Prayer for this day

"God, in Your goodness
grant me the intellect to comprehend You,
the perception to discern You,
and the reason to appreciate You.
In Your kindness
endow me with the diligence to look for You,
the wisdom to discover You,
and the spirit to apprehend You.
In Your graciousness
bestow on me a heart to contemplate You,
ears to hear You,
eyes to see You,
and a tongue to speak of You.
In Your mercy confer on me
a conversation pleasing to You,
the patience to wait for You,
and the perseverance to long for You.
Grant me a perfect end,
Your holy presence. Amen." - Benedict of Nursia

This words are from St Benedict and they are a lovely way to help us focus on the character of Jesus. I have underlined the 4 words in the Prayer that I believe are central to our prayer life - the Goodness, Kindness, Graciousness and Mercy of God.

Please read this prayer, pray it and then pass it on to someone.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Short Prayers

Jesus didn't like long winded prayers either! He encouraged his disciples to pray sincerely, but their prayers didn't need to be long. Benedict of Nursia agreed with Jesus on this, when he urged his monks with the following words:

“Prayer ought to be short and pure, unless it be prolonged by the inspiration of Divine grace.” - St. Benedict

As you come to God in prayer today, don't fall into the trap of thinking you need hours to pray. Just a short prayer is enough to start. I think that God knows what the following prayers mean:

"Lord, help!"
"Grant me strength O Lord."
"Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me."
"Thank you Jesus."
"I love you Lord."

Luke 20:46-47 - “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets. ⁴⁷ They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Prayer of surrender

"Gracious and Holy Father,
Please give me:
intellect to understand you,
reason to discern you,
diligence to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
a spirit to know you,
a heart to meditate upon you,
ears to hear you,
eyes to to see you,
a tongue to proclaim you,
a way of life pleasing to you,
patience to wait for you
and perseverance to look for you.
Grant me a perfect end,
your holy presence,
a blessed resurrection
and life everlasting." - Benedict of Nursia

What a fantastic prayer to reflect on. May you experience the presence of the living God as you prayer this today.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

A Prayer to begin the day

How do you begin your day? Do you find the demands of the day rushing into your mind as your feet hit the floor? Do you have 5 thousand things on your "to do" list before you even get to take your first sip of coffee? If this sounds a little like you, then can I suggest you pause for a second - turn
your phone on silent - look away from your diary and pray this prayer...

"O Lord, I place myself in your hands and dedicate myself to you. 
I pledge myself to do your will in all things: 
To love the Lord God with all my heart, all my soul, all my strength. .... 
 To desire eternal life with spiritual longing. 
To keep death before my eyes daily. 
To keep constant watch over my actions. 
To remember that God sees me everywhere. 
To call upon Christ for defense against evil thoughts that arises in my heart.
 To guard my tongue against wicked speech. To avoid much speaking. To avoid idle talk. 
To read only what is good to read. To look at only what is good to see. 
To pray often. 
To ask forgiveness daily for my sins, and to seek ways to amend my life. 
To obey my superiors in all things rightful. 
Not to desire to be thought holy, but to seek holiness. 
To fulfill the commandments of God by good works. 
To love chastity. To hate no one. 
Not to be jealous or envious of anyone. Not to love strife. 
Not to love pride. To honor the aged. 
To pray for my enemies. To make peace after a quarrel, before the setting of the sun. 
Never to despair of your mercy, O God of Mercy. 
Amen." - Benedict of Nursia (480-547)

If you find this helpful please forward the pray onto someone else. God bless you.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

A message from Benedict

Benedict of Nursia shaped the Western church in so many ways. His deep commitment to Jesus and his vision of creating monasteries changed many lives. At a time when people were turning to their own devices he challenged people to become dedicated followers of Jesus. He wrote some guidelines, known as the 'Rule of Benedict', which have proved to be tremendous help in assisting others to search for God.

Here is a portion of that 'Rule', taken from the Prologue:

"Listen carefully, my son (child), to the Master's instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a father who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice. The labour of obedience will bring you back to him from whom you had drifted through the sloth of disobedience. This message of mine is for all, and armed with the strong and noble weapons of obedience to do battle for the true king, Christ the Lord."
(the Rule of St. Benedict, Prologue, verses 1-3)

Psalm 119:5 -  Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!

May we remain true to Jesus and faithfully put his words into practise.

Living in Grace
D3LM3