Walk With me on Our Journey: Changing Hearts and Minds with Love and Hope by praying, meditating, and making vigil!

Dear Family of God, Love, and Hope!

I hope that you all had a good day and that you spent time in reflection and prayer. If you didn't you have come to the right place. Praying, meditating on God's God News, and making vigil is a way to change hearts and minds with love and hope. What do I mean by that? I mean that when we pray,meditate, and make vigil our hearts and minds are changed so that we can help change the hearts and minds of all our family members. So dear ones let us be at God's work. Tonight we are going to use the lessons from today's Feast day of Pandita Mary Ramabai :Prophetic Witness and Evangelist in India, 1922 here is The link to her biography- Pandita Ramabai.

Let us begin tonight with The Peace Mantra

Origin: Hindhuism
Language: Sanskrit

Om Om Om
Sarvesham Svastir Bhavatu
Sarvesham Shantir Bhavatu
Sarvesham Poornam Bhavatu
Sarvesham Mangalam Bhavatu
Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

Mantra's Meaning:

May there be happiness in all
May there be peace in all
May there be completeness in all
May there be success in all

Let us light our candles and be at prayer. This night we pray especially for caregivers and our family members who receive care. We pray for peace in the world and an end to hate, fear, and terror. We pray for our family members who are homeless, hungry, and ill clad. We pray for our family members who have lost employment, relationships, and loved ones. We pray that we may continue to fight injustice and inequality. We pray for the courage to be loving to the unlovable. We pray for all who can't seem to move on from past hurts and anger and be healed and united. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Syria, Colombia, and all other hot spots of the world. We pray for their safety and for good living conditions. We pray that we may no longer treat anyone as a stranger but a family member. Give us courage to be CALM (compassionate, accepting, loving, and merciful) We pray for those of us who continue to struggle with chronic illness and lack of good sleep. We pray these prayers this night in the name of Jesus, our brother, redeemer, and friend. Amen.

Let us take time and Be Still;

Be Still and Know that I am God.
Be Still and Know.
Be Still.
Be.

Peace be Still.

A Smudging Prayer Creator, our Father in heaven, we come to you as your children. We confess that we are weak and broken images of you. We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ. May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies. We pray that your Holy Spirit will help us to worship in spirit and truth. We pray in the name of Jesus, so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you. Amen.

Let us pray the collects of the day:

Almighty God our heavenly Father, renew in us the gifts of your mercy; increase our faith, strengthen our hope, enlighten our understanding, widen our charity, and make us ready to serve you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Everliving God, you called the women at the tomb to witness to the resurrection of your Son: We thank you for the courageous and independent spirit of your servant Pandita Ramabai, the mother of modern India; and we pray that we, like her, may embrace your gift of new life, caring for the poor, braving resentment to uphold the dignity of women, and offering the riches of our culture to our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Light of the World Phos hilaron

Light of the world, in grace and beauty,

Mirror of God’s eternal face,

Transparent flame of love’s free duty,

You bring salvation to our race.

Now, as we see the lights of evening,

We raise our voice in hymns of praise;

Worthy are you of endless blessing,

Sun of our night, lamp of our days.

A Song of God’s Love

1 John 4:7-11

Beloved, let us love one another, *

for love is of God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, *

for God is Love.

In this the love of God was revealed among us, *

that God sent his only Son into the world,

so that we might live through Jesus Christ.

In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us *

and sent his Son that sins might be forgiven.

Beloved, since God loved us so much, *

we ought also to love one another.

For if we love one another, God abides in us, *

and God’s love will be perfected in us.

Psalm 9:1–5,9–12

Confitebor tibi

1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart; *

I will tell of all your marvelous works.

2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; *

I will sing to your Name, O Most High.

3 When my enemies are driven back, *

they will stumble and perish at your presence.

4 For you have maintained my right and my cause; *

you sit upon your throne judging right.

