One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1) In Matthew’s companion passage, he elaborates on both the condition and content of our prayers. We call this unique passage, “The Lord’s Prayer.” From Jesus’s teachings on prayer we learn many things, but two are particularly relevant:

1. Prayer is about connecting with our Father who is waiting to receive us, not about what you say or how others measure it.

2. Prayer is a way for God to align us with Him, not a way to align Him with us.

Our plan for this evening is to prepare our hearts for prayer with worship. You will notice there are five stations for prayer set up around the Youth Center. Each of these focuses on an aspect of our relationship with God, each other, ourselves, and our mission in the world. When we transition from worship to our time of prayer, please go to a station of your choice and pick up a prayer guide from the table. Look for the part of the guide that matches that station. Read through the Scripture and reflections that go with that station. Each station has a suggestion at the bottom of the page for a prayer activity. Please make the most of each of these opportunities.When you get to that station, follow the guide that matches that station. Take your time and move at your own pace. When you finish your time at that station, move to the next station in a clockwise rotation around the room until you complete all the stations of prayer.If you finish before we come back together for our closing worship and prayer, please return to your seat, or to a quiet place by yourself and read through the Scripture Prayers and Collection of Prayers (beginning on page 7) until everyone is done. Please do not begin a conversation with others during this time since that will detract from those who are still praying at the stations.There are prayer request cards at each station for you to fill out if you want to share a praise, or a request. The elders will receive these cards and continue to pray for you following this evening. Elders are also available near the prayer stations to pray with you. If they are praying with someone

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else, please respect the privacy of others while you wait. Or you can request prayers with an elder on your prayer card.

Station One: Praise God for his Love, Power, Greatness and Perfection.

Readings: Matthew 6:9 – “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’”Psalm 115:1 – “Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”1 Chronicles 29:10-13 - “Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours,

Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.  Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.”

Prayer and PraisePrayer and Praise are woven together throughout scripture. Many of the Psalms could be hymns and prayers. This is because the role of praise and prayer are similar: We are connecting with God to reposition ourselves before him. He alone is God. He alone is our rock, refuge, and strong tower. He alone is our creator, master and savior. There is none like him. He is the One who First Loved us!

A Prayer of Praise is a Prayer of Restoration. We are often in awe of the beauty of nature. The thunder of waterfalls, the delicate petals of a flower, the expanse of the sky, the majesty of mountains, the rhythm of the ocean, or a mesmerizing sunset can all leave us breathless. But what about the One who spoke all this into existence. Prayers of praise restore the big picture. We are reminded that all we see and enjoy are gifts from our loving Creator.

God’s generosity is comprehensive. His blessings are so numerous that we cannot help but take him for granted. Prayers of praise remind us that every good and perfect gift comes from above, and He deserves our praise.

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Putting Praise into Your Own PrayerSo an evening of prayer would not be complete without prayers of praise. Please read the Scriptures above again, and think of how you can make the words of Jesus and David your own. Take one of the cards on the table and write a brief prayer of praise to God, and leave it in the box in the middle of the table.

Station Two: Put God First in our Personal Lives, Holiness and Maturity

Readings: Proverbs 3:5-9 – “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to

God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best.”Matthew 6:10-13 – “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”2 Corinthians 3:7b-10 – “I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Prayer and PrioritiesTake a moment and read the final phrase of Proverbs 3:9 – “Give him the first and the best.” I don’t really think we want to give God second, third or fourth… nor do we say out loud, “Hey Lord, I’m giving my best to everything and everyone else… I hope you like leftovers!” But even reading this can sting a little because we know we struggle with putting God first. Love First is a call to God’s priorities, challenging our core!

