The Book of a Thousand Prayers

'Prayer is God's gift to us, a banquet of good things to feed our inner life, as we respond to the invitation to his feast of peace, forgiveness, challenge and love.' If our lives are an open book to God, prayer is the dialogue we share with him over its pages. The Book of a Thousand Prayers is a collection of wise and honest prayers to God about his concerns and ours: who he is to us and who we are to him, and how we experience life, death, relationships, the church and the world. Ideal for private prayer and public worship, and containing practical advice on how to pray, this book offers a spiritual feast that will nourish you for the rest of your life. 'A moving and inspiring medley of prayers - an invaluable aid for individuals, home groups, and those people who lead worship.' Joyce Huggett

Seeking God
You will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
DEUTERONOMY 4:29
1 O God, you are my God,
early will I seek you.
My flesh longs for you,
my soul thirsts for you,
in a barren and dry land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1
2 Late have I loved you,
O Beauty so ancient and so new.
You called, and broke through my defences,
and now I long for you.
You breathed your fragrance on me,
and I drew in my breath
and now I pant for you.
I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst for you.
You touched me,
and I burn for your peace.
St Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
3 Lord Jesus, I am not an eagle. All I have are the eyes and the
heart of one. In spite of my littleness, I dare to gaze at the sun
of love, and I long to fly towards it.
St Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897)
4 Holy Spirit
dwell in me,
that I may become prayer.
Whether I sleep or wake,
eat or drink,
labour or rest,
may the fragrance of prayer
rise, without effort, in my heart.
Purify my soul and never leave me,
so that the movements of my heart and mind
may, with voices full of sweetness,
sing in secret to God.
after St Isaac the Syrian (seventh century)
5 O sweetest love of God, too little known,
whoever has found you will be at rest.
Let everything change, O my God,
that I may rest in you.
How sweet to me is your presence,
you who are the sovereign good!
I will draw near to you in silence,
and will uncover your feet,
that it may please you to unite me with yourself,
making my soul your bride.
I will rejoice in nothing until I am in your arms;
O Lord, I beseech you, leave me not for a moment.
St John of the Cross (1542–1591)
6 Lord,
this moment is yours;
mine for you,
and yours for me.
I need you,
I cannot survive without you;
and yet I go on rushing through life
as if I could do everything in my own strength.
Forgive me.
I know
that you care for me at all times,
and that I am always in your hands;
but I still need to pause
and let my heart and spirit
be loved by you
into loving you again.
A.A.

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Excerpted from The Book of a Thousand Prayers by Angela Ashwin
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.