A Prayer to Heal Stress

“Loving God,
please grant me peace of mind
and calm my troubled heart.
My soul is like a turbulent sea.
I can't seem to find my balance
so I stumble and worry constantly.
Give me the strength and clarity of mind
to find my purpose and walk the path you've laid out for me.
I trust your Love God,
and know that you will heal this stress.
Just as the sun rises each day against the dark of night.
Please bring me clarity with the light of God.
In your name I pray,”

(Author Unknown)

A Prayer For Inner Peace

“Lord, please put Your peace in my heart.
I'm worried and anxious.
My mind races and obsesses.
I can't help thinking about my problems.
And the more I think about them,
the more depressed I become.
I feel like I'm sinking down in quicksand
and can't get out.
Calm me, Lord.
Slow me down, put Your peace in my heart.

No matter what problem I have, Lord,
You are bigger,
You are more powerful than it is.
So I bring my problem to You.
I know what I want.
I know my will.
I do not know Yours.
I do not know how You will use this problem for my salvation.
I do not know what good You will workout from this evil.
But I trust You.
I trust Your goodness and Your wisdom.
So I place myself in Your hands.
Please fill my heart with peace.”

(Author Unknown)

A Prayer For God's Peace

“God, who is more than we can ever comprehend,
help us to seek you,
and you alone.
Help us to stand before all that we could do
and seek what you would do,
and do that.
Lift from us our need to achieve all that we can be
and instead,
surrender to what you can be in us.
Give us ways to refrain from the busyness
that will put us on edge and off center,
give us today your peace.”

(Author Unknown)

A Buddhist Meal Time Prayer

“This food is the gift of the whole universe,
Each morsel is a sacrifice of life,
May I be worthy to receive it.
May the energy in this food,
Give me the strength,
To transform my unwholesome qualities
into wholesome ones.
I am grateful for this food,
May I realize the Path of Awakening,
For the sake of all beings.

The joys and pains of all beings
are present in the gift of this food.
Let us receive it in love
and gratitude...

And in mindfulness of our sisters and brothers
among living beings of every kind
who are hungry or homeless,
sick or injured,
or suffering in any way.”

(Author Unknown)

The Te Deum

“You are God: we praise you;
You are God: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
Your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
And the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
The eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
You did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
And opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
Bought with the price of your own blood,
And bring us with your saints
To glory everlasting.
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
Govern and uphold them now and always.
Day by day we bless you.
We praise your name forever.
Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy;
For we put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope:
And we shall never hope in vain”

I Am The New Year (Author Unknown)

“I am the New Year. I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living.
I am your opportunity to practice what you have learned about life during the last twelve months.
All that you sought and didn't find is hidden in me, waiting for you to search it but with more determination.
All the good that you tried for and didn't achieve is mine to grant when you have fewer conflicting desires.
All that you dreamed but didn't dare to do, all that you hoped but did not will, all the faith that you claimed but did not have-these slumber lightly, waiting to be awakened by the touch of a strong purpose.
I am your opportunity to renew your allegiance to Him who said, "Behold, I make all things new."

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• Author Unknown, found at Jesuit Resource.org

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Another Prayer For The New Year (Author Unknown)

“Dear Lord, please give me...
A few friends who understand me and remain my friends;
A work to do which has real value, without which the world would be the poorer;
A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed;
An understanding heart;
A sense of humor;
Time for quiet, silent meditation;
A feeling of the presence of God;
The patience to wait for the coming of these things,
With the wisdom to recognize them when they come.”

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• Author Unknown, found at Jesuit Resource.org

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A Prayer For The New Year (Author Unknown)

“Lord, You make all things new
You bring hope alive in our hearts
And cause our Spirits to be born again
Thank you for this new year
For all the potential it holds.
Come and kindle in us
A mighty flame
So that in our time, many will see the wonders of God
And live forever to praise Your glorious name.”

