An Irish prayer

May God give you...
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer.

Childrens prayers

Children's Prayers

A mother was teaching her 3-year-old the Lord's prayer. For several evenings at bedtime she repeated it after her mother. One night she said she was ready to solo. The mother listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer. "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us some e-mail, Amen."

A woman invited some people over for dinner. At the table she turned to her six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" The girl replied, "I wouldn't know what to say." "Just say what you heard Mommy say," the mother answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?

A 5 year old boy was sitting down to eat when his mother asked him to pray for his meal. He replied, "Mom we don't have to. We prayed over this last night." His mother had prepared leftovers from the day before.

A 4-year-old boy who was asked to return thanks before Christmas dinner. The family members bowed their heads in expectation. He began his prayer, thanking God for all his friends, naming them one by one. Then he thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, brother, sister, Grandma, Grandpa, and all his aunts and uncles. Then he began to thank God for the food. He gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes, even the Cool Whip. Then he paused, and everyone waited--and waited. After a long silence, the young fellow looked up at his mother and asked, "If I thank God for the broccoli, won't he know that I'm lying?"

A daddy was listening to his child say his prayer "Dear Harold," At this, dad interrupted and said, "Wait a minute, "How come you called God, Harold? The little boy looked up and said, "That's what they call Him in church. You know the prayer we say, "Our Father, who art in Heaven, Harold be Thy name."

One night Mike's parents overheard this prayer. "Now I lay me down to rest, and hope to pass tomorrow's test, if I should die before I wake, that's one less test I have to take."

A five-year-old said grace at family dinner one night. "Dear God, thank you for these pancakes." When he concluded, his parents asked him why he thanked God for pancakes when they were having chicken. He smiled and said, "I thought I'd see if He was paying attention tonight."

A little boy's prayer: "Dear God, please take care of my daddy and my mommy and my sister and my brother and my doggy and me. Oh, please take care of yourself, God. If anything happens to you, we're gonna be in a big mess."

Johnny had been misbehaving and was sent to his room. After a while he emerged and informed his mother that he had thought it over and then said a prayer. "Fine," said the pleased mother. "If you ask God to help you not misbehave, He will help you." "Oh, I didn't ask Him to help me not misbehave," said Johnny. I asked Him to help you put up with me."

A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if You can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am!"

A little boy was saying his bedtime prayers with his mother: "Lord, bless Mommy and Daddy, and God, GIVE ME A NEW BICYCLE!!!" Mom: "God's not deaf, son." Boy: "I know, Mom, but Grandma's in the next room, and she's hard of hearing!

Little Johnny was softly saying his night prayers kneeling down, and his mother was beside him. "Say your prayers louder, darling, I can't hear you," Said Little Johnny's mother. "But I'm not talking to you" was the instant reply.

One Sunday in a Midwest city a young child was "acting up" during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"

And this particular four-year-old prayed: "And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets."

Christmas meditation

A HEBREW SAGE MIGHT SAY. . .
The world is like an INN; the world-to-come, like Home!A CHRISTMAS MEDITATION
WHO was this who was born on that far-off CHRISTmas Day? What manner of CHILD was this whose first bed was a rude, dusty manger? Did anyone know?

Yes! Miryam (Mary) knew. Scarcely more than a child though she was, her soul was exalted beyond our imagining as she listened to the announcement of the angel, "That HOLY CHILD which shall be born of you shall be called the SON OF GOD!"

Joseph also knew, direct from an angel. The wise men knew. . . drawn from the far corners of the earth as by a magnet. The angels knew, and all the wide golden streets of heaven were crowded with them, their faces shining with joy, and their chorus of rejoicing rising again and again, "Glory to GOD in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!" Even the living stars knew. And, one of their number was appointed to hang in luminous beauty over the spot where the YOUNG CHILD lay.

The world, the one most concerned, the world - - then as now before HIS second coming, went blindly on its way. But, thanks to ETERNAL GOD, you and I not only know, but incredible wonder of wonders, we have a personal relationship with that PERFECT ONE WHO left HIS ivory palaces and the glory which HE had with ALMIGHTY GOD before the earth was, and walked here awhile in humiliation.

We know that ALMIGHTY GOD HIMSELF spoke from heaven saying, "This is MY BELOVED SON, in WHOM I am well pleased!" SON OF GOD, KING of kings and LORD of lords! The GREAT DESIGNER and CREATOR of the Universe, for without HIM was nothing made that was made. Our GREAT HIGH PRIEST, ever living to make intercession for us. SIN-BEARER, and yet future JUDGE, for all judgment is committed unto the BELOVED ONLY-BEGOTTEN SON; the CAPTAIN of our salvation, the AUTHOR & FINISHER of our faith, the BRIGHT & MORNING STAR, the RESURRECTION & LIFE!

As instructed, Miryam (Mary) called HIM, "Y’SHUA (SAVIOUR..."for besides Me, there is no Saviour, says Yehowah" – Isaiah 43.11)" – HIS NAME is also called: "WONDERFUL (PELE: secret, mysterious, a marvel, extraordinary, a wonder, a hard to understand thing), COUNSELOR (YAH'ATS), MIGHTY GOD (GIBOWR'EL), EVERLASTING FATHER (AD AB), PRINCE OF PEACE (SAR SHALOWM)." [Isaiah/Yeshayah 9. 6]

"NO ROOM FOR HIM AT THE INN!" Could any inn contain the LORD OF GLORY? The wonder is that the walls of that small stable did not part and stretch far, far away to the ends of the universe in a vain effort to make a dwelling place vast enough to house INFINITY!

