What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by him to help those who are to receive salvation.
(Hebrews 1:13; GNT).
Saint Raphael,
Please pray for us:
The sick in body,
Mind, heart, soul,
And beg the Lord
To send you
With his healing touch,
To make us whole.
God sent me…to cure you
(Tobit 12:13-14; GNTA).
Note
Saint Raphael the Archangel is the Patron Saint of healing, who serves God by restoring people in body, mind, heart and soul.
You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence (Acts 2:28; NLT).
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Please fill my body with your presence.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Please flood my mind with constant prayer.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Please charge my heart with love for others.
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost:
Please make my soul your thoroughfare.
The dry soil will become a pool of water, the parched ground springs of water. Where jackals once lived and sprawled out, grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow. A thoroughfare will be there – it will be called the Way of Holiness (Isaiah 35:7-8; NET).
Today’s prayer arrived last Friday morning. As I worked to put it into words, it divided into two: one version for personal use, and one for groups. Here is the personal version, which came first. I plan to post the second in a week’s time, God willing.
May your kingdom come.
(Luke 11:2; GNT).
The kingdom of God is within you.
(Luke 17:21; NKJV).
Father,
May your kingdom come
Within my body:
Make us one.
Jesus,
May your will be done
Within my mind,
Till we are one.
Spirit,
May your kingdom come
Within my heart,
So we’ll be one.
Three-fold God,
Your will be done
Within my soul,
Then we’ll be one.
The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
(1 Corinthians 6:17; NLT).
I wrote today’s prayer soon after posting, “God in each atom”. Here is a link to that blog, in case you would like to read it as well: https://wp.me/p45bCr-c8O.
Today’s picture has been chosen to represent the presence of God in our DNA.
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
(Colossians 3:11; NLT).
Lord of my body:
You’re here, in each atom.
Lord of my thinking:
You dwell in my mind.
Lord of my heart:
You share all my emotions.
Lord of my soul:
We’re forever entwined.
Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.
(Philippians 3:8; NLT).
This little prayer came out of a period of blissful wordlessness a few days ago:
I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.
(John 10:16; NLT).
1. There’s one flock,
And one Shepherd,
One faith, hope and Lord;
One baptism only,
One love,
One accord.
2. There’s one mind,
And one body,
One heart, and one soul;
One God,
And one Spirit –
Whose hands make us whole.
His hands make whole (Job 5:18; KJV).
References
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11; RSV).
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all (Ephesians 4:5-6; NLT).
I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one accord (Zephaniah 3:9; NKJV).
Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind (Philippians 2:1-2; NKJV).
Today’s prayer arrived when I was praying sleepily after waking up late. My nights are often very short and disturbed, so I’m always grateful when I sleep for longer than usual. I saw the beginning and the structure of whole piece first, then the words simply fell into place.
All I have is yours (John 17:10; NIV).
1. Take my mind, Lord,
Take my heart,
Take my body –
As you will.
2. Take my friends, Lord,
Take my life,
And take my soul –
I’ll love you still.
I love you, LORD, my strength (Psalm 18:1; NIV).
References
Verse 1: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away. Blessed be the name of the LORD (Job 1:21; CSB).
My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done (Matthew 26:42; NLT).
I want your will to be done, not mine (Luke 22:42; NLT).
Verse 2: You have taken from me friend and neighbor – darkness is my closest friend (Psalm 88:18; NIV).
You take away life, and you give life (1 Samuel 2:6; CEV).
Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! (Habakkuk 3:17-18; NLT).
The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).
My husband and I are still completely flattened by his sudden, acute illness and hospital stay last week. It’s made me realise how quickly things can go wrong at our age. I’m also even more aware of how vulnerable I am without him, but God is in charge of our situation, as always.
The Lord Most High is awesome (Psalm 47:2; NLT).
Yahweh,
You are awesome
And eternal.
It’s hard to grasp
That I can talk to you,
And that you even notice
My existence,
Yet I have faith, dear Father,
That you do.
Yahweh,
You’re within me:
I’m your temple.
Please draw me ever closer,
Through your Son.
Then he and I, at death,
Will quit this body,
To live forever in your love,
As one.
Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; NIV).
References
God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:17; NLT).
Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).
The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).
Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV).
This prayer came to me silently and insistently yesterday morning:
It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me (Galatians 2:20; NLT).
Lord,
Please take me over fully:
Mind and body, heart and soul;
Then pray on my behalf: I beg
That all the world will be made whole.
Lord,
Please pray within me, always:
Mind and body, heart and soul.
May all repent and turn to you:
Forgive us, save us, and console.
Lord,
Please live in me forever:
Mind and body, heart and soul.
Let’s pray for peace throughout the world
Together: that’s my foremost goal.
I will pray for peace (Psalm 122:8; CEV).
References
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4:13; NLT).
We do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing (Romans 8:26; CPDV).
From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17; NLT).
Help us, O God of our salvation! Help us for the glory of your name. Save us and forgive our sins for the honor of your name (Psalm 79:9; NLT).
As a mother consoles a child, so I will console you (Isaiah 66:13; NET).
I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you (John 14:20; NLT).
Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).
I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security (Jeremiah 33:6; NIV).
This prayer arrived very early last Thursday. It was so difficult to express in words that I came close to giving up, only finishing it this morning:
Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28; NLT).
Resting in prayer:
Silent and dark.
Turning to God:
One mind, one heart.
Bowing in prayer:
Wordless and deep.
Trusting in God:
Shared love is sweet.
Yielding in prayer:
Body and soul.
Joining with God:
Our Maker and goal.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14; NIV).
References
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the LORD our maker (Psalm 95:6; NLT).
Yield your hearts to the LORD (Joshua 24:23; NIV).
The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; NIV).
The Rosary Hospital
I’m now well-launched on my second large batch of rosaries, which will all be Fiat rosaries this time. Here is a chunky, very tactile one with a recycled cross. I enjoyed making it yesterday:
Yesterday I felt very tired, which had its up-side, as I was able to spend time putting the morning’s notes into words whilst resting. The lines in italics form a prayer within a prayer:
O Lord, you alone are my hope (Psalm 71:5; NLT).
My hope, my way,
My light each day:
I want to do your bidding;
My peace, my Lamb,
My great “I AM”:
For you are God’s dear Son.
My truth, my life,
My purchase-price:
You, Lord, are my salvation;
My strength, my blood,
My longed-for love:
May you and I be one.
My Lord, my God,
My staff, my rod:
My body is your temple;
My Guide, my Friend,
My start, my end:
My mind is yours, Lord, too.
My bread, my wine,
My living vine:
My heart is yours forever;
My Shepherd King,
My everything:
My soul belongs to you.
The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7; KJV).
Our bodies will return to the dust of the earth, and the breath of life will go back to God, who gave it to us (Ecclesiastes 12:7; GNT).