“'Who will bring me down to earth?'” - Obadiah 1:3 

Have you ever known someone who is so stuck on themself? Seems like they walk around all day with their head in the clouds. "Smell me," we say about them. 

But has that "someone" ever been you? Have you ever been so "puffed up" after making a great play in a ballgame, hearing a thunderous ovation after a performance, getting a pat on the back after signing a tough business deal, or acing an examination at school? 

While those can be worthy reasons to celebrate, we must remember the source of the good that has happened to us. If not, we will, usually, inevitably, be quickly reminded of that source. 

God has a knack of bringing us down to earth in a flash. That great day you had yesterday turns into a day of disasters today. We've all been there. 

Enjoy the moment. Proudly keep your head in the clouds. But know your God brings you down to earth. Make the ride a smooth one. 

Father God, as you remind us through your Word: "Though you soar like the eagle, and your nest is set upon the stars, from there I will bring you down." (Obadiah 1:4) Thank you, God, for the ride. Amen. 

TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer

As 2022 comes to a close, we make New Year's resolutions in an attempt to want to improve our lives. While there's nothing wrong with self-improvement, the most important area of our lives that can always use improvement is our spiritual life. Instead of New Year's resolutions we often make and fail to complete, what about making 2023 the year we revitalize our prayer life? 
 
LORD, HUMBLE ME 
One of the biggest sins we can easily fall into without recognizing it is the sin of pride. We read our Bibles, bow our heads in prayer and attend church regularly. But if we're not careful, our spiritual growth based solely on our behaviors can lead to comparison and, eventually, pride. Let's live our lives like Jesus with a posture of humility. Let's seek to give grace-filled responses to those who oppose us politically, personally, or spiritually. 
 
LORD, GIVE ME PEACE 
As we round the corner of a global pandemic, mental health issues are on the rise. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders plaguing people today. And Christians are not immune. Just as our bodies break down in this broken world, our brains sometimes break down too. There is no shame in getting professional help or using medication if needed. 
 
LORD, GRANT ME GRACE 
As we struggle to surrender our pride and become humbler, it is easier to treat others with kindness than to treat ourselves. Sometimes the hardest person for us to forgive is ourselves. The more grace we grant ourselves, the more grace we grant to others. Let's ask God to give us an extra measure of grace as we process through past pain, forgive ourselves, and move forward into becoming the examples of Christ God desires for his people. 
 
LORD, HEAL OUR LAND 
As the world continues to be an uncertain place, and large corporations make it more difficult to speak about the gospel freely without fear of persecution, the world is more divided now than ever. To regain our voice within society, we must be a people who are willing to reach across the aisle and unite with people who are diametrically opposed to our viewpoints. The Lord desires unity for his people, not division. Let 2023 be the year we achieve unity in America and around the world. 
 
LORD, HELP ME TO SEE 
Although we may see the circumstances around us, do we really see people the way Jesus would want us to see them? May God grant us new ways to see the world around us. 
 
LORD, MAKE ME MORE LIKE YOU 
The best way we can be examples of Christ is to demonstrate the fruit of the spirit in our lives. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot claim to know God. Therefore, our actions should be evident in the holy spirit's presence in our lives. Pray and ask God for ways to cultivate these fruits every day in your life. 
 
LORD, SEND ME 
We sing the hymn "I Surrender All" in church, then go home and try desperately to cling to all the things of the world that are most important to us: our health, and finances, to name a few. Are we serious about dedicating our lives to God's will? Let's assume a posture of being willing to go, minister to others, and do anything the Lord chooses to do with our lives. 
 
Instead of settling for the same old stale resolutions, let's resolve to have the best prayer lives. Let's give over every area of our lives to Him and make 2023 the year we need revival not only in our hearts but in the world. Let's be a nation hungry for more of the Lord instead of hungry to exalt ourselves. 

SOURCE: https://www.crosswalk.com/special-coverage/happy-new-year/prayers-for-2023.html 

TAGS: Prayer

Week 1: 
Lord Jesus, we wait in joyful hope for you. Come into our hearts so that when the time comes, we will be prepared to join you in everlasting joy.  Amen. 
 
Week 2: 
Father in heaven, during this second week of Advent, help us see clearly the times when we have sinned. Accept our sorrow for having pulled away from you, and give us firm resolve to stay close to you.  Amen. 
 
Week 3: 
Help us, Lord, not to dampen the joy of others. Remind us this week to rejoice always and to pray without ceasing.  Amen. 
 
Week 4: 
Holy Spirit, inspire us to live every day as if Christmas were just a week away.  Amen. 

SOURCE: https://thecatholicspirit.com 

TAG: Prayer

"What? No parking here? Oh, I didn't think that pertained to me." 

Excuses. We all use them to wiggle out of situations, or defend something we know we should or should not have done. 

But excuses aren't truth, and only truth is from God. 

Defend your actions with truth, not with excuses, as "the truth will set you free" (John 8:32). Excuses will only defile you. 

Spirit of Truth, guide me at those times when I want to put myself above the truth. Let the truth prevail. Amen. 

