Category: Time to Pray

  • Ephesians 1 20-23

    and what is the surpassing great power
              toward us who believe
            according to the working of his mighty strength…

    …which (God) accomplished
       in regard to Christ
      by raising him from the dead people
    and
      by seating him at his right
        in the heavenly places
          far above
            every ruler
            and authority
            and power
            and dominion
            and every name
              that is named
              not only in this age
              but also in the one to come
    and h e subjected every thing
      under his feet
    and he gave him as head
      over all things
    to the church
      which is his body,
           the fullness
            from the one who fills all things
           in all ways.

    Be thou a bright flame before me,
    Be thou a guiding star above me
    Be thou a smooth path below me
    Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
    Today – tonight -forever
    Amen.

    St Columba



  • Ephesians 1 17-19

    …in my prayers,)

    (I pray) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
      the glorious Father,
        might give
        to you
          (the) Spirit of wisdom
                        and revelation
               in knowledge of him
           (since) the eyes of your hearts have been enlightened
           s o that you might know
            what is the hope of his calling
            what is the richness of his glorious inheritance
              among the holy ones
            and what is the surpassing great power
              toward us who believe
            according to the working of his mighty strength…

    Lord, you have given me so much,
    I ask for one more thing –
    a grateful heart.

    George Herbert

           
              


            


              
              
            


              
              
            

  • Ephesians 1 15-16

    Because of this,
    I, too,
      having heard
        of your faith in the Lord Jesus,
        and (your) love for all the holy ones
       do not stop
        giving thanks for you
          making mention (of you)
            at my prayers.

    O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
    O Love, who redeemed me,
    fill up in me whatever part of your love
    has fallen into neglect within me.
    O Love, O God, who first loved me,
    grant that with my whole heart,
    and with my whole soul,
    and with my whole strength,
    I may love you.

    Gertrude the Great

  • Ephesians 1 11-14

    (in whom we have
      redemption
        through his blood…)

    also in whom we have been ”chosen as (God’s) portion’
        having been ‘chosen beforehand’
      according to the purpose
        of him who works everything
          according to the purpose of his will,
    so that we
      - the ‘first to hope’ in Christ –
        might be for the praise of his glory.

    In whom you also
      having heard the word of truth
        the good news of your salvation
    in whom
      having also believed
        you have been marked
        with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit.
          who is a down payment of our inheritance
    until the ‘redemption of possession’
            for the praise of his glory.

    Teach us, good Lord,
    to serve thee as thou deservest;
    to give and not to count the cost;
    to fight and not to heed the wounds;
    to toil and not to seek for rest;
    to labour and not to ask for any reward,
    save that of knowing that we do thy will,
    through Jesus Christ our Lord.
    Amen

    St Ignatius

  • Ephesians 1 9-10

    (as he chose us…)

    …having made known to us
      the mystery of his will,
       according to his good pleasure
      which he intended
          in him
      to the arrangement
       in the fullness of the times
      to sum up
       all things in Christ
         things in the heavens and
         things on the earth
        in him.

    Grant, Lord,
    that we may hold to you without parting,
    worship you without wearying,
    serve you without failing;
    faithfully seek you,
    happily find you,
    and forever possess you,
    the only God,blessed now and for ever.
    Amen

    St Anselm

  • Ephesians 1 7

    … the beloved,
    in whom we have
    redemption
    through his blood,
    the forgiveness of trespasses
    according to the riches of his grace,
    which abounds in us
    in all wisdom and insight

    Thank you, dear Jesus,
    for all you have given me,
    for all you have taken away from me,
    for all you have left me.

