Prayer to Go

Invocation

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever. 
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

The Cosmic Order

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, * 
    O heavens and all waters above the heavens. 
Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, * 
    all winds and fire and heat. 
Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, * 
drops of dew and flakes of snow. 
Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, * 
    O shining light and enfolding dark. 
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

II    The Earth and its Creatures

Let the earth glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever. 
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills, 
and all that grows upon the earth, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams, * 
    O whales and all that move in the waters. 
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild, * 
    and all you flocks and herds. 
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

III    The People of God

Let the people of God glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever. 
Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever. 
You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Doxology

Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever. 
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, * 
    praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you

Morning

I like this Prayer for Grace from the Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer because it succinctly incorporates three main types of prayer: worship, thanksgiving, and petition. In this episode of Prayer to Go, I walk through this prayer line-by-line so that we can explore these different facets prayer that you might find helpful to incorporate into your morning routine.

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father

In the first words of this prayer, we identify God

Worship is something that goes on inside of us – it’s not going to a church service or singing along with the worship band, but how our hearts move, change, and transform as we do those things – as we sit in God’s presence. By meditating on God, thinking about how powerful and present He is in our lives, we open our hearts to expanding our relationship with and appreciation for Him.

You have brought us in safety to this new

In the next phrase, we recognize that God has

Preserve us with your mighty power, that we

Finally, we ask God to protect us and give purpose to our day. Petition is usually the easiest part of prayer – after all, we usually pray because we want something. But, this prayer models a different kind of petition, where we ask God not necessarily for something tangible that we want, but instead to guide us towards His will and to help us follow the path that He has set out for us

I so hope that you try to incorporate Morning Prayer into your daily routine, whether you choose a set prayer or ad-lib elements such as worship, thanksgiving, and petition.

Thank you for listening (or reading!) this episode of Prayer to Go. Until next time, go with God!

What is the connection between suffering and love in the Christian tradition? In this episode, Carolyn reflects on Jesus’ suffering on the cross as a reminder of God’s love for us in our despair and a model for how to love those suffering around us.

This “prayer for mission” is a perfect way to set a “mantra” or “intention” for your day: to sense God’s love for you and extend compassion to those around you.

A Morning Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.

Prayer Source: The Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer, page 101.

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14, Book of Common Prayer 40)

Mornings are hard. But just like a cup of coffee can get your day rolling, so can even a quick prayer or moment of meditation start your day off right.

In this series, we study short morning prayers, most of which you can find in the fuller rite of Morning Prayer in the Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer.

Mentioned in this Episode

Exodus 15:20 – Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing (ESV – read in context here)

Music – This episode featured Sherdonna Denholm’s “Be Still My Soul,” used with permission. Connect with Sherdonna on her website and listen to her soulful music on Spotify, iTunes, and Bandcamp.

What does it mean to love someone who might be different than you? In this episode, I share an anecdote from Edith Stein’s life that demonstrates how we can love those around us to embody God’s love on earth.

A Prayer for the First Sunday After Christmas Day

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of
your incarnate Word: Grant that this light, enkindled in our
hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy
Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

from the Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer (page 213)

Counting down the days until Christmas? Me, too! Though I love Christmas cookies and Hallmark movies, early sunsets and long nights can quickly get me down. In this episode, we take a look at the symbol of light as a symbol for God in the Christian tradition.

Bible Passages

John 8:12 (NIV) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

1 John 1:5 (NIV) “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”

James 1:17 (NIV) “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

Reading

Excerpt from “The Hidden Life and the Epiphany”

“When the gentle light of the advent candles begins to shine in the dark days of December – a mysterious light in the mysterious darkness – it awakens in us the consoling thought that the divine light, the Holy Spirit, has never ceased to illumine the darkness of the fallen world.” (St. Edith Stein, translated by Dr. Waltraut Stein)

Prayer

A Prayer for Light

Let me be still
and at peace,
just for a few moments,
in the busy-ness
of my day.
Let me be attentive
to where I have been
and where I am headed.
And let me see where
you have been present
in my life
today.
Amen.
(Adrian Porter SJ – find it here)

Meet my would-be patron saint, Edith Stein, or St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross!

