Prayer

[Fluttering]

I Stand at the Door

An Apologia for my Life
By Sam Shoemaker (from the Oxford Group)


I stand by the door.
I neither go to far in, nor stay to far out.
The door is the most important door in the world -
It is the door through which men walk when they find God.
There is no use my going way inside and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where the door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind men,
With outstretched, groping hands,
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it.
So I stand by the door.

The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for men to find that door - the door to God.
The most important thing that any man can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands
And put it on the latch - the latch that only clicks
And opens to the man's own touch.

Men die outside the door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter.
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live on the other side of it - live because they have not found it.

Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him.
So I stand by the door.

Go in great saints; go all the way in -
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics.
It is a vast, roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in.
Sometimes venture in a little farther,
But my place seems closer to the opening.
So I stand by the door.

There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them;
For God is so very great and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia
And want to get out. 'Let me out!' they cry.
And the people way inside only terrify them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled.
For the old life, they have seen too much:
One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving - preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door
But would like to run away. So for them too,
I stand by the door.

I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not yet even found the door.
Or the people who want to run away again from God.
You can go in too deeply and stay in too long
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there,
But not so far from men as not to hear them,
And remember they are there too.

Where? Outside the door -
Thousands of them. Millions of them.
But - more important for me -
One of them, two of them, ten of them.
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.

'I had rather be a door-keeper
So I stand by the door.

[citychick]

QUOTE by Fluttering

One taste of God and nothing but God will do any more.

well...that describes it perfectly Alla. thanks.

[indigo]

Amen

[Ann]

What a wonderful, meaningful poem. Thanks for sharing it.

Hugs

[Fluttering]

Making a Difference

Making a Difference
A little boy walked carefully
along a crowded beach
Where starfish by the hundreds
lay there within his reach.
They washed up with each wave,
far as the eye could see
And each would surely die
if they were not set free.
So one by one he rescued them,
then he heard a stranger call,
"It won't make a difference...
you cannot save them all."
But as he tossed another back
towards the ocean's setting sun,
He said with deep compassion,
"I made a difference to that one!"
One life at a time!

Text © Abbey Press, St. Meinrad, IN. 47577

[Fluttering]

The Search
There must be a wonderful morning somewhere
A dawn lit by justice and judgment is fair
A place where a helping hand is always held out
An ear that will listen stands poised and devout
A place you can go when your heart needs attending
A place where a spirit gets healing and mending
A place where loves fire burns bright day and night
And in from the cold you may warm by its light.

There must be a wonderful evening somewhere
Where the sun finally sets on pain and despair
Where the coming of night is not filled with grief
And comforting sleep brings you joyful relief

A place where the sunset is apt to reflect
A day without malice, without disrespect
A place where the only tears shed, are for joy
And a heart is not battered and bounced like a toy

There must be a wonderful day somewhere
In a place filled with love and a great need to care
A place where the burdens of conflict are lifted
Where love is a skill and all lovers are gifted

Where daily are spoken the words that support
And every mistake is not met with retort
A place where the land has not soaked up the blood
Where honor and truth are not cast in the mud

A Place where the children are not left alone
Where Sisters and Brothers may come to atone
Where homeless and helpless don't cower in fright
Where the hearts and the minds of the world can unite

So you set on a journey to seek out this land
With compass and map and a vision so grand
To find peace and comfort in a world that's so new
Where waters are crystal and skies are so blue

With showers that cleanse and winds that refresh
Where the spirit is fed and not just the flesh
But search as you may, what you'll find to be true
That it can not be found, 'til it's found within you.

~~J. David Solomon~~

[Fluttering]

May the angels keep you til morning.
May they guide you through the night.
May they comfort all your sorrows.
May they help you win the fight.
May they keep watch on your soul.
May they show you better ways.
May they guard you while you're sleeping.
May they see you through your days.
May they show you new hopes.
May they still your every doubt.
May they calm your every fear.
May they hear you when you shout.

May the angels keep you til morning.
More than this I cannot pray.
And if the angels ever fail you.
Then may God be there that day.

~ Author Unknown
Prayers Angel

[Fluttering]

TELL ME BOUT THE GOOD OLD DAYS

A little boy about 10 years old was standing before a shoe store on Broadway,
barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold.
A lady approached the boy and said,
"My little fellow, why are you looking so earnestly in that window?"
"I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes," was the boys reply.

The lady took him by the hand and went into the store, and
asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy.
She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel,
and he replied: "Certainly," and quickly brought them to her.
She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves,
knelt down, washed his little feet and dried them with a towel.
By this time the clerk had returned with the socks.
Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes,
and tying up the remaining pairs of socks, gave them to him.
She patted him on the head and said,
"No doubt, my little fellow, you feel more comfortable now?"
As she turned to go, the astonished lad caught her by the hand,
and looking up in her face, with tears in his eyes, answered the
question with these words,

"Are you God's Wife?"

