Prayer Meeting Workshop

A few weeks ago for prayer meeting, we had what felt like a wonderful literature course, analyzing and then comparing & contrasting a prayer from Valley of Vision and a liturgy from Every Moment Holy.  Then we had time to write our own prayer and pray it out loud if we desired to.  

Most of our praying is extemporaneous, but writing prayers out can be a good activity.  Do you write your prayers often? In different seasons of my life I have done so, but not lately, so it was good to be still and do so. 

Liturgy for a Tired Mom

Lord, you created families,

     and you created our family ...

           the miracle of determining the time and the place where each of us would live

so that we would seek God.

You placed us four, 

     with our very different personalities, 

          strengths, 

               physical limitations, and 

                    emotional needs 

in our nuclear family. 

I thank you for your creativity on display. 
I thank you for built-in opportunities to 

     show compassion,

          give grace, and 

                bear each other's burdens.  

You, O Lord, are the Father of Compassion, 

     the source of all grace, and 

         the ultimate burden-bearer. 

Forgive me for attempting to do it all. 

Strengthen my compassion,

     my ability to give grace and

          to bear burdens. 

When my children experience compassion, 

     grace, or 

          a lifting of their burden from me, 

help them see YOU! 

Give me your wisdom to know 

     how to respond in each unique situation ~ 

when to comfort and 

     when to correct,

when to instruct and 

     when to simply listen,

when to teach a lesson and

     when to teach by ignoring the offense and

          demonstrating the power of forgiveness.

Mostly, Lord, give my mind your rest.

Forgive me for fretting that I might make a mistake.

    (I have made & I will make mistakes.)

Let me walk in step with your Spirit,

     day by day and

          moment by moment,

that my words and actions may be filled with 

     your love,

          your joy,

               your peace, 

                    your patience,

     your kindness, 

          your goodness, 

               your faithfulness,

                    your gentleness,

     and the self-control that comes from you. 

May our family, 

     which you miraculously put together, 

be people who seek you with all our hearts 

     and find you.

For Jesus' sake, 

     Amen.