Yet this same sinless, INCOMPARABLE, UNSURPASSED ONE suffered indescribable tortures because of HIS great love for you and me! For long dreadful hours the LORD JESUS hung upon the cross, bearing the guilt and shame of my sins and the sins of all the world. HE conquered death and hell for me. . . HE walks the earth with me. . . HE has given heaven to me!

It is too much, I cannot grasp such amazing depths of love. I can only remove the shoes from off my feet and bow in silent adoration at the door of that little stable in Bethlehem and worship my SAVIOUR and my GOD, MESSIAH YESHUA, my LORD & KING!



Sha'alu (Pray) for the Shalom (Peace) of Jerusalem and all of Israel !
As we bid farewell to Shabbat, may our lips ever declare praises the LORD JESUS our KING, HELPER, SAVIOUR & SHIELD for HIS loving kindness is mighty over us.
Have a Joyous & Peace-filled CHRISTmas! – May the LIVING ETERNAL GOD, blessed be HE, hold you close, may HE hold you ever so close in the palm of HIS mighty hand and watch over you. Have a great week remembering the HOLY ONE WHOM we celebrate and adore every SeaSON!

prayer for pets

Prayer for Pets

Dear Lord there has to be a place that you have set aside
For all your precious animals to go to when they've died.
You know how much I love them, Lord,
And when they pass away,
My heart just breaks as I pray that I
Will see them again some day.
Dear Lord there has to be a place for animals to go
Where they can have eternal life
For you love them too, I know.
Our pets are such a blessing, Lord,
And they know no sin,
So I can't imagine Heaven
Not letting them come in
To a place where they can run and play
And fences are obsolete;
Where they can sit beside the throne
Or lay at Jesus' feet.
When I get to Heaven, Lord, I pray that I will see
Every pet that I have loved
Come running up to me,
The way they did when they were here
So full of life and love,
Then we'll live with you in Heaven
In our new home above.

Origen on Prayer

by Origen [c.185 - c.254]

Again I believe the words of the prayer of the saints to be full of power above all when praying 'with the spirit,' they pray 'also with the understanding,' which is like a light rising from the suppliant's mind and proceeding from his lips to gradually weaken by the power of God the mental venom injected by the adverse powers into the intellect of such as neglect prayer and fail to keep that saying of Paul's in accordance with the exhortations of Jesus, 'Pray without ceasing.' ... For the saying 'pray without ceasing' can only be accepted by us as a possibility if we may speak of the whole life of a saint as one great continuous prayer.
— from Chapter VII

What is prayer?

What is prayer? Is it asking God to give us our daily bread, or is it fellowship with God? Is the aim to get health and happiness from God or to grow into conformance with his will? Is it a public, vocal practice, normally done in a worship service, or a private, internal matter? Or both? Classic writings on prayer can be very illuminating on what people have thought about prayer and how they have practiced it over the centuries, and perhaps it can shed light on limitations of thinking and practice in our era. For the next few months, I hope to highlight certain classic writings on prayer.

The first classic is On Prayer by Tertullian (155-222 A.D.), who has been called the "great founder of Latin Christianity." For Tertullian, prayer replaced temple sacrifice. It was essentially spoken petitions. Individual petitions could be added to the Lord's Prayer; the more diligent also added Psalms. Prayers were apparently normally to be said standing, with hands raised, though for modesty not too loftily elevated, nor the sound of the voice too loud. Those praying should kneel or prostrate themselves, at the least in the first prayer of the day. Women were to dress modestly and have a covered (veiled) head. And no prayer was complete if divorced from the kiss of peace, "which is the seal of prayer." No particular daily hours for prayer have been prescribed, according to Tertullian, though he says that the third, sixth, and ninth seem in scripture to be more solemn than the rest.

For Tertullian, prayer is essentially a worship service or liturgy. There is no mention of prayer as private, continuous, a means of fellowship with God or sanctification, or the like. (Future classic writings will vary greatly on this view.) I wonder if there was a notion of a "private devotional life" in the early church?

For those who are interested in reading and discussing the classics on prayer that I highlight, we have set up a discussion thread.

A Father prays

A Father's Prayer


This is the best dowry of hopes, wishes and prayers I would be able to offer:

May God give you the grace of wit and wisdom to understand that rainbows are only the result of showers, dust, and hope.

May you always have joy in the morning and trust in the evening and may your sorrows be short and without scars.

May your lives have a spirit neither bent by belligerence nor broken by failure; may you simply love each other.

May you share with each other spring flowers, dirty dishes, music, rain, death, mushrooms, a measure of boredom, strawberries, and God.

May that God never make you immune to the wonderful afflictions of real love, making you instead farsighted to each other's faults, tongue-tied to criticism, and short of memory to petty hurts and slights.

May God provide the confidence and serenity that comes only from the assurance of each other's fidelity and the tolerance, as years go by, of wrinkles and gray hairs, short tempers, curlers, and Monday mornings.

May no one steal from you laughter at the top of the stairs or giggles and whispers in a dark room.

May you keep a hunger for each other, the appetite to taste tomorrow, and deep knowledge of and devotion to your past, heritage and families.

May you perpetuate trust, the radiation of vitality, kind answers to sharp questions and sharp humor to unkind attitudes.

May your fights be fierce and short, and may each truce be warm and long and held in each other's arms before the sun comes up.

May you walk with wise men, sing loud songs at late hours, share secrets, have healthy children, and provide smiles for lonesome strangers and prayers for those without hope.

May you never forget small things; smiles, birthdays, holding hands, family, old friends, the neglected, and the simplicity of saying please and thank you.

May you keep a warm, generous, and happy house where love is the insulation and God is present. May your children be friends of God's child, Jesus.

May your union bring a smile to the face of the Holy Spirit and may he live in your pots and pans, in your hope and aspirations.