Thursday, February 10, 2011

LORD, KEEP ME FROM BEING FOOLISH!

PRAYER FOR MATURE WISDOM


God, grant me the wisdom of mature years:

Help me circumvent the foolishness of aging.


When You see me playing in the spiritual shallows,

Lord, beckon me out of the wading pool into deep waters.

If I feel bogged down in meaningless routine,

turn the plain water of my daily life into “the best wine saved until last.”

When I tend to resist change and settle in my comfort zone,

grant me an open spirit and a growing, receptive mind.

If I’ve lost my get up and go,

show me how to “rise and take up my bed and walk.”

When my leaves are withered and dry,

revive me to be “full of sap and very green.”

When my fruit is scanty and sour,

show me how to “flourish like the palm tree”

If the embers of my first love for You are growing cold,

fan them into flame by Your Holy Spirit.

When the noise of my activity drowns out Your still small voice,

quiet me to wait on You in contemplative silence.

If the soil of my life is depleted and lies fallow,

break up the clods, supply fresh nutrients, and make straight my furrows.

When my prayers seem unanswered and my spirit is arid,

open the floodgates to let Your Rivers of Living Water flow again.

Where my life is out of balance and I lose my footing,

help me restore eternal priorities to keep from stumbling.

When my vision for Your Kingdom has grown dim,

touch my eyes to see again Your destiny for me.

If I’ve become slow of speech to declare Your message,

open my lips to boldly proclaim Your Good News.

If I have difficulty hearing Your voice clearly,

send Your Holy Spirit to be my hearing aid.

If my mind and memory begin to slip,

help me remember that You never leave me or forsake me.

When I’m weary from the length of life’s journey,

draw me close to Your bosom to find comfort and rest.

If I’m laboring to bear scarcely 30-fold fruit,

teach me to abide in You to effortlessly produce 100-fold.

Where good seed of Your Word still lies dormant as I advance in years,

send Your latter rain so I can bear an abundant late harvest.

When I am tired and lack motivation to press on,

restore iron to my soul, strength to my weak knees and limp arms.

When I drag my feet to do Your will,

energize me with the adrenalin of Your Holy Spirit.

When I’m short of breath from life’s fast pace,

inflate my lungs with Your Breath of Life.

If I grip material possessions too tightly,

teach me to hold loosely the things of this world.

If I open my mouth to speak foolish words,

show me how to put a watch on my lips.

When I’m afraid of the darkness around me,

take my hand to walk with You in Your Light.

When my emotions roller coaster out of control,

teach me to set my affection on things above not on things of earth.

When anxiety about the future threatens to overwhelm me,

remind me of Your great faithfulness in years past.

If my appetite becomes jaded by the world’s junk food,

give me Yourself as my Daily Bread in the Eucharist.

When I think I’ve reached the limit of my endurance,

help me persevere in Your strength to run the last mile Home.

When thoughts of my mortal end cause me fear,

remind me that You are preparing a place for me

in Your Father’s House.



END

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