Tag Archives: hard hearted

Three Prayers Inspired by John 7

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Are You the Messiah? by Lisa Degrenia
There was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, “He is a good man,” others were saying, “No, he is deceiving the crowd.”- John 7:12

Jesus,
you come performing signs
speaking out against evil
healing and revealing

Yet, we question
we argue
Are you the Messiah?

Yes – No – Yes – No
We build our case
he has a demon
he is a sinner
he’s untrained
he’s not what we expected
he threatens our power

Help us see you fully and truly
Help us get past our agendas
Help us place our hope in you

Prayer for Living Water by Lisa Degrenia
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” – John 7:37-38

God of the Wilderness, God of the well,
We are thirsty.
We are dry and hard.
Our hearts are more stone than flesh.
Swing your saving rod once more. Crack us open.
Break us of quarreling and division.
Smash our fondness for complaining.
Shatter our mistrust, especially our mistrust of you.
Let your living water flow,
a stream in the desert, a spring of salvation.

God, we are so very thirsty.
Flood us and the world with your healing and transforming love,
through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Pause in silence to receive

Make me a River by Lisa Degrenia
Holy Spirit,
flow from my heart
quench my thirst for the holy
make me a river of compassion, justice, and hope for all

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John 7:37-39 is read on Year A — Easter — Day of Pentecost

I’ll be posting prayers based on the Gospel of John throughout Lent and Easter this year. Thanks for coming along with me on the journey. – Lisa <><

Three Prayers Inspired by John 7 © 2023 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting without asking permission. It’s always a treat to hear from you if you’re using it. Leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in a book, blog, etc.

Soft and Steadfast, a prayer based on Hebrews 3 and James 1

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soft-heart-cruel-world-2

Based on Hebrews 3:7-14, The Voice Translation and James 1:19-25, NRSV

Merciful One, soften my heart

Save me from hardheartedness
From evil and deceit
From mutiny and unbelief

Turn and return me
From wandering away
From petrifying slowly

Make my heart pure
Open to you
Wanting what you want

Make my heart true
Confident in you and your Word
Hearing and Doing

Make my heart noble
Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger
Rejoicing in your direction

Jesus
Heart of my heart
Keep me soft and steadfast in your nail scarred hands

Extended quote by John R. Wimmer, Blessed Endurance
The words joy rejoice as they appear in James and First Peter do not mean what they seem at first glance. The rejoicing we find here is not a shallow, syrupy, or optimistic refusal to admit that problems exist; instead, it is the realistic recognition of struggle bolstered by the decision to rejoice in knowing that God is working to bring us through strife to greater spiritual depth. Yes, it may be tough if not impossible to rejoice when suffering, but such joy will not take the form of emotional jubilance or elation.

James proclaims that suffering may be considered as joy when the encounter produces the spiritual virtue of steadfastness. And steadfastness, when allowed to flower into fullness, produces the most attractive bloom of all qualities: Christian maturity.

Authentic Christian maturity, then, is a steadfastness that we attain not by denial. It is a quality that, like any other kind of maturity, accrues with age, hard work, and a lot of bruising experience. It is the ability to redirect our thoughts beyond immediate woes in order to realize the spiritual growth that results from tests of faith.

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Prayer: Soft and Steadfast © 2017, updated 2021 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a message for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Prayer Prompts and Breath Prayers Based on Mark 10 and 11

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summer in the scriptures- Mark (6)
Prayer Prompts based on Mark 10
Use one or more of the following prompts as you pray. Just finish the sentence again and again or use it as a springboard for your prayers. Share your prayer in the comments. What prayer prompt would you write? Share that as well.

Jesus, I confess my hard-heartedness concerning…

Jesus, soften my heart towards…

Jesus, forgive me for making it hard for ____________ to get to you

Jesus, help me receive and bless…

Jesus, help me leave ___________ so I can follow you fully.

Jesus, please save _______. All things are possible for you.

Jesus, I confess my misplaced priorities…

Jesus, lead me into humble service and sacrifice.

Jesus, hear my cry…

Jesus, let me see…

Breath Prayers Based on Mark 11:20-25
The withered fig tree
Read Mark 11:20-25. Silently pray the phrase after IN on your breath in. Then silently pray the phrase after OUT on your breath out. Take your time. Breathe deeply. Choose one, a few, or all of them as is most helpful to you. ⁠

I’m new to breath prayers. Maybe you are, too. This practice helps me when things become overwhelming, when I wake up in the middle of the night, or when I’m having trouble hearing God.⁠ How do breath prayers help you?