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• Author Unknown, found at Jesuit Resource.org

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Drenched in Holiness Prayer: Prayer for a New Year by Debbie Ford

“Dear God,
On this day I ask You to grant this request,
May I know who I am and what I am,
Every moment of every day.
May I be a catalyst for light and love,
And bring inspiration to those whose eyes I meet.
May I have the strength to stand tall in the face of conflict,
And the courage to speak my voice, even when I'm scared.
May I have the humility to follow my heart,
And the passion to live my soul's desires.
May I seek to know the highest truth
And dismiss the gravitational pull of my lower self.
May I embrace and love the totality of myself,
My darkness as well as my light.
May I be brave enough to hear my heart,
To let it soften so that I may gracefully
Choose faith over fear.
Today is my day to surrender anything that stands
Between the sacredness of my humanity and my divinity.
May I be drenched in my Holiness
And engulfed by Your love.
May all else melt away.
And so it is.”

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• Attributed to Debbie Ford, found at Jesuit Resource.org

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The Year Ahead (Author Unknown)

“May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding us from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening us to bear it, as it comes;
Not by making our path easy,
But by making us sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from us,
But by taking fear from our heart;
Not by granting us unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping our face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making our life always pleasant,
But by showing us when people and their causes need us most,
and by making us anxious to be there to help.
God's love, peace, hope and joy to us for the year ahead.”

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• Author Unknown, found at Jesuit Resource.org

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Help Us Enter the New Year by Vinita Hampton Wright

“God of all time, help us enter the New Year quietly,
thoughtful of who we are to ourselves and to others,
mindful that our steps make an impact
and our words carry power.
May we walk gently.
May we speak only after we have listened well.
Creator of all life,
help us enter the New Year reverently,
aware that you have endowed
every creature and plant, every person and habitat
with beauty and purpose.
May we regard the world with tenderness.
May we honor rather than destroy.
Lower of all souls,
help us enter the New Year joyfully,
willing to laugh and dance and dream,
remembering our many gifts with thanks
and looking forward to blessings yet to come.
May we welcome your lavish love.
In this new year, may the grace and peace of Christ bless us now and in the days ahead.”

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• Attributed to Vinita Hampton Wright;, found at Jesuit Resource.org

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A Prayer For The New Year by Rev. Marcy Sheremetta

“As the dawn breaks on a new year,
let us give thanks for all we hold dear:
our health, our family and our friends.

Let us release our grudges,
our anger and our pains,
for these are nothing but binding chains.
Let us live each day in the most loving ways,
the God-conscious way.
Let us serve all who are in need,
regardless of race, color or creed.

Let us keep God of our own understanding in our hearts
and to chant God's name each day.
Let us lead the world from darkness to light,
from falsehood to truth and from wrong to right.

Let us remember that we are all one,
embracing all, discriminating against none.

May your year be filled with peace, prosperity and love.
May God's blessings shower upon you
and bestow upon each of you a bright,
healthy and peaceful new year.”

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• Attributed to Rev. Marcy Sheremetta, found at Jesuit Resource.org

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Be Our Light for the New Year

“Come, Holy Spirit,
Spirit of the Risen Christ, be with us today and always.
Be our Light, our Guide, and our Comforter.
Be our Strength, our Courage, and our Sanctifier.
May this new year be a time of deep spiritual growth for us,
A time of welcoming your graces and gifts,
A time for forgiving freely and unconditionally,
A time for growing in virtue and goodness.
Come, Holy Spirit,
Be with us today and always.”

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• Found at Xavier.edu

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Responsive Readings and Prayers For The New Year

Responsive Prayer:
“Gracious God,
You are Everlasting Love and Forever Faithful.
Grant us so to pass through
the coming year with faithful hearts,
that we may be able in all things
to please Thy loving eyes.
(Mozarabic, 700 A.D.)

Bless us, O Lord,
and bless the time and seasons
yet to come.
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
And fill this new year with your kindness,
that we may be glad and rejoice
all the days of our life.
Amen.
(Fr Victor Hoagland, C.P.)

Responsive Reading:
Let us praise the Lord of days and seasons and years, saying:
Glory to God in the highest!
And peace to his people on earth!