Jesus knew we would face priority pressures. Life is full of desires, demands

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and deadlines. We worry about falling behind, not having enough, not getting ahead. The answer Jesus gives to all these worries is counter-intuitive: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added as well.” (Matthew 6:33) So we pray for our daily bread. We accept God’s grace when he doesn’t remove a thorn. All this requires “trusting him from the bottom of our hearts.” (Proverbs 3:5)

Take a card from the table at the prayer station and write down an area of your life where you are struggling to put God first. What is keeping you from trusting him fully with this area of your life? If you like, write a specific request you would like for our shepherds to lift up to the Lord on your behalf. (It can be anonymous)

Station Three: Prayer for the Harvest

Readings: Matthew 9:37-38 –Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”Colossians 4:2-6 – “Devote yourselves to prayer, being

watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”John 17:20 - “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…”

Prayer and PeopleDid you catch that YOU are in Scripture… that Jesus prayed for YOU? John 17 records the longest prayer of Jesus found in the Bible, and he specifically says, “My prayer is not for them alone (his apostles). I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” Notice also that he told his disciples to pray that God would send workers into the harvest. In a sense, they were praying for themselves… that they would go. The apostle Paul gives us more insight to this prayer in Colossians 4.

We pray for open doors so that we can proclaim Christ We pray for the ability to share Christ clearly

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We pray for wisdom in the way we act toward outsiders We pray that we will make the most of every opportunity We pray that our conversation will always be full of grace… so that we

will know how to answer everyone… Love First.Many of us struggle with fear when it comes to sharing the gospel. With prayer, we can fear less. The apostle Paul notes that his example (being jailed for preaching the gospel) made other “brothers and sisters [more] confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” (Philippians 1:14)

Praying for the harvest and the harvestersWrite down the names of missionaries for whom you are praying.Write down the names of people you want to see reached with the gospel.Place these names in the box on the table and the shepherds will join you in praying for them.Station Four: Prayer for the Hurting

Readings: Psalm 86:1 – “Hear me, Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.”1 Samuel 1:10 – “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.” James 5:13,18 – “Is anyone among you in trouble?

Let them pray. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Galatians 2:10 – “All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.”

Prayer and ProvisionThe first two Scriptures on this page reflect the pain in our world. In modern times, very few people experienced this on a daily basis more than Mother Teresa. She once remarked: “When a poor person dies of hunger it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed.” Another author wrote, “If your prayer life is boring, you’re focusing on yourself, not Jesus—not the needy.” When we focus on Jesus we will love and care for others. When Jesus saw the crowds that followed him, he didn’t just see hurting, distressed, hungry people. Jesus also saw his ability to provide. Jesus knew there is always

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enough to help. How would you pray for the sick, poor, needy, and hurting if YOU were going to provide for them?

Would you pray to never meet them? Would you pray that they would “go be warmed and filled?” Would you pray that someone else would take care of them?

No… none of these prayers would work if YOU were going to provide for them. But how would your prayers change? You know people that are hurting. You know that their needs are often larger than what you can provide on your own. So would you pray in such a way that God would help you see the part you can do? Would you then bring along others who also help with their resources? It would seem that together we can meet more needs than we can individually. We Love First as a body.

Write a prayer you that expresses your willingness to God to provide what you can to meet the needs of others. It can be one line or more.If you would like for the elders to join you in praying for someone who is hurting, sick, or needy, please write your prayer request on a card and place it in the box on the table. These requests will remain confidential.Station Five: Prayers on Your Heart

Prayer is a conversation with God. It is where we are repositioned in regard to his greatness and our acknowledgment of Him as Creator and King. He is worthy of our praisePrayer is a conversation with God. It is where we are rescued from relying on ourselves and, we recommit to trusting him from the bottom of our hearts. We give him first place in every decision and every action. He is worthy of being our first priority.

Prayer is a conversation with God. It is where we receive our commission to join God in his harvest. We see people through his eyes and we share the gospel fear(less)ly. He is worthy of our total commitment to share Christ in our world.Prayer is a conversation with God. It is where we reconnect with the heart of God for the hurting. We do not just see needs, but we generously give out of his storehouse the provisions he supplies. He is worthy of our compassionate empathy demonstrated in tangible care.

