My favorite Christian prayers

Hi erlyle,
I’d never heard that prayer, but a quick google search found the rest of it for me.

Here you go:

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid; Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love Thee, and worthily magnify Thy Holy Name through Christ our Lord. Amen .

Well, keep being ‘moved’ then.

Duane

Gianna,

God is nebulous –
Like the wind

The wind is real –
It can be ‘felt’
And if we go outside, and close our eyes, and are quiet –
we can become aware of it – greatly aware of it

I think ‘prayer’ can take so many forms –
The ‘best’ prayers (for me) do not always include talking (or even listening) – but, becoming aware of a presence – a real presence – of something we can’t see –

like the wind

Duane

Gianna,

Woke up – can’t go back to bed.
I read about the dream(s) you had of your brother.

I see you as someone who is searching for spirituality –
this is coming out in your dreams.

None of us ‘know’ (for certain) who God is – There is a Jewish saying – (to paraphrase) – “If I knew God, I would be God.”

I have had the fortune to meet some wonderful priests in my life – many have been in the right spot to tell me just the right thing at just the right time (I consider these ’spiritual’ moments). A priest told me one time that “to search for God is to find him” – It makes perfect sense to me.

You are searching, therefore you are connected – to this wonderful source of life – love – and hope – forever connected – before you were born, and long after you are gone – these dreams about your brother – they may be frightening, but I think you are forever connected to him – he is still here – but, in a different dimension – I believe he is watching over you – protecting you like an angel.

I don’t like to get into the subject of ‘religion’ per say (had my own run-ins with the Catholic Church, and still do), but I will listen and learn about spirituality until I go to the next dimension – there is only love around you Gianna – it is the only ‘real’ reality.

I understand your fatigue – this is how I feel – exhausted (after two years) from withdrawal of Geodon. I have minutes, and if I’m lucky, sometimes an hour or two when it passes – I try to use this time to reconnect – to the person I lost along the way, and the new person who is being created – but the soul, the deepest part of Gianna is never lost – as long as you connect with this source – through nature, lighting a candle, taking a walk – I don’t know exactly who and what God is – I only believe – and I believe that He is Love – literally.

You have so much strength Gianna – and reading your blogs and seeing you survive – with the hope (however small) of really living again is the picture of a wonderful woman.

I pray for you all the time – for your health and happiness.
Search – you will find it – continue to search – it is already yours – already done.

Duane

I have always loved the Prayer of St. Francis. I actually have a statue of him in the garden outside of my studio. 😉

The Serenity Prayer is a mainstay of 12 step recovery programs, along with The Prayer of St. Francis and the Our Father. One of my favorite lines of the Serenity Prayer after the first 3 is “Trusing that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will.” I personalize it even further to say, “I know that You (meaning my Higher Power) make all things right. I surrender to Your Will.”

My favorite line in the Our Father is “Give us this day our daily bread” which means that He will provide for me what I need this day. One Day At A Time.

I often say, “I had to become a recovering Catholic to find a God of my understanding.”

Thanks for a great post!

I like to write.
This is a poem written a few years ago –

‘Forgiveness’

To have been more like a child
On so many occasions
Too many to mention

To have valued a friendship
More than self-righteousness

The tongue that was too sharp
The words that were too bitter
The temper that was too quick
The rage that was too poisonous

The time that was lost
The growth that was stifled
The body that was wounded
The spirit that was weakened
When it needed to be set free

Forgiveness –
Ours to ask for
Ours to recieve
Too often, I didn’t ask,
And I didn’t recieve
As soon as I might have –
Had I been a child

The pain –
Ours to let go of
The journey –
To move forward
To once again embrace
And to cherish

Forgiveness
A difficult act –
Not easy

But, hardly complex
Simple in fact
The action of a child –

“It’s OK”
“Let’s Play”

And another one written a few months ago (more ‘Christian’ in nature) – a call to dance (of sorts) – I not only like to write, but love to dance –

‘Music in Cana’

He raised up an urn in Cana
He turned silence into music
And wine into joy

There was a head on a shoulder that evening –
With sandals in the air
And feet off the ground

Joy was His gift at the wedding –
With music from the groom
And His first dance with the bride

Hope you enjoy –
Duane Sherry
Dallas, Texas
Member, Safe Harbor and Mind Freedom

the prayer of saint francis is the very definition of sanctity (for a religious person) and heroism (for a non religious one). i find its content terribly moving because of its uncompromising call to goodness, not in general, but specifically in the face of badness. its ideal is entirely unreachable, but just thinking about trying to reach it makes me weep with gratitude. it makes me feel that there is something i can do, a role i can play, something i can contribute when confronted by the darkness that pockmarks this world (and it doesn’t have to be cosmic darkness either; we encounter darkness in ourselves and others every day). thank you for the reminder.