Spirit rises

The Spirit rises
On feet of gold
To glittering heights
Where none grow old

--By Ron Cooper

Prayer for laughter

May I spend my days soaring on the wings of a smile. Feeling well by laughing often. Laughter is healing, and smiling softens the hard edges of life.

--By Ron Cooper

(Please feel free to leave your comments!)

Healing prayer

Lord,

You know that stress inflicts a heavy toll on our minds, bodies and spirits. You know that it sucks the vitality out of our being and leaves us dead inside. In times like these, we feel hurt, exhausted and abandoned.

But we do have a friend in you, Lord. We turn to you to heal us with your Divine love. With you as our heavenly partner, we can overcome any obstacle, face any challenge. We have the confidence of a better day, a day when the gray gloom will be lifted and we can again smile into the fresh sunshine.

Thank you for healing us, Lord!

--By Ron Cooper

Prayer for patience (and more)

I pray for patience. Patience to move at a reasonable pace. Patience to slow down when I need to.

I pray for understanding. Understanding my limitations as all too human. Understanding I cannot do it all today.

I pray for love. Love of even my own imperfections. Love when I fall short of my unreasonable expectations.

I pray for patience, understanding, and love.

--By Ron Cooper

(Please leave your comments on this prayer...thanks!)

Today, in America!

Today, I see my friend as he lay dying. It is the malaria again. I see it every day in the rainy season. It is hard to lose a friend, but that is life here in our Africa.

Tomorrow, I pray we will all be strong enough to go to America. In America, we will be well and have those to nurse us to good health.

Today I see my friend with only a handful of rice to eat. I have twice as much and feel fortunate. I share with him, and he smiles. I pray that we will all be strong enough to go to America. In America, there is more than enough to eat. In America, no one goes hungry.

Tomorrow, I pray that we will be in America, the land of plenty.

Today, I see my friend beaten by thieves. They demand his money. He has no money, but they do not believe him. He cries out and I want to help him. I carry no weapons, only a Bible. I pray that they stop beating him.

America is a safe place with laws to protect my people. Tomorrow, I pray that we all will be in America.

Today, in Africa, land of my birth, I find sickness, death, hunger and brutality. But as surely as the sun rises each day, I find cause for hope. That hope, praise God, is America—a land with a caring people who open their hearts to receive us in happiness and friendship.

Today, praise God, I am in America. I have new friends who, like me, are children of God. They, like me, see God in everyone. They are our new brothers and sisters.

We have come a long way—poor, tired travelers looking for a new home. We find it here with you. Thank you, my friends, and God bless you and bless our America.

(Inspired by new friends moving to my community from war-torn Burundi in Africa).

--By Ron Cooper

Forgive

For to give back love
Lost to him gone astray

For to give back tenderness
Lest we lose our way

Forgive now and often
For human beings will fail
But spiritual beings
Will triumph and prevail

--By Ron Cooper

Start anew

Dear Lord,

Guide me on my daily quest
Give me peace, give me rest
Give me purpose in this life
Take away stress and strife
Most of all I do pray
Give your blessing
To this glorious day!

--By Ron Cooper

(Friends: Please leave your comments!)

Let our lives speak

Let our hands touch
Touch the weary
Touch the distressed
Touch supreme

Let our eyes see
See the poor
See the hungry
See goodness

Let our feet walk
Walk from anger
Walk into wonder
Walk heavenward

Let our lives speak
Speak the goodness
Speak the kindness
Speak divine-ness

--By Ron Cooper

Confident, not self-important

Dear Lord,

Let me be confident
But keep me from self-importance
Let me be assertive
But avoid being hurtful or overbearing
Let me take pride in my accomplishments
But keep me from gloating
Let me know that positive self-esteem
Is essential to happiness
And true happiness
Is recognizing the Divine in all of us.

--By Ron Cooper

Note: Please give some feedback in the comment form below...Thanks!

Prayer for the Workplace

Dear Lord,

May I treat all of my co-workers with the respect due to all of your children
May I be an instrument of your kindness and generosity to all who pass through these doors
May I be patient with those who are having a bad day
May I use humor to defuse tense situations
May I avoid gossip, for it robs me of compassion and understanding
May I exercise patience, especially when deadlines loom and stress reigns supreme
In this place of work, may I conduct myself in a way that will bring glory to You always! This I pray,

Amen.

--By Ron Cooper