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Prayer and Personal LifeWe all come to prayer from different places. Your heart may be heavy in regard to a very specific need, or you may have a general sense of spiritual dryness. You may be on top of the world spiritually, or you may feel like you’re barely hanging on. In the following pages there are several prayers from Scripture and from some believers who have gone on before us. Take a few moments and scan through the headings. See if one of them stands out to you. Take that one and make it personal to your life right now. Connect with a prayer from our “great cloud of witnesses.” Gain courage and comfort from the prayers of those who went before us. Underline phrases that seem to say what is on your mind and heart. Insert your own name or requests to make the prayer more personal for you.

Page 7 Prayer of Praise and Humility Page 8 Prayer for Placing all Our Hope in our Great and

Mighty God Page 9 Prayer for Spiritual Insight and Knowing God Page 10 Prayer to Experience the Great Power of God Page 11 Prayer of Confession in Regard to Sin and its Consequences Page 12 Prayer of Confession of Past Sin and Hope for the Future Page 13 Prayer of Unworthiness and Confidence in God’s Grace Page 14 Prayer Celebrating the Lord’s Presence Page 15 Prayer of Celebration and Seeking God Almighty Page 16 Prayer of Submission to the Will of God Page 17 Collection of Prayer of Believers who have Gone Before Us

Thomas Aquinas Eleanor Roosevelt Harry S. Truman Pueblo Indian Prayer Ignatius of Loyola

Page 18 Collection of Prayers Continued Basil of Caesarea Prayer for Divine Thoughts Dear Lord and Father of Mankind – John Greenleaf Whittier

Prayer of Praise and HumilityPsalm 95:1-7 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving    and extol him with music and song.

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3 For the Lord is the great God,    the great King above all gods.4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,    and the mountain peaks belong to him.5 The sea is his, for he made it,    and his hands formed the dry land.6 Come, let us bow down in worship,    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;7 for he is our God    and we are the people of his pasture,    the flock under his care.

Your Personal Reflections on this Prayer__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Prayer for Placing all Our Hope in our Great and Mighty God1 Chronicles 29:10-1810 David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,“Praise be to you, Lord,    the God of our father Israel,    from everlasting to everlasting.11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power    and the glory and the majesty and the splendor,    for everything in heaven and earth is yours.Yours, Lord, is the kingdom;    you are exalted as head over all.12 Wealth and honor come from you;    you are the ruler of all things.In your hands are strength and power    to exalt and give strength to all.13 Now, our God, we give you thanks,    and praise your glorious name.

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14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you. 17 I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you. 18 Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.

Your Personal Reflections on this Prayer__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prayer for Spiritual Insight and Knowing GodEphesians 1:15-2115 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Your Personal Reflections on this Prayer

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Prayer to Know the Great Power of GodEphesians 3:14-2114 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

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Your Personal Reflections on this Prayer__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prayer of Confession in Regard to Sin and its ConsequencesDaniel 9:3-193 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:“Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.7 “Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. 8 We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against you. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; 10 we have not obeyed the Lord our God or

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kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.“Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. 12 You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. 14 The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.15 “Now, Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. 16 Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.17 “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. 18 Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. 19 Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

Your Personal Reflections on this Prayer______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Prayer of Confession of Past Sin and Hope for the FutureNehemiah 1:3-11When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said:“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

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8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name.

Your Personal Reflections on this Prayer__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prayer of Unworthiness, and Confidence in God’s GracePsalm 5:1-7Listen to my words, Lord,    consider my lament.2 Hear my cry for help,    my King and my God,    for to you I pray.3 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;    in the morning I lay my requests before you    and wait expectantly.4 For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;

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    with you, evil people are not welcome.5 The arrogant cannot stand    in your presence.You hate all who do wrong;6     you destroy those who tell lies.The bloodthirsty and deceitful    you, Lord, detest.7 But I, by your great love,    can come into your house;in reverence I bow down    toward your holy temple.