Born into a Jewish family in 1891, Stein studied philosophy, served as a nurse during WWI, and fought for women’s suffrage before she converted to Christianity, had a distinguished career in education, and took orders as a Carmelite nun. Murdered at Auschwitz in 1942, Stein is a martyr and saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

Want to meditate on the words, life, and legacy of St. Edith Stein this Advent season? Join the Prayer to Go #dailyprayerchallenge here!

A Prayer to St. Edith Stein
(Source: Catholic Culture)

Dear Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross,
Child of the Day of Atonement –
Yom Kippur,
Daughter of Abraham,
Bride of Christ,
Seeker of truth,
Scholar of the Church,
Handmaid of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel,
Servant of the Suffering Servant,
Presence of mercy,
Victim of victimizer,
Embracer of the Cross of Christ-like love,
Martyr of Auschwitz,
Imitator of Jesus,
Conqueror of evil,
Friend of God, Edith,
Please pray for me.

Want to take part in the Prayer to Go #dailyprayerchallenge? Get the daily email in your inbox by signing up here!

A Prayer of General Thanksgiving

Accept, O Lord, our thanks and praise for all that you have done for us. We thank you for the splendor of the whole creation, for the beauty of this world, for the wonder of life, and for the mystery of love.

We thank you for the blessing of family and friends, and for the loving care which surrounds us on every side.

We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy and delight us.

We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone.

Above all, we thank you for your Son Jesus Christ; for the truth of his Word and the example of his life; for his steadfast obedience, by which he overcame temptation; for his dying, through which he overcame death; and for his rising to life again, in which we are raised to the life of your kingdom.

Grant us the gift of your Spirit, that we may know him and make him known; and through him, at all times and in all places, may give thanks to you in all things. Amen.

(The Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer, 826)

As always, this episode features singer-songwriter Sherdonna Denholm’s “Be Still My Soul,” used with permission. Connect with Sherdonna on her website and listen to her soulful music on Spotify, iTunes, and Bandcamp.

“Be deeply loved.”

As the Owner and Principal Artisan of Prayerworks Studio, Kristen Vincent is dedicated to helping people connect with the divine through the art and practice of Protestant prayer beads. In addition to selling handcrafted prayer beads, Kristen leads classes, workshops, and retreats on spiritual formation, the art of prayer beads, and healing spiritually from pain and trauma.

In this episode, Kristen shares a bit of her quirky journey, discusses the importance of harnessing our creativity, and reveals the benefits of encountering God through creative expression.

Mentioned in this episode:

Connect with Kristen and Prayerworks Studio on their website and shop their amazing collection of prayer beads and Christian gifts in their Etsy shop here. Christmas shopping, anyone?

In addition to Kristen’s wonderful resources, you can hear me discuss prayer beads in more detail back in Episode 015 “Guidance: Prayer Beads and the Rosary” here.

As always, this episode features singer-songwriter Sherdonna Denholm’s “Be Still My Soul,” used with permission. Connect with Sherdonna on her website and listen to her soulful music on Spotify, iTunes, and Bandcamp.

Take your Prayer to Go:

Like what you hear? Connect with Carolyn and the Prayer to Go community! Get our weekly email updates here – you can also join our Facebook community and find us on Instagram. If you want to help other people find the podcast, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and share this episode with a friend!

This woman has a way with words. In Episode 024, we meet poet and author S.T. Gibson, who shares how she sees her writing as a spiritual practice. You’ll be drawn in with her poem “Four Apologies to the Trinity” and see yourself in the stunning imagery she uses in her writing. Let yourself be inspired to create by this amazing woman of God!

Take-aways:

Mentioned in this episode:

S.T. Gibson’s novella Odd Spirits is available on Amazon – for the month of October, it is on sale for 99 cents! You can buy it here.

Sarah’s poetry is available on tumblr and she tweets @s_t_gibson.

This episode featured Sherdonna Denholm’s “Be Still My Soul,” used with permission. Connect with Sherdonna on her website and listen to her soulful music on Spotify, iTunes, and Bandcamp.