July 13
Prayer of Ambrose of Milan
O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of your Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore you, a heart to delight in you, to follow and to enjoy you, for Christ's sake.
Amen.
from a prayer by Ambrose of Milan, 388 A.D.
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For Forgiveness
Almighty Father; I enter your presence confessing the things I try to conceal from you and the things I try to conceal from others. I confess the heartbreak, worry, and sorrow I have caused, that make it difficult for others to forgive me, the times I have made it easy for others to do wrong, the harm I have done that makes it hard for me to forgive myself. Lord have mercy on me, and forgive for all my sins against you and against others, through the grace of my Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Meditation
[How will I grow in Christ this week?]
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Father, in the name of Jesus I apply my heart to instruction and my ears to words of knowledge. All Your words are true; all Your righteous laws are eternal. The words of the Lord are flawless, silver refined in a furnace of clay, seven times. My mouth will speak words of wisdom; the utterance from my heart will give understanding. Amen
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Dear Lord, when days get hectic, and I am feeling overwhelmed with my parenting responsibilities, when everyone is late and starting the day behind schedules has become the norm, forgive me when I lose my cool. ... Help me to reschedule and slow down, and to try not to crowd too much into my children's lives and mine. ... These times are difficult enough for both parents and young people. Help me not to add to the problem -- not to run ahead of You. ... Rather teach me to plan quiet times of family togetherness each day so that we can listen to each other, heal our brokenness, count our blessings, experience Your love and Your peace, and sit through at least one meal together daily.
In Jesus' name I pray.
Amen.
© 2000 by D. L. Hammond, Permission to copy granted for noncommercial use.
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Lord, I ask that you inspire me always to do my best - not comparing myself with others, but only with myself. Lead me, Lord, to discover and use my own talents to the full. May I live in such a way that I help others to experience success, as well as praising them for the good use of their abilities - looking not so much at the degree of achievement but at the effort put in. Stop me from judging people or jumping to conclusions about them, but lead me to respect and accept others for who they are, focusing on the positive rather than the negative. Amen.
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Dear heavenly Father, thank you for the wonderful friends and family You have given to me. Lord, may I always value these gifts of love and friendship and never violate them. May I always be the kind of friend that is trustworthy and that others will know their secrets are safe with me. Guard my mouth and let me only speak things that are edifying and needful. May I always respect my parents and elders and give them honor. Lord, may I treasure my relationships and always value them above things. If I lose things, they can be restored; but if I lose a relationship because I value material things above my friendships and cause a brother or sister to be offended, I may never win their trust again. Help me always to embrace the truth that -- relationships are more valuable than things. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Anticipating the Harvest
Galatians 6:9-10
Dear Father, just yet merciful God,
May I not become weary in doing good but rather work diligently, energetically, and enthusiastically, keeping in mind the rich harvest you will send at the proper time. Don't ever let me give up on doing good or give up on you. And God, don't ever give up on me!
As I have opportunity, let me do good to everybody, especially to those in my family of fellow believers.
In the name of Jesus I ask these things. Amen.
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Heavenly Father, we are so thankful that You are always with us in every situation that comes our way. Life can sometimes be scary, and we thank You that You will never leave us or forsake us, and that You hold us in the palm of Your hand. Whenever we are afraid, we will trust in You. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.