~~By HDB Angels - Tea & Coffee Blessings~~
"Tea with Grandmama" by: Diana Stanley

[Fluttering]

Most holy angel of God, appointed by God to be my guardian, I give you thanks for all the benefits which you have ever bestowed on me in body and in soul. I praise and glorify you that you condescended to assist me with such patient fidelity, and to defend me against all the assaults of my enemies. Blessed be the hour in which you were assigned me for my guardian, my defender and my patron. In acknowledgement and return for all your loving ministries to me, I offer you the infinitely precious and noble heart of Jesus, and firmly purpose to obey you henceforward, and most faithfully to serve my God.
Amen.

St Gertrudes Guardian
Prayers Angel

[Fluttering]

Today, I accept God's gift of abundance.
Today everything that I AM and have, that is Good,
is increased.
I identify everything I do with success.
I think affirmatively.
And with all my prayers, I accept abundance.
Whatever I need, whenever I need it,
wherever I need it, for as long as I need it,
will always be at hand.
I no longer see negation
or delay
or stagnation
in my undertakings.
Rather, I claim that the action of the Living Spirit
prospers everything I do,
increases every Good I possess
and brings success to me and everyone I meet.
Everything I think about and do
is animated by the Divine Presence,
sustained by the Infinite Power,
and multiplied by the Divine Goodness.


In Jesus Christ's name I pray,
who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit
One God
forever and ever.


Amen~

[this prayer was written by Emmet Fox]

[Fluttering]

To: All Who Believe in Me

From: God

Subject: Life's Problems

Good Morning. I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems.
Please remember that I do not need your help.

If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle,
DO NOT attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the
SFJTD (something for Jesus to do) box.
It will be addressed in MY time, not yours.

Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it or
attempt to remove it. Holding on or removal will delay the
resolution of your problem.

If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling,
please consult me in prayer to be sure that
it is the proper resolution.

Because I do not sleep nor do I slumber, there is no need for you to lose any sleep. Rest my child. If you need to contact me,
I am only a prayer away.

I will be with you always.......

author unknown

[Fluttering]

St. Gabriel
An Angel Prayer for others

O loving messenger of the Incarnation, descend upon all those for whom I wish peace and happiness. Spread your wings over the cradles of the new-born babes, O thou who didst announce the coming of the Infant Jesus.
Give to the young a lily petal from the virginal scepter in your hand. Cause the Ave Maria to re-echo in all hearts that they may find grace and joy through Mary.

Finally, recall the sublime words spoken on the day of the Annunciation-- "Nothing is impossible with God," and repeat them in hours of trial--to all I love--that their confidence in Our Lord may be reanimated, when all human help fails.
Amen.

[ukn]

[Fluttering]

SPEAK WITH YOUR FRIEND...
[From the book: QUIET MOMENTS IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD"

Prayer is relational. It is talking to someone you know. There are no strangers in the prayer room. When speaking to God in prayer, you can have the same kind of expereince with God that Moses had-face to face. You are friend to friend.

With God as your friend in prayer, you are never to hurt to look back, and you are never too scared to look ahead. With God as your friend in prayer, you can look within yourself and celebrate who you are and who you are becoming. You can feel close enough to God to open yourself up & let him come in.

When you go to God in prayer, you are in the presence of one you know and one who knows you.

Dear God, Thank You for being a friend closer than any other. You are my very best friend. Amen

[Fluttering]

God has a special way of satisfying the cry of His children.

He is waiting to open to us the windows of heaven until He has so moved in the depths of our heart that everything unlike Himself has been destroyed.
-Smith Wiggelsworth

[citychick]

Originally Posted by Fluttering

Dear God, Thank You for being a friend closer than any other. You are my very best friend. Amen

Alla...you've been reading my mind. I was thinking this very thing the other day!

[Fluttering]

Dear God, I rest in your arms, relax in your love, and sleep in your peace. Thank You. Amen

citychick

Often others peek in my window too

[Fluttering]

Dear God, by your plan, by your will, by your grace I grow toward the goals you have set for me. I may not always know the goals but help me to remain willing and walking. Amen

[Fluttering]

Dear God, I will quit wringing my hnads in worry and fret an place them in yours to hold and guiide me. thankYou for your love, your peace and your strength. Amen

[Fluttering]

Dear God, May I listen closely today that i may be of maximum service to you.
May I show love and tolerance to all you place in my life today.
Amen

[Fluttering]

Dear God, Thank You for refreshing, renewing & revitalizing times of rest.
Thank You for holding me through my days and nights. Amen

[Fluttering]

Knowing God is near, you are better able to manage your fears. The presence of God encourages an absence of fears.

God. thank you for your preesence. Please continue to quiet the wind and waves of my anxieties and fears. ThanK you Amen

[citychick]

Originally Posted by Fluttering

God. thank you for your preesence. Please continue to quiet the wind and waves of my anxieties and fears. ThanK you Amen

Amen...Alla you've got some really lovely prayers here. Thanks for sharing them.

[Fluttering]

No matter what I go through, O God, you go through it with me. Whereever I am, you are. Thank You for your guiding presence and your many blessings. Amen