I Refuse To Be Discouraged
I refuse to be discouraged,
To be sad, or to cry;
I refuse to be downhearted,
and here’s the reason why…
I have a God who’s mighty,
Who’s sovereign and supreme;
I have a God who loves me,
and I am on His team.
He is all wise and powerful,
Jesus is His name;
Though everything is
changeable,
My God remains the same.
My God knows all that’s happening;
Beginning to the
end,
His presence is my comfort,
He is my dearest friend.
When sickness comes to weaken me,
To bring my head down low,
I call upon my mighty God;
Into His arms I go.
When circumstances threaten
to rob me from my peace;
He draws me close unto His breast,
Where all my strivings cease.
And when my heart melts within me,
and weakness takes control;
He gathers me into His arms,
He soothes my heart and soul.
The great “I AM” is with me,
My life is in His hand,
The “Son of the Lord” is my hope,
It’s in His strength I stand.
I refuse to be
defeated,
My eyes are on my God;
He has promised to be with me,
as through this life I trod.
I’m looking past all my circumstances,
To Heaven’s throne above;
My prayers have reached
the heart of God,
I’m resting in His love.
I give God thanks in everything,
My eyes are on His face;
The battle
’s His, the victory is mine;
He’ll help me win the race.
—- by Lita Kurtzer
A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition
I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
Exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
To thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
Let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
Prayer Of Remembrance:All Saints Day
By Bruce Prewer, Uniting Church of Australia
Living God, in whom there is no shadow or change, we thank you for the gift of life eternal, and for all those who having served you well,
now rest from their labours.
We thank you for all the saints remembered and forgotten, for those dear souls most precious to us.
Today we give thanks for those who during the last twelve months have died and entered into glory.
We bless you for their life and love, and rejoice for them “all is well, and all manner of things will be well.
God of Jesus and our God, mindful of all those choice souls who have gone on ahead of us, teach us, and each twenty-first century disciple of
every race and place,
· to follow their example to the best of our ability:
· to feed the poor in body or spirit,
· to support and comfort the mourners and the repentant,
· to encourage the meek and stand with them in crises,
· to affirm those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
· to cherish and learn from the merciful,
· to be humbled by, and stand with, the peacemakers.
Let us clearly recognize what it means to be called the children of God, and to know we are to be your saints neither by our own inclination
nor in our own strength but simply by the call and the healing holiness of Christ Jesus our Saviour. Amen!
Prayer For Direction
Send me where I can be used, Lord, choose the
path that I am to walk, and guide my footsteps
so I will not stray from the direction You have
set for me.
Though I may desire to take the
easiest route, help me to understand that the
obstacles in the path are put there for my
growth.
When I may make mistakes, help me
to accept criticism and correction.
Give me strength, Lord, to be a willing servant
even when my friends and family urge me to
other priorities.
Help me to discern those that are trying to help
from those that would hinder me in my
Christian walk.
In my humanity I yearn for roses and fields of
amber grain, but if You choose, Lord, put me
among the thorns and weeds.
Help me be content wherever You plant me so that I may
seek Your glory, not mine.
I put my health,
happiness, and life into Your hands.
Protect me, sustain me, and satisfy me with the joy of
knowing that I am part of your
wonderful creation. Amen!
Prayer For A Church Vision©
By: Rev. Edwin Rutenkroger, OSL
Powerful God, we come to you in prayer
that we may discern your calling to this,
your church. Forgive us when we get
ahead of you and try to plan before we
listen for your voice.
Grant us wisdom and patience to pray,
seeking only to know your will for us as
individuals and as a church.
Grant that we might put aside the things
that divide us and come together in
disciple making with the guidance of
your Holy Spirit.
Help us to look into our own hearts
instead of judging others so that we
might come to a new fullness in
love of God and love of neighbor.
And then, in your own time, let us see
your will for us. For all this, we pray in
the name of the Risen Christ Amen!
Prayer For Liberia©
By: Rev. Edwin Rutenkroger, OSL
Powerful God, we thank you for
your presence with the people of
Liberia. In this far away place where
war after war has caused such pain,
your comforting presence is a reminder
of what life is really about.
We ask that you bless the children at
the Ganta Mission School and that
you bless the work of those who
seek to teach them. We pray that
you will cover the hospital and those
who learn there with your blanket of
protection, and multiply your good
works through those who train
there.
Show us how you would have
us support your work in this far off
place. This day and every day, give
us the will to listen to your voice and
work together to heal broken lives,
build destroyed homes and establish
justice for all your people. Amen!
Morning Prayer©
By: Keith Z. Yezdanian
I'm not sure of the plans you have for me
I'm not even sure that I can live this life free.
The sun breaks through the darkness with its mighty light
My feet hit the floor and I pray that today will not be a fight.
I feel an emptiness that I know should not be
This world’s poison has me a slave in captivity.
I search frantically for the peace I once found
The shadows of doubt are dancing all around.
The great deceiver sits in the corner and grins
His lies trying to find a place to rest, so the backslide can begin.
As my soul and body tremble upon this Rock I stand
With shrieks of pain and tears of despair I stretch forth my hand.
I plead that this burden and trials would be taken away
You give no answer and force me to stay.
My soul is crying Abba1 and my flesh cries deserter
Why have you forsaken me, I can't take this any longer.
Now, this is only the beginning from You I hear
My promise to you was not an easy life, let Me make it clear.
Remember you asked to be used by Me no matter the cost
Know this My son with Me the battle is won and without it is lost.
So take heed and stand for I your God have a plan
With these burdens and with these trials I will make you a man.
My grace is upon you and My Spirit stands with thee
My son, verily, I say to you rise from your knees because today you are free.
In this morning's prayer, You have heard my plea
And in Your presence I give thanks to Thee.
You have never forsaken me, thou I tried to run
I thank You for this morning's sun.
– "Morning Prayer" was written 5 May 2011
1Editor’s Note: Abba is the Aramaic word for “Father”. The word occurs three times in the New Testament (Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; and Galatians 4:6).
An Invitation To Christ
Come, my Light, and illumine my darkness.
Come, my Life, and revive me from death.
Come, my Physician, and heal my wounds.
Come, Flame of divine love, and burn up
the thorns of my sins, kindling my
heart with the flame of your love.
Come, my King, sit upon the throne of my
heart and reign there.
For You alone are my King and my Lord.
– Dmitri of Rostov
A Cross In My Pocket
I carry a cross in my pocket
A simple reminder to me
Of the fact that I am a Christian
No matter where I may be.
This little cross is not magic,
Nor is it a good luck charm
It isn't meant to protect me
From every physical harm.
It's not for identification
For all the world to see
It's simply an understanding
Between my Savior and me.
When I put my hand in my pocket
To bring out a coin or a key
The cross is there to remind me
Of the price He paid for me.
It reminds me, too, to be thankful
For my blessings day by day
And to strive to serve Him better
In all that I do and say.
It's also a daily reminder
Of the peace and comfort I share
With all who know my Master
And give themselves to His care.
So, I carry a cross in my pocket
Reminding no one but me
That Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life
If only I'll let Him be.
– Verna Mae Thomas
Writings From Keith Yezdanian
The following are inspirational writings written in 2010. Many of you may remember Keith Yezdanian’s beautiful verse that was posted on the
New Hope web site in 2007 and 2008. He is now writing in prose. I believe you will find that Keith has a talent for writing. He is
able to write his feelings from the heart without fear of revealing his true self. His writings show that he has a distinct voice
and an amazing eye for the telling detail.
When you walk with God, the unachievable (the impossible) will be achieved.
The following writings are in (.pdf format)
and require the Adobe Reader. Download it here.
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