TAGS: Prayer, Reflection

Merciful Father, 

On this All Souls' Day, and during the entire month of November, we are called to remember those who have died, 
Particularly those who have died in the past year, 
And pray for their joyful reunion with you, their loving creator. 
As your son taught us to call the stranger 
neighbor, our fallen are many-- 

Names we will never know, 
Voices we have never heard, 
In lands we may never visit, 
Yet brothers and sisters all. 
And so we pray. 

For victims of war, caught in the crossfires of 
conflicts we could not quell, 
for soldiers and civilians, 
adults and children, we pray … 
Grant eternal rest, O Lord. 

For those migrants who have died seeking a 
haven where they hoped to find safety 
and opportunity for themselves and for their families, we pray … 
Grant eternal rest, O Lord. 

For victims of hunger, denied their share in the 
bounty you have placed before us, we pray … 
Grant eternal rest, O Lord. 

For victims of AIDS, Malaria, Ebola, COVID and other infectious diseases, 
who died before adequate care could reach them, we pray … 
Grant eternal rest, O Lord. 

For those refugees seeking asylum from war, 
who died in a land that was not their home, we pray … 
Grant eternal rest, O Lord. 

For victims of emergencies and calamities everywhere, 
who died amid chaos and confusion, we pray … 
Grant eternal rest, O Lord. 

Lord, as you command, we reach out to the fallen. 
We call on you on behalf of those we could not reach this year. 
You raised your son from the dead 
that all may share in his joyful resurrection. 

In Jesus' name, we pray.  Amen. 

SOURCE: https://www.crs.org/resource-center/all-souls-day-prayer 

TAGS: Prayer

"Do not abandon me in time of trouble, in the midst of storms and dangers." - Sirach 51:10 

They say the pandemic is easing and the COVID threat is decreasing. They say that the inflationary pressure on the economy is reducing. They say that Ukraine is regaining ground in the conflict with Russia. They say that the number of mass shootings is improved over the past years. They say the US southern border is secure. They say that a rising number of Americans believe that the US is on the right track. 

You feel great with all of this good news. Or at least you should. After all, that's what "they say." 

But how should, or do, you feel? Do you feel like crying out, "God, where are you?" Do you feel like God has abandoned us? Do you feel like God doesn't care? 

When the priest was asked about how to stop the mass shootings in the US and throughout the world, his reply was, "It's a simple but difficult question ... God help us." 

Let us turn over all of our simple questions to a God who never abandons us in time of trouble, or in the midst of storms and dangers. 

And let us pray: God, help us. Amen. 

TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer

Can you hear the singing of the angels? 
Can you hear the plucking of the harps? 
A chorus of heavenly beings to join us on our way. 

We have no need to fear, 
For harm is pushed out of the way. 
The angels guard us daily and lead us not astray. 

Our eyes when we are blinded; 
Our ears when we can't hear. 
The angels protect us from danger and catch us when we fall. 

We cannot see or touch them, 
We sense their omnipresence. 
We know they are ever near us and carry our breath to God. 

Thank you, God, for our angels. Amen. 

TAGS: Prayer, Reflection

The lake was so calm. The wind was so still. There wasn't a ripple in the water. "Smooth as glass" we call it. 

With all the turmoil, stress and anxiety in our life and throughout the world, it's no wonder that we find it difficult to feel much serenity and peace. 

It's time to take charge of your emotional and spiritual life again. Find an outlet to let your mind roam free: a stroll in the park, a bicycle ride, a slow rowboat cruise with nature. It's time to let your feelings run "smooth as glass." 

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference, living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; taking this world as it is and 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." − Reinhold Niebuhr 

TAGS: Prayer, Reflection

"This was to fulfill what he had said, 'I have not lost any of those you gave me.'” - John 18:9 

Have you found yourself in a situation where you are just lost? 

You made a wrong turn and you end up on a strange road. You made a decision and it ends up  being a disastrous choice. You tell a "white lie" and you end up in an uncomfortable predicament. 

Sometimes things just don't go right and we feel like a fish (or a turtle) out of water. Fortunately, we have faith in a God who sets us back on the right path and places us again in our "comfort zone." 

But sometimes things just don't go right and end up being a blessing in disguise. 

You made a wrong turn and you end up on a road where you run into a very dear friend that you haven't seen in years. You made a decision and you end up finding the best job ever where you meet the love of your life. You tell a "white lie" and you end up receiving God's mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

Whether you are lost and found, or lost and blessed, God is always there and you will never be truly lost. 

Thank you, God, for never allowing me to be lost for I am forever in the arms of Jesus. Amen. 

TAGS: Prayer, Reflection

"For we are his handiwork, created for Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them." - Ephesians 2:10 

The fuzzy red flowers at the end of the arching branches of the bottlebrush tree are attractive to butterflies, hummingbirds and honeybees, and add a soft, whimsical touch and a splash of color to the landscape. 

Fuzzy, attractive, soft, whimsical and colorful. While these words describe the flowers at the end of a branch of a specific tree, they are also adjectives that can be used to describe persons in the species of humanity. 

What words would I use to describe me? What words do I think other persons would use to describe me? If my pet could talk, what words do I think it would use to describe me? 

What words would I like to hear God use to describe me? May my life work be directed toward hearing those words said of me by God. 

O Loving Father, help me to hear the words You speak of me and fashion myself into the person You want me to be. Amen. 

TAGS: Inspiration, Prayer