Nepsis

Category: Time to Pray

  • Psalm 123

    A song of the ascents.


    1To you I raise my eyes,
    you who sit in the heavens.

    2There, like the eyes of servants
    towards the hand of their masters,
    Like the eyes of a maidservant
    towards the hand of her mistress,
    So are our eyes towards Yahweh our God,
    until he is gracious to us.

    3Be gracious to us, Yahweh, be gracious,
    because we’ve become very full of contempt.
    4Our entire being has become very full for itself
    of the ridicule of complacent people,
    of the contempt of majestic people.

    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

  • Psalm 122

    1I rejoiced when people said to me,
    ‘We’ll go to Yahweh’s house.’

    2Our feet have been standing
    in your gates, Yerushalaim,
    3Yerushalaim, which is built
    as a town that is joined together to itself,
    4Where the clans went up, Yah’s clans,
    (an affirmation for Yisra’el),
    to confess Yahweh’s name.
    5Because thrones for exercising authority sat there,
    thrones for David’s household.

    6Ask for the well-being of Yerushalaim;
    may people who are loyal to it be secure.
    7May there be well-being in your rampart,
    ease in your citadels.
    8For the sake of my brothers and my friends
    I shall please speak of well-being for you.
    9For the sake of the house of Yahweh our God
    I will seek good things for you.

    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

  • Psalm 121

    A song for the ascents.

    I raise my eyes to the mountains:
    from where does my help come?
    My help comes from Yahweh,
    maker of heavens and earth.


    May he not give your foot to slipping;
    may he not doze, your keeper.
    There, he doesn’t doze and he doesn’t sleep,
    Yisrâ’el’s keeper.
    Yahweh is your keeper, Yahweh is your shade,
    at your right hand.
    By day the sun will not strike you down,
    or the moon by night.
    Yahweh will keep you from everything bad;
    he will keep your life.
    Yahweh will keep your going out and your coming in,
    from now and permanently.

    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

  • Psalm 120

    A song of the ascents.

    1To Yahweh, when I was under pressure,
    I called and he answered me.

    2Yahweh, rescue my life from false lips,
    from a deceitful tongue.

    3What will it give you,
    what will it add to you, deceitful tongue?
    4The arrows of a strong man, sharpened,
    with coals of broom shrubs.

    5Oh for me, that I’ve resided with Meshek,
    dwelt with Qedara’s tents.
    6A long time I’ve been dwelling
    with someone hostile to peace.
    7I am for peace, but when I speak,
    they are for battle.

    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

  • 1 Peter 5 8- 14

    Be sober
    be alert
    Your enemy,
    the devil,
    as a lion
    roaring
    walks around
    seeking some to devour.
    whom,
    resist
    (being) strong in faith,
    knowing that the ‘family members’
    throughout the world
    are suffering the same things
    but the God of all grace
    who called you
    to his eternal glory
    in Christ Jesus,
    after suffering a little while
    will restore you,
    will make you firm,
    will make you strong,
    will establish you.
    To him (is) the power
    for ever.
    Amen.

    Through Silvanus
    a faithful brother to you all,
    as I reckon.
    Briefly I have written
    encouraging (you)
    and declaring this is the true grace of God
    in which you stand.
    The one in Babylon
    greets you
    – chosen with you
    and also Mark,
    my son.
    Greet one another
    with a kiss of love.
    Peace to all of you,
    who are in Christ.

    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)

  • 1 Peter 5 5-7

    Likewise,
    young men
    be subject to the elders.

    And all of you,
    clothe yourselves with humility
    toward one another,
    because
    God will oppose the proud
    but will give grace to the humble.1
    So be humbled
    by the mighty hand of God,
    so that he might lift you up
    in due time
    Cast all your cares on him,
    because it is a care to him.

    1. Proverbs 3 34 ↩︎

    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;
    Where there is sadness, joy,
    For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

  • 1 Peter 5 1-4

    So I
    the fellow-elder
    and a witness of the sufferings of Christ
    also the partner in the glory
    about to be revealed
    exhort the elders among you,
    to shepherd
    the flock of God,
    [taking care]
    not under compulsion
    but willingly, according to God(‘s way)
    nor for sordid gain
    but eagerly,
    nor lording it over your portions (of the flock)
    but be an example to the flock
    and (when) the Chief Shepherd appears
    you will receive the wreath (that is) glory – which never fades just like Amarinth.

    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)

  • 1 Peter 4:15-19

    However let no one of you suffer
    as a murderer
    as a thief
    as an evildoer
    or as busybody.
    So if (one of you suffers)
    as a Christian,
    let them not be ashamed,
    but let them glorify God
    in this matter1
    because (it is) the time
    for judgement
    to begin
    (starting) from the house of God.
    for if (it begins) first with us,
    what will be the end of those who disobey the Gospel of God?
    and if the righteous will be barely saved
    where will the godless and sinner be?2
    So let those who suffer
    according to the will of God,
    entrust their souls,
    to a faithful Creator
    by doing good.

    Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbour,
    where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict.
    Show me the course I should take.
    Renew in me the gift of discernment,
    so that I can always see the right direction in which I should go.
    And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course,
    even when the sea is rough and the waves are high,
    knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name
    we shall find comfort and peace.
    Amen

    Basil of Caesarea (c.329-379)

    1. Or ‘in this name’ ↩︎
    2. Prov 11:31


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  • 1 Peter 4 12-14

    Beloved, do not be surprised
    that a trial
    among you
    by fire
    is happening
    to test you
    as a surprising thing occurring.
    But in as much
    you share the sufferings of Christ
    rejoice!
    So that
    at the revelation of his glory
    you may be full of joy.

    If you are insulted
    on account of the name of Christ,
    (you are) blessed
    because the Spirit of Glory,
    that is the Spirit of God
    rests upon you.    1

    1. Isal 11:2 ↩︎

    Take from us,
    O God, all pride and vanity,
    all boasting and self-assertion,
    and give us the true courage that shows itself in gentleness,
    the true wisdom that shows itself in simplicity,
    and the true power that shows itself in modesty.

    Charles Kingsley

  • 1 Peter 4 7-11

    The end of all things has come very near.
    So be sensible and be sober
    for (the sake of your) prayers:
    above all
    having unfailing love
    for one another
    because
    love covers a multitude of sins1
    Be hospitable to one another
    without complaining.
    As far as each person has received a gift
    – servie it to one other
    as faithful stewards
    of the varied grace of God:
    whoever speaks
    as (someone speaking) the words of God
    if some serves
    as (someone serving) with strength which God provides.
    in order that God might be glorified in all things
    through Jesus Christ,
    who is the glory and the power
    for ever and ever. Amen.

    1. Proverbs 10:12 ↩︎

    O thou, who art the light of the minds that know thee,
    the life of the souls that love thee,
    and the strength of the wills that serve thee;
    help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee;
    so to love thee that we may fully serve thee,
    whom to serve is perfect freedom.
    Amen