    Thomas More (c.1478-1535)

  • Ephesians 1:4-6

    Blessed is the God
    and father of our Lord
    Jesus Christ
    who has blessed us
    in every spiritual blessing
    in the heavenly places
    in Christ
    as he chose us
    in him
    from the creation of the world
    to be holy and faultless
    in his presence
    in love
    having chosen us beforehand
    for adoption
    through Jesus Christ
    for himself
    according to the good pleasure
    of his will
    for the praise of the glory of his grace
    which is freely bestowed on us
    in (by) his beloved…

    Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
    Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
    where there is injury, pardon;
    where there is discord, union,
    where there is doubt, faith;
    where there is despair, hope;
    where there is darkness, light;
    and where there is sadness, joy.
    For your mercy and your truth’s sake
    Amen.

    after St. Francis of Assisi

  • Ephesians 1:1-2

    Paul,
    an apostle of Christ Jesus,
    through the will of God
    to the saints who are in Ephesus
    and those who believe in Christ Jesus.
    Grace to you all,
    and peace from God our Father,
    and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    O Lord Jesus Christ,
    stay beside me to defend me,
    within me to guide me,
    before me to lead me,
    and above me to bless me,
    that with you and in you,
    I may live, and move and have my being,
    for ever and ever.
    Amen.

    (unknown)

  • Philemon 8-25

    Therefore having enough boldness
    in Christ
    to command you to do the right thing,
    because of love,
    I would rather beseech you,
    – such as I am, Paul, an old man
    and now a prisoner for Christ Jesus-
    I beseech you concerning my child,
    whom I have begotten during (my) imprisonment:
    Onesimus, (Useful)
    who formerly was useless to you,
    but now is useful to you and me,
    whom I have sent back to you,
    and he is my very heart.
    whom I wanted to keep with me,
    so that he might serve me,
    in my imprisonment for the Gospel,
    in your place.
    For
    I wanted to do nothing,
    without your consent
    so that your good (deed) might not be from compulsion
    but from free will.
    For perhaps he was separated from you, for this reason, for a while –
    that you might have him back – for good!
    No longer as a slave,
    but more than a slave –
    a beloved brother,
    -especially to me,
    – and how much more to you
    both ‘humanly’ and in the Lord.

    So if consider me as a partner
    welcome him as me.
    And if he has wronged you in any way
    or owes you anything,
    charge it to me.
    I, Paul, write (this),
    with my own hand:
    I will repay it.

    – not to mention to you,
    that you owe more – yourself – to me.
    Yes, brother,
    let me have some benefit from you,
    in the Lord.
    Refresh my heart in Christ!

    Having been convinced of your ‘compliance’,
    I have written to you,
    knowing that you will do more than I ask.
    One thing more, prepare the guest-room for me.
    For I hope
    that through your prayers,
    I will be restored to you all.

    Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner, greets you.
    in Christ.
    and Mark, Aristarchus. Demas, Luke,
    my fellow-workers.
    May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
    be with with your spirit.

    God, give me grace to accept with serenity
    the things that cannot be changed,
    Courage to change the things
    which should be changed,
    and the Wisdom to distinguish
    the one from the other.

    Living one day at a time,
    Enjoying one moment at a time,
    Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
    Taking, as Jesus did,
    This sinful world as it is,
    Not as I would have it,
    Trusting that You will make all things right,
    If I surrender to Your will,
    So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
    And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

    Amen.

  • Philemon 1-7

    Paul,
    a prisoner for Christ Jesus
    and Timothy,
    the brother
    to Philemon
    the beloved
    and our fellow worker
    and Ap’phia
    the sister,
    and Archippus,
    our fellow-soldier
    and to the church in your home

    Grace to you,
    and peace from God,
    our Father
    and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    I give thanks to my God,
    always when I mention you
    in my prayers,
    hearing of your love…
    —and the faith which you have
    —in the Lord Jesus,-
    …for all the saints,
    that the generosity of your faith
    might come to be effective
    in the knowledge of all the good
    in us
    for Christ

    For I have had great joy
    and encouragement from your love,
    because the hearts of the saints
    have been refreshed because of you,
    (my) brother.

    Lord, you have given me so much,
    I ask for one more thing –
    a grateful heart.

    George Herbert