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Prayer Celebrating the Lord’s PresencePsalm 139You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.4 Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.5 You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

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7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day,    for darkness is as light to you.13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.17 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—    when I awake, I am still with you.

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Prayer of Celebration and Seeking God AlmightyPsalm 24:1-10The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,    the world, and all who live in it;2 for he founded it on the seas    and established it on the waters.

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3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?    Who may stand in his holy place?4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,    who does not trust in an idol    or swear by a false god.5 They will receive blessing from the Lord    and vindication from God their Savior.6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,    who seek your face, God of Jacob.7 Lift up your heads, you gates;    be lifted up, you ancient doors,    that the King of glory may come in.8 Who is this King of glory?    The Lord strong and mighty,    the Lord mighty in battle.9 Lift up your heads, you gates;    lift them up, you ancient doors,    that the King of glory may come in.10 Who is he, this King of glory?    The Lord Almighty—    he is the King of glory.

Your Personal Reflections on this Prayer__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Prayer of Submission to the Will of GodMatthew 26:36-4636 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and

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troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

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Collection of Prayers from Believers who have Gone Before Us

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Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)Give us, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give us an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give us an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Bestow upon us also, O Lord our God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Eleanor RooseveltOur Father, who has set a restlessness in our hearts and made us all seekers after that which we can never fully find, forbid us to be satisfied with what we make of life. Draw us from base content and set our eyes on far off goals. Keep us at tasks too hard for us that we may be driven to Thee for strength. Deliver us from the fretfulness and self-pitying; make us sure of the good we cannot see and of the hidden good in the world. Open our eyes to simple beauty all around us and our hearts to the loveliness men hide from us because we do not try to understand them. Save us from ourselves and show us a vision of the world made new.

President Harry S. TrumanOh! Almighty and Everlasting God, Creator of Heaven, Earth, and the Universe: Help me to be, to think. To act what is right, because it is right; make me truthful, honest, and honorable in all things; make me intellectually honest for the sake of right and honor without thought of reward to me. Give me the ability to be charitable, forgiving, and patient with my fellowmen - help me to understand their motives and their short-comings - even as Thou understandest mine!

Pueblo Indian PrayerHold on to what is good, even if it's a handful of earth. Hold on to what you believe, Even if it's a tree that stands by itself. Hold on to what you must do, Even if it's a long way from here. Hold on to your life, Even if it's easier to let go. Hold on to my hand, Even if I've gone away from you.

Ignatius of Loyola – (1491-1556)Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve You as You deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to seek reward, except that of knowing that I do Your will.

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Basil of Caesarea (c.329-379)Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbor, where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict. Show me the course I should take. Renew in me the gift of discernment, so that I can always see the right direction in which I should go. And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course, even when the sea is rough and the waves are high, knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name we shall find comfort and peace.

Prayer for Divine ThoughtsDear God, help me to empty my mind of frivolous thoughts that have no meaning, and I now ask You to fill my mind with Divine ideas. Thank You, Amen 

John Greenleaf Whittier (from "The Brewing of Soma," a poem published in The Atlantic Monthly, April 1872)

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways!Reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives Thy service find, in deeper reverence, praise.

In simple trust, like theirs who heard beside the Syrian sea, the gracious calling of the Lord, let us, like them, without a word rise up and follow Thee.

O Sabbath rest by Galilee! O calm of hills above, where Jesus knelt to share with TheeThe silence of eternity interpreted by love!

With that deep hush subduing all our words and works that drown the tender whisper of Thy call, as noiseless let Thy blessing fall as fell Thy manna down.

Drop Thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease; Take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of Thy peace.

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Breathe through the heats of our desire thy coolness and Thy balm; let sense be numb, let flesh retire; Speak through the earthquake, wind, and fire, O still, small voice of calm!

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