Inside: These short petitions help us refocus when our strength falters or our hearts veer in anxious directions. ~
I don’t know about you, but my prayer life often benefits from petitions that originate with someone besides me.
This summer, two such prayers are helping to reorient me when my strength falters, my faith wavers or my heart veers in an anxious direction. They’re not complicated, but they are full of solid theological truth.
Daily Assistance
I came across the first one when I was reading through the book of Isaiah several months ago.
“O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble.” (Isaiah 33:2)
As I offer up these words early in the morning, they affirm God’s kindness and consistent presence in my life. They also remind me not to be surprised when trouble comes and point me back to the true Source of my strength and salvation.
Peace of Soul
My blogger friend Michele Morin recently quoted the second petition in her Substack newsletter. I have since learned that these powerful words are part of a 19th-century Eastern Orthodox prayer known as the Morning Prayer of Metropolitan Philaret:
“Teach me to treat all that comes to me this day with peace of soul and with the firm conviction that your will governs all.”
Peace of soul, not fretful thoughts. God’s will, not mine.
Over and over again, this prayer settles my heart and refocuses my attitude. I hope it does the same for you today.
• • •
No Post Here Next Week
Next week, I’ll send out my subscriber-only, email newsletter, Courage, Dear Heart, which replaces my third blog post of each month. If you haven’t signed up for the newsletter yet, I’d love for you to do so here:
As my way of saying thanks, you’ll receive a free copy of my 7-day devotional, Faith, Fear, and the God Who Goes Before Us.
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♥ Lois
O Lord, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of trouble. (Isaiah 33:2) Share on X Peace of soul, not fretful thoughts. God’s will, not mine. Share on XP.S. I’m linking up this week with Senior Salon Pitstop, InstaEncouragements and Let’s Have Coffee.
1 comment
I so love that morning prayer. And I’ve been praying the evening prayer most nights after turning out my light. Maybe I suffer from a lack of creativity, but I find that borrowed words really help me to frame my own thoughts around what I NEED to be praying (rather than the chaos that sometimes bubbles to the surface). “Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord, and by thy great mercy, defend us from all the terrors and dangers of this night, for the love of your only son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.”