Nepsis

Category: Time to Pray

  • Psalm 2

    Why do the nations rebel?
    Why are the countries devising plots that will fail?
    2 The kings of the earth form a united front;
    the rulers collaborate
    against the Lord and his anointed king.
    3 They say, “Let’s tear off the shackles they’ve put on us.
    Let’s free ourselves from their ropes.”


    4 The one enthroned in heaven laughs in disgust;
    the Lord taunts them.
    5 Then he angrily speaks to them
    and terrifies them in his rage, saying,
    6 “I myself have installed my king
    on Zion, my holy hill.”


    7 The king says, “I will announce the Lord’s decree. He said to me:
    ‘You are my son. This very day I have become your father.
    8 Ask me,
    and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,
    the ends of the earth as your personal property.
    9 You will break them with an iron scepter;
    you will smash them like a potter’s jar.’”


    10 So now, you kings, do what is wise;
    you rulers of the earth, submit to correction.
    11 Serve the Lord in fear.
    Repent in terror.
    12 Give sincere homage.
    Otherwise he will be angry,
    and you will die because of your behaviour,
    when his anger quickly ignites.
    How blessed are all who take shelter in him!

    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

  • Psalm 2 1-6

    1 Why do the nations conspire
        and the peoples plot in vain?
    2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
        and the rulers take counsel together,
        against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
    3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
        and cast their cords from us.”

    4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
        the Lord has them in derision.
    5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath
        and terrify them in his fury, saying,
    6 “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”

    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

  • Psalm 1

    Happy are those
        who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
    or take the path that sinners tread,
        or sit in the seat of scoffers;
    but their delight is in the law of the Lord,
        and on his law they meditate day and night.
    They are like trees
        planted by streams of water,
    which yield their fruit in its season,
        and their leaves do not wither.
    In all that they do, they prosper.

    The wicked are not so,
        but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
    Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,
        nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
    for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
        but the way of the wicked will perish.

    God be in head and in my understanding;
    God be in my eyes and in my looking;
    God be in my mouth and in my speaking;
    God be in my heart and in my thinking;
    God be at my end and at my departing.

  • Ephesians 6 21-24

    – So that you also may know
    the things about me,
    what I am doing,
    Tychicus
    the beloved brother
    and faithful servant in the Lord
    will make known everything to you
    whom I am sending
    for this thing,
    that you might know
    the things about us
    and be encouraged in your hearts.

    Peace
    to the brothers/sisters and
    love
    with faith
    from God, the Father, and
    the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Grace
    be with all those who love our Lord
    Jesus Christ,
    with immortality.

    O Lord
    Open our eyes to your presence
    Open our minds to your grace
    Open our lips to your praises
    Open our hearts to your love
    Open our lives to your healing
    And be found among us.
    Amen.




  • Ephesians 6: 18-20

    (Stand firm….)
    with all prayers and petitions
    by praying at all times
    by (the) Spirit
    and to this end, being alert,
    with all perseverance and petitions
    concerning all the saints
    and me particularly
    – that a word might be given to me
    when I open my mouth
    with boldness
    to make known the mystery of the Gospel.
    concerning which I am an ambassador
    in chains
    – that I might speak boldly
    as is necessary for me speak.

    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.

  • Ephesians 6 14-17

    So stand firm
    by having wrapped around your waist
    the (belt which is) truth
    and by having put on the breastplate, which is righteousness,
    and by having shod your feet with
    the readiness (to) proclaim the gospel
    which is is peace.
    In every circumstance
    having taken up the shield which is faith,
    by which you can put out every flaming arrows
    of the evil one.
    And receive the helmet, which is salvation,
    and the sword from the Spirit
    which is the word of God.

    Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
    Naught be all else to me, save that thou art –
    Thou my best thought, by day or by night;
    Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

  • Ephesians 6 10-13

    From now on,
    be strengthened
    in the Lord
    and in the strength of his might.
    put on the ‘whole armour’ of God
    so that you might be able to stand against
    the stratagems of the devil.
    Because our struggle is not against blood and flesh,
    but against the rulers,
    against powers,
    against the world rulers over this darkness,
    against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
    Because of this
    take up the ‘whole armour’ of God
    so that you might hold your ground
    on the evil day
    and having done everything, stand.

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

    George Herbert

  • Ephesians 6 5-9

    Slaves,
    obey your – according to the flesh- lords
    with fear and trembling
    with sincerity in your hearts
    as Christ,
    not according to ‘eye-service’
    or as people-pleasers
    but as slaves of Christ
    doing the will of God,
    from the soul,
    with wholehearted service
    as to the Lord, and not humans.
    -knowing that each person
    if they do something good,
    will be received by the Lord
    whether slave or free.

    And the Lords,
    do the same to them,
    stopping using threats,
    knowing that
    over them and over you
    is the same Lord in heaven
    and there is no favouritism with him.

    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 6: 1-4

    Children,
    obey [in the Lord] your parents.
    For this is right.
    ‘Honour your father and your mother’
    – this is the first commandment with a promise –
    ‘that it might be well for you,
    and you be long-lived in the land’
    And fathers, do not make your children angry,
    but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.

    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 5 21-33

    …being submissive to one another
    in the fear of Christ:
    the wives to their husbands
    as to the Lord,
    because a husband
    (is) the head of (his) wife
    as
    Christ is also the head of the Church,
    he is the saviour of the Body
    but as the church submits to Christ
    so wives also to husbands
    (with reference) to all things.

    Husbands,
    love (your) wives
    as also Christ loved the church
    and handed over himself for her,
    so that he might make her holy
    by the washing with water
    by the word
    so that he might present the church glorious
    to himself
    not having a spot or wrinkle or anything similar
    but is holy and without blemish
    In the same way husbands must love their wives
    as their own bodies
    He who loves his wife, loves himself.

    For nobody ever hates his own body
    but feeds and takes care of it.
    so also Christ and the Church.
    because we are members of his body.

    Because of this a man
    leaves his mother and father
    and is united with his wife
    and the two will be one flesh.

    This mystery is great.
    I am speaking about Christ and the Church.


    But each one of you too:
    let each of you love his wife as himself
    And let the wife respect (her) husband.

    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