Universal Prayer:
Transformation
by R. H. Grenville
In winter these hills were deep
in silence; noon a hazy glow
beyond bare trees that rose above
the beauty of unblemished snow.
In summer we can scarce believe
the transformation! Everywhere,
flowers & leaves, a laughing brook
we never could have dreamed was there;
the song of birds, the scent of pine
the new-movwn hay, and something moe:
a gentle, lovely parable
of life's great power to restore
renew, transform, create, repair
what, for a while, seemed bleak & bare.
Talking-to-God Passage
Dear God,
You show me such wonders all along this journey called life! As I look within the mirror of my soul, I see my true reflection: a spiritual being. With a vision for the divine, I see beyond the physical to the core of my being--the creation that I am.
God, there is so much more wonder awaiting me than what I have experienced so far on this journey. Your promise of eternal love, joy, and peace assures me that. During my times of prayers & meditation, I have learned to move far beyond what may appear to be and on to the unlimited possibilities that lie before me. With You, all things are possible.
I am continually being transformed into a clearer image of Your greatness, and my heart leaps with joy. I too, am a wonder of your creativity. In this quiet time of prayer, I experience the wonder of God.
Some Journaling Ideas
1) what are some of the wonders I have seen or may see today?
2) how do I show appreciation for the beauty in my life?
Universal Prayers
Portrait of a life
By Elaine Meyer
A portrait of my life
hangs before me now.
It was painted by the Master---
Each stroke made with love.
To date it remains unfinished,
Yet worked on day by day,
Continually unfolding,
Revealing my divine destiny.
Only the master will complete
the portrait of my life,
For only the Master knows
The strokes yet to be made.
Talking-with-God
Dear God,
It's true: I have never felt more alive than I do now. And this is because I know that I am more than physically alive. I am also spiritually alive. I am alive with the flame of your spirit, which is an inner beacon that draws me home to my reality---my spirituality. You are the source of life---life that is everlasting and fulfilling.
Yes, God, I am alive with the same energy that powers the universe! Sunshine warming my face is a silent reminder that You move as invisible but is all-powerful energy in all and through all. ANd the miracle of it is that you given me life and you are also constantly renewing me.
With my whole self---spirit, mind and body, I give expression of life and healing. And I do this according to Your divine plan, which you have so lovingly written on my heart.
Oh, how alive I am with Your life, God! In this quiet time of prayer, I am renewed and revitalized. I am spiritaully alive!
Some Journaling ideas
1) How do I feel knowing that the spark of divine life is within me?
2) WHat can I do today to be aware that I am not only physically but also spiritually alive?
Universal Prayer
A Parable
By Mildred N. Hoyer
Observe
The faith of a caterpillar
That never questions "why".
Behold
What was a homely worm
Becomes a butterfly.
Talk-to-God Prayer
Dear God,
I have a great desire to live my life as You created me to live it--as a spirtual being. although I am going through the human experience, I know I am always part of You. IN the past, I may have limited myself by what I thought I lacked as a person, but I know the great possibility I have inherited as Your creation.
And this is such an important understanding because now I won't let my humanness get in the way of my spirtuality. I am freeing myself to be who I truly am to do what i can truly do. It's as if the positive thought "With God, I can," were whispering quietly, gently to me throughtout--every day.
The language of your Spirit speaks as the voice I recognize and follow, no matter what is happeing around me. Even if my day seems out of order, I know there is a divine order at work in me and through me. As I listen for Your blessed encouragement, I hear You whisper, "With me, you can."
In this quiet time of prayer, I affirm the truth: I am a spiritual being!
Some journaling ideas
1) how can i more fully know that I am a spiritual being living a human experience?
2) What assurance do I receive that God is always with me?
Universal prayer
The Answer
By Lowell Fillmore
When for a purpose
I had prayed and prayed and prayed
Until my words seemed wormed and bare
With arduous use.
And I had knocked and asked and knocked
and asked again,
And all my fervor and persistence brought no hope,
I paused to give my weary brain a rest
And ceased my anxious human cry.
In that still moment,
After self had tried and failed,
There came a glorious vision of God's power,
And, lo, my prayer was answered in that hour.
Talking-to-god prayer
Dear God,
Sometimes it seems that the hardest thing I can do is to let go--even of the thoughts and circumstances that trouble me. yet I know that letting go is what I must do fo rmy own health and peace of mind.
So in this moment, I surrender all of Your healing love. In my heart and soul, I let go of what is worrying me and let Your sweet, divine will be my only desire.
I let go of worry, I let go of doubt, I let go of any situation that is causing me to feel concern or pain. I surrender these things to You, God, and know that I receive the soothing touch of Your loving presence in return.
As I surrender myself to You, I am filled with such a sense of peace--a peace that passes all human understanding. I know in my heart that as long as I surrender to Your will, all is well, all is working out according to Your divine plan.
In this quiet time of prayer, I surrender to the healing love of God.
Some Journal ideas
1. What can I release to God for a divine outcome today?
2. How and where might I experience more of God's peace?
Universal Prayer
Ripples
By Verle Bell
Scholars tell us
that a stone,
dropped into still water,
causes ripples whose effect goes on
eternally... Their vibrations never ceases.