Our lives are made of days and nights, of seasons and years,
for we are part of a universe of suns and moons and planets.
We mark ends and we make beginnings and, in all, we
praise God for the grace and mercy that fill our days.

Responsive Prayer:
Remember us, O God;
from age to age be our comforter.
You have given us the wonder of time,
blessings in days and nights, seasons and years.
Bless your children at the turning of the year
and fill the months ahead with the bright hope
that is ours in the coming of Christ.
You are our God, living and reigning, forever and ever.
Amen.

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• Adapted from The Prayer Book Guide to Christian Education noting Catholic Household Blessings & Prayers

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Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hanh

“If we are peaceful
If we are happy
We can smile and blossom
Like a flower
And everyone
In our family
Our entire society
Will benefit from our peace.”

(Thich Nhat Hanh)

A Buddhist Prayer to Bring in the New Year (Author Unknown)

“May I be well, happy, and peaceful.
May my teachers be well, happy, and peaceful.
May my parents be well, happy, and peaceful.
May my relatives be well, happy, and peaceful.
May my friends be well, happy, and peaceful.
May the indifferent persons be well, happy, and peaceful.
May the unfriendly persons be well, happy, and peaceful.
May all meditators be well, happy, and peaceful.
May all beings be well, happy, and peaceful.”

Christmas Prayer by Lama Surya Das

May the lamp of love
which eternally burns above
kindle divine fire
in our hearts
and fan that innate spark
of divinity
into flame-
illumining all, opening our eyes
and consuming our differences,
driving the shadows
from our faces.

As love dawns
on the horizon, may our community
awaken in the Kingdom
of true communion
which is at hand
always.

May we recognize ourselves
in each other
each in each-
fellow pilgrims on this infinite
journey-
in truth
in that light.

May we learn to love
one another
better even
than we love ourselves.

May joy radiate.

Amen.

A Christmas Responsive Reading From The Church Of England

“Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we have seen his glory.”
Hallelujah

Let us pray to Jesus our Saviour.
Christ, born in a stable,
give courage to all who are homeless.
Jesus, Saviour,
hear our prayer.

Christ, for whom the angels sang,
give the song of the kingdom to all who weep.
Jesus, Saviour,
hear our prayer.

Christ, worshipped by the shepherds,
give peace on earth to all who are oppressed.
Jesus, Saviour,
hear our prayer.

Christ, before whom the wise men knelt,
give humility and wisdom to all who govern.
Jesus, Saviour,
hear our prayer.

Christ, whose radiance filled a lowly manger,
give the glory of your resurrection to all who rest in you.
Jesus, Saviour,
hear our prayer.

Jesus, Saviour, child of Mary,
you know us and love us,
you share our lives
and hear our prayer.
Glory to you for ever.
Amen.

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• Taken from the Church of England website

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A Christmas Eve Prayer For Grievers

Gracious and Heavenly God,
Three in One,
The Beginning and the End.

You know our hearts before we even speak,
snd we know that not everyone feels joy during this season.
so many have lost so much this year:

Loved ones,
Jobs,
Security,
and so much more.

And for many, this year, the cold feels a bit more bitter,
the wind blows over lonely hearts
and chills our joy.

On this Christmas Eve,
as we grieve with those who grieve,
and we await the coming dawn
showing us the arrival of our Savior
and the presence of Love.

Help us to remember your sweet words
and feel your sweet presence.
Sometimes we just need to be reminded.

Turn our sorrow into joy,
bring beauty from the ashes
as only you can do.

And be near the grievers.
Lift up the broken-hearted.
Heal us.

For you have told us that
you will never leave nor forsake your people
and tonight as we lay our heads down
in the midst of our long year,
heavy with the weight of our sorrows,
hold us until the dawn breaks
and hope arrives.

A Poem of Blessing by John O’Donohue

“May your work never weary you.
May you be present in what you do.
May you never become lost in the bland absences.
May the day never burden you.
May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities and promises.
May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected.”

— John O’Donohue —