Today is the National Day of Prayer in the U.S. Which means all around the U.S. of A. there are groups gathered together talking about prayer … and maybe praying a little too. 😉
In hopes of encouraging myself and everyone else to spend more time praying today I thought I would post my two favorite prayers, one from the Bible and the other from church tradition. I feel like I mentioned both of these prayers very often at church and in chaplaincy and I know both of these prayers are on my lips and in my heart much of the time.
The first prayer is a powerful little prayer from Mark 9:24:
“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
The second prayer is consider in tradition to be the prayer that by which Patrick, bishop of Ireland, opened each day. It is typically known as Patrick’s Breastplate.
I arise today through
God’s strength to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to see before me,
God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me, God’s host to secure me –against snares of devils,
against temptations and vices,
against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me
ill, afar and anear,
alone and in a crowd…Christ, be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit,
Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Christ.
May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.
Today may we trust in the One to Who we are praying and therefore turn to Him frequently.
SIDE NOTE – It is also apparently World Password Day, a day meant to remind us to change our password to something better than “1234” and “password”. I am not sure if this is connected to the National Day of Prayer or not. 😉