Prayers for the Way

#SummerOfScripture14 

compiled by Dorota Pruski and Jonathan Melton

The Foolish Wisdom of God

Hidden God,

whose Wisdom compels our love

and unsettles all our values;

fill us with desire

to search for her truth,

that we may transform the world

becoming fools for her sake,

through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Prov 1:20-33; 2:1-9; Mt 11:25-30; Lk 10:30-42; 1 Cor 1:18-25; 3:18ff

The Vision of God

O God,

whose beauty is beyond our imagining,

and whose power we cannot comprehend:

show us your glory

as far as we can grasp it,

and shield us 

from knowing more than we can bear

until we may look upon you without fear,

through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Gen 32:22-31; Exod 33:12ff; Job 38:1-7, 34-41

Dependence on God’s Word

God of all trust,

may we who confess your faith

prove it in our lives,

with abundant joy,

outrageous hope,

and dependence on nothing

but your word alone,

through Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Jer 32:6-15; Lk 7:1-10

God’s Fruitful Word

O God our disturber,

whose speech is pregnant with power

and whose word will be fulfilled:

may we know ourselves unsatisfied

with all that distorts your truth,

and make our hearts attentive

to your liberating voice,

in Jesus Christ, Amen.

Is 55:1-11; Lk 1:46b-55; 4:14-21; 2 Tim 3:14-4:5

God’s Uncontainable Word

God of truth and terror,

whose word we can with comfort

neither speak nor contain;

give us courage to release the fire

you have shut up in our bones,

and strength in your spirit

to withstand the burning,

through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Jer 20:7-11; Mt 10:16-22

Parables

Christ our teacher,

you reach into our lives

not through instruction, but story.

Open our hearts to be attentive:

that seeing, we may perceive,

and hearing, we may understand,

and understanding, we may act upon your word,

in your name, Amen.

Mk 4:1-20

Proper 28 (Book of Common Prayer)   

Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: 

Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, 

that we may embrace and ever hold fast 

the blessed hope of everlasting life, 

which you have
given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; 

who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Aber du weißt den Weg, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, music: Taizé

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74Jij_sL75A

Gott, lass meine gedanken sich sammeln zu dir/ God, gather my thoughts to you.

Bei dir ist das licht, du vergist mich nicht./With you is the light, you do not forget me.

Bei dir ist die hilfe, bei dir ist die geduld/With you is help,/with you is patience.

Ich verstehe deine wege nicht/I do not understand your ways.

Aber du weist den weg fur mich./But you know the way for me

Origen (c. 185 – c. 254) was an early church father from Alexandria.

Lord, inspire us to read your Scriptures and meditate upon them day and night. We beg you to give us real understanding of what we need, that we in turn may put its precepts into practice. Yet we know that understanding and good intentions are worthless, unless rooted in your graceful love. So we ask that the words of Scriptures may also be not just signs on a page, but channels of grace into our hearts. Amen.

Gregory of Nazianus (329-389) was an early Church father.

Lord, as I read the psalms let me hear you singing. As I read your words, let me hear you speaking. As I reflect on each page, let me see your image. And as I seek to put your precepts into practice, let my heart be filled with joy. Amen.

Liebster Jesu, Tobias Clausnitzer, from The Hymnal 1982 (440)

Blessed Jesus, at thy word

we are gathered all to hear thee;

let our hearts and souls be stirred

now to seek and love and fear thee,

by thy teachings, true and holy,

drawn from earth to love thee solely.

All our knowledge, sense, and sight

lie in deepest darkness shrouded

till thy Spirit breaks our night

with the beams of truth unclouded.

thou alone to God canst win us;

thou must work all good within us.

Glorious Lord, thyself impart,

Light of Light, from God proceeding;

open thou our ears and heart,

help us by thy Spirit's pleading;

hear the cry thy church upraises,

hear and bless our prayers and praises.

Traditional

Come, Holy Spirit. Amen.