Sages have said
that one loving thought,
cast into the sea of life,
has infinite value...
Its vital waves go on
and on and on, blending
with other loving thoughts,
strengthening, intensifying,
mutiplying their immortal good.
Talk with God Passage
Dear God,
As I watch the dawn slowly breaking across the morning sky, bathing Earth with warming rays of light, I feel an awareness of Your spirit risiing within me. Filled with an unmistakable sense of You, I cannot nor will not turn away from the beauty of Your light--the light within me and the world.
I see people and situations through spiritual vision. I see all people as You intended them to be--there is no race, no age, no gender. There is only love, for we are all Your love in expression.
I do more than simply desire to be one with Your light; I express it as understanding and love so that I can hold on to the reality of my oneness with You in every moment. I have seen Your glory, and now I live it and express it in my life.
Dear God, I am your glory in action. I magnify Your prescence by sharing with others---through my words and actions the message of Your love.
In this quiet time of prayer, I immerse myself into the light and love of God.
Some Journaling Ideas
1) how do I express more love & understanding toward myself and others?
2) What can I do today to infuse my oneness with God into all my activities?
Universal Prayer
Knowing
by Verle Bell
It is a point just beyond
wondering, doubting, waiting,
A certainty that now is the itme for
a bud to uncurl;
An undeniable urge in the swallow
that this is the instant to rise
in flight toward the south;
A realization in the cells
that now is hte moment for
a wound to begin to heal;
The moment when a soul decides it is time to move on to a new realm.
Knowing comes from within
and cannot be denied.
Thank you, God that I know you are,
that I know you are love,
and that I know I am yours.
Talking-to-God
Dear God,
You have spoken and I have listened. Because You have taught me the beauty of unconditioned love, I recognize Your essence in all people---not just my family and friends. Your spirit is within all!
And God, I know I cannot hold on to that feeling of pure love without first making compassion and understanding a daily practice. Then I go beyond saying that I am understanding of others---I live my life so that understanding is an everyday part of my life.
I do not condemn others for their words or actions. Rather I let my interactions with them be an opportunity to be completely nonjudgmental. Each time I am understanding of others, I understand how it feels to be an expression of Your compassion.
I thank you for the opportunity, God. In this quiet time of prayer, I build understanding and compassion that are divine in nature.
Some journaling thoughts
1) How can I be more understanding and show more compassion to others today?
2) how can I encourage myself to see God in all people?
Universal Prayer
The Music of Prayer
By Florence A Hawn
On a leaf-strewn path one day
There, in the wods, I pauzsed to pray.
Through the silence could be heard
The rustle of leaves and chirping birds. It was like a minisymphony,
A prayer time filled with harmony.
No words outspoken could express
My inner joy and thankfulness
For music that was so divine
And told me answered prayer was mine.
Talk-with-God
Dear God,
Every day---no matter how unusual or routine, no matter how much I learned or unlearned---is a new time of growth and understanding for me. Then, so quickly, today turns into yesteday and a new day gentlhy nudges me forward.
What is becoming so clear, God, is that I can choose what to bring with me to each new day. I can decide what I give to each fresh, new experience. I choose joy, I can always give from the joy that You are wihin me, because You are the one constant in my life. I cannot help but feel joy in sensing your Presence.
I feel the joy in your spirit within as it lives out through me. This kind of joy is more than an emotion of happiness; it is a feeling of wholeness that cannot be contained. It is a joy that builds on itself. As if in a great rush, I leanred how to walk, then to run--and now I have discovered that I can soar!
My heart soars with joy of spirit! In this quiet time of prayer, I choose to experience pure joy.
Some journaling ideas
1) what can I do today to express more of the joy that is within me?
2) When I choose to bring joy to this day, how might that affect my relationship with others?
Universal Prayer
I Am There
By James Dillet Freeman
Do you Need Me?
I am there.
You cannot see Me, yet I am the light you see by. You cannot here Me, yet I speak through your voice. You cannot feel Me, yet I am the power at work in your hands. I am at work, though you do not understand My ways. I am at work, though you do not recognize My works. I am not strange visions. I am not mysteries. Only in absolute stillness, beyond self, can you know me as I am, and then but as a feelig and a faith. Yet I am there. Yet I hear. Yet I answer. When you need me, I am here.
Talking-with-God
Dear God,
As I allow myself to feel the inner peace that is always within me, I know how it feels to be peace-filled. As gently as a summer breeze, Your peace soothes my hurts and eases my fears.
I relax completely into your peace. My awareness of Your presence warms my heart and encourages me to leave all confusion behind as I linger here with you.
Calmly, quietly, peace settles over me, wrapping me in a cocoon that insulates me from stress. Enfolded in divine peace, I am safe and secure.
God, this peace is more than the absence of stress; it is absolute serenity. It is a peace that I share with others, a peace that invites me to seek you even more.
Knowing you are here with me, I am comforted, for with you, dear God, I am peace. In this quiet time of prayer, I relax and let the peace of God wash over me.
Some journaling thoughts
1) When I am at peace, how do I feel?
2) How can I more fully live from a true sense of peace today?
