sacrifice it voluntarily.  For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again.  For this is what my Father has commanded.  John 10:17-18 (NLT)    This season is one of the most consequential & unforgettable periods of time in Christiandom.  A painful time which ends triumphantly! Passion Week or Holy Week began on Palm Sunday and continues to Resurrection Sunday/Easter.   Jesus, motivated by His love for us and desire to redeem us, suffered unbelievable torture and humiliation to pay our sin debt.   He who was without sin. * It is called Passion Week because Jesus was motivated by His passionate love for us and desire to provide a path back to a restored relationship with the Father through Him.  The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. (John 10:17) .  He accomplished it through His suffering, death, and resurrection.  Those of us who are followers of Christ should always fe
Read more

We Need This C.O.F.F.E.E.

Image
  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and the cleanse us from all unrighteousness.   1 John 1:9 (NKJV)                                               Photo by River Fx on Unsplash                                                                            Are you a coffee aficionao?  Photo by  Levi Meir Clancy   on Unsplash Or perhaps you are an occasional coffee drinker or one who can not start your day without a morning "cup of joe."                                                                      You may be a connoisseur of the finest blends of coffee, or one who likes the aroma of coffee, but not it's taste .  Even if you have never had a cup of coffee, I think that you will agree that every one of us definitely need THIS coffee! C - Christ O - Offers F - Forgiveness F - For E - Everyone                                 E - Everywhere Blessings. ~CWP~ (3rd)   Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Read more