IN: Jesus,
OUT: Keep me faithful and fruitful

IN: Have faith in God
OUT: breath out in silence

IN: Jesus,
OUT: heal the doubt in my heart

IN: I believe
OUT: Help my unbelief

IN: Jesus, I forgive
OUT: speak a name or situation on the breath out

IN: Heavenly Father
OUT: Forgive me

Share a breath prayer you’ve written

_______________

For the next few months, I’m reading a chapter from the Gospels each day. This is part of the Summer in the Scriptures reading plan sponsored by the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Click Here for the reading plan.

You’re most welcome to read along and to join the Facebook discussion group, Summer in the Scriptures. You don’t need to be a Methodist or attend a Methodist church. All are welcome and all means all.

As part of the Facebook group, I’ve been supplying prayers based on the day’s reading. Feel free to post your prayers and observations based on the readings here or there as well.

May the grace of the Gospels, the challenge, and the call, inspire us to great faith and great good works in Jesus’ name. – Lisa <

Prayer Prompts and Breath Prayers based on Mark 10-11
© 2020 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Breath Prayers Based on Mark 3 and 4

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summer in the scriptures- Mark (2)Breath Prayers based on Mark 3:1-6
Jesus heals the man with the withered hand

IN: Lord of the Sabbath
OUT: Meet us here

IN: Lord of the Sabbath
OUT: Heal and restore

IN: Lord of the Sabbath
OUT: Soften my heart

IN: Lord of the Sabbath
OUT: Silence falsehood and fear

IN: Lord of the Sabbath
OUT: End our accusing, conspiring, destructive ways

Breath Prayers based on Mark 4:21-25

IN: Light of the World
OUT: Reveal your light in me

IN: Lord of All
OUT: Nothing is hidden from you

IN: Speak Lord
OUT: Your servant is listening

IN: Generous One
OUT: Make me generous, too

IN: Generous One
OUT: All that I have is yours

I’m new to breath prayers. Maybe you are, too. Pray the phrase after IN on your breath in. Pray the phrase after OUT on your breath out. Take your time. Breathe deeply. If no phrase is offered after IN or OUT, just breathe. If more than one breath prayer is provided, choose one, a few, or all of them as is most helpful to you. I find breath prayers especially helpful before times of stillness and silence with God.

_______________

For the next few months, I’m reading a chapter from the Gospels each day. This is part of the Summer in the Scriptures reading plan sponsored by the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Click Here for the reading plan.

You’re most welcome to read along and to join the Facebook discussion group, Summer in the Scriptures. You don’t need to be a Methodist or attend a Methodist church. All are welcome and all means all.

As part of the Facebook group, I’ve been supplying prayers based on the day’s reading. Feel free to post your prayers and observations based on the readings here or there as well.

May the grace of the Gospels, the challenge, and the call, inspire us to great faith and great good works in Jesus’ name. – Lisa <><

Breath Prayers based on Mark 3 and 4 © 2020 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

A Prayer Inspired by the Beatitudes (Matthew 5)

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beatitudes 3

Matthew 5:1-12 NRSV
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

  • Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
  • Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
  • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
  • Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
  • Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
  • Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
  • Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way, they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus,
We receive your blessings and pray for the Holy Spirit to make them real in our lives.

Renew a right spirit within us, a poor spirit, a spirit that knows our deep need of your grace and deliverance. Free us from trying to save ourselves. Free us for the fullness of your kingdom.

Soften our hard hearts with the gift of tears. Help us mourn our brokenness and the brokenness of our world. Help us feel it fully. Help us welcome the refreshment of your comfort and share it well with others.

Generous Savior, you fill each person with gifts, talents, and strength. Open us to meekness, so we may gladly surrender them to your authority and discipline. In our hands, they are often weapons. With you, they are refined for your glory and the common good.

Bread of Life, sour every false and destructive appetite, so we may hunger and thirst for righteousness alone- a right relationship with you, a right relationship with others and between others, a right relationship with ourselves, a right relationship with your creation.

We bless you and honor you for your unending mercy, a flood of grace, pouring out and spilling over. Make us mercy-full. May all people know you like this.

Suffering One, break our hearts as yours is broken. In the breaking, create in us clean hearts, pure hearts, undivided hearts. Our deepest desire is to see you at work in us and all around us and to one day see you face to face.

In your grace, please don’t stop with our hearts. Re-Birth us fully in the breaking and creating. Named your beloved, your children, forever.

Make us
One with you and each other
One in your great work of peace
One in your words and ways
One in commitment to reconciliation and righteousness
One in facing of falsehood
One in the bloody bonds of persecution
One in your joy
One in your promises
One on earth and one in heaven
Amen

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A Prayer Inspired by the Beatitudes © 2019 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.