Famous Prayers

The Serenity Prayer
(attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr)
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things that should be changed and the wisdom to know the difference.


Our Cell group is manning a ‘Prayer Tent’ at our ‘Church in the Park’ event this weekend. It’s going to be a gazebo with a multi-coloured silk lining and colourful accessories inside to make it feel vibrant and lively. I suggested we display famous prayers and prayers of famous people, which suggestion was accepted, so today I spent many happy hours creating the display. It was a pleasant task: googling the prayers, finding illustrations, printing them out on brightly coloured paper, laminating them, punching a couple of holes and threading coloured ribbon through to hang them. In my bedroom I have a ‘Wall of Wisdom’ – a display of various wise sayings, prayers, etc, and no doubt these will join those after the weekend.

Prayer of St Richard of Chichester
Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits which you have given us,
for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us.
Most merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,
may we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen.

Daily prayer of Mother Teresa
DEAR JESUS, help me to spread Thy fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with Thy spirit and love. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that all my life may only be a radiance of Thine. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Thy presence in my soul. Let them look up and see no longer me but only Jesus. Stay with me and then I shall begin to shine as you shine, so to shine as to be a light to others.

The Lord's Prayer (quoted from 'The Message' translation)
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what's best— as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge! You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.