5 You have rebuked the ungodly and destroyed the wicked; *

you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

9 The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, *

a refuge in time of trouble.

10 Those who know your Name will put their trust in you, *

for you never forsake those who seek you, O Lord.

11 Sing praise to the Lord who dwells in Zion; *

proclaim to the peoples the things he has done.

12 The Avenger of blood will remember them; *

he will not forget the cry of the afflicted.

Isaiah 10:1–4

Ah, you who make iniquitous decrees,

who write oppressive statutes,

to turn aside the needy from justice

and to rob the poor of my people of their right,

that widows may be your spoil,

and that you may make the orphans your prey!

What will you do on the day of punishment,

in the calamity that will come from far away?

To whom will you flee for help,

and where will you leave your wealth,

so as not to crouch among the prisoners

or fall among the slain?

For all this, his anger has not turned away;

his hand is stretched out still.

The Song of Hannah

1 Samuel 2:1-8

My heart exults in you, O God; *

my triumph song is lifted in you.

My mouth derides my enemies, *

for I rejoice in your salvation.

There is none holy like you, *

nor any rock to be compared to you, our God.

Do not heap up prideful words or speak in arrogance; *

Only God is knowing and weighs all actions.

The bows of the mighty are broken, *

but the weak are clothed in strength.

Those once full now labor for bread, *

those who hungered now are well fed.

The childless woman has borne sevenfold, *

while the mother of many is forlorn.

God destroys and brings to life, casts down and raises up; *

gives wealth or takes it away, humbles and dignifies.

God raises the poor from the dust; *

and lifts the needy from the ash heap

To make them sit with the rulers *

and inherit a place of honor.

For the pillars of the earth are God’s *

on which the whole earth is founded.

1 John 3:16–24

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.

And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.

A Song of Christ’s Humility

Philippians 2:6-11

Though in the form of God, *

Christ Jesus did not cling to equality with God,

But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, *

and was born in human likeness.

Being found in human form, he humbled himself *

and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Therefore, God has highly exalted him *

and given him the name above every name,

That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, *

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, *

to the glory of God the Father.

Luke 18:1–8

Jesus told the disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my opponent.’ For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The Song of Mary Magnificat

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *

for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *

you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,

and holy is your name.

You have mercy on those who fear you *

from generation to generation.

You have shown strength with your arm *

and scattered the proud in their conceit,

Casting down the mighty from their thrones *

and lifting up the lowly.

You have filled the hungry with good things *

and sent the rich away empty.

You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *

for you have remembered your promise of mercy,

The promise made to our forebears, *

to Abraham and his children for ever.

40 Days of Psalmody

Fifth Day: Morning Prayer

24 Domini est terra

1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, *

the world and all who dwell therein.

2 For it is he who founded it upon the seas *

and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

3 “Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? *

and who can stand in his holy place?”

4 “Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, *

who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,

nor sworn by what is a fraud.

5 They shall receive a blessing from the Lord *

and a just reward from the God of their salvation.”

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, *

of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates;

lift them high, O everlasting doors; *

and the King of glory shall come in.

8 “Who is this King of glory?” *

“The Lord, strong and mighty,

the Lord, mighty in battle.”

9 Lift up your heads, O gates;

lift them high, O everlasting doors; *

and the King of glory shall come in.

10 “Who is he, this King of glory?”

“The Lord of hosts,

he is the King of glory.”

25 Ad te, Domine, levavi

1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;

my God, I put my trust in you; *

let me not be humiliated,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

2 Let none who look to you be put to shame; *

let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.

3 Show me your ways, O Lord, *

and teach me your paths.

4 Lead me in your truth and teach me, *

for you are the God of my salvation;

in you have I trusted all the day long.

5 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, *

for they are from everlasting.

6 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *

remember me according to your love

and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.

7 Gracious and upright is the Lord; *

therefore he teaches sinners in his way.

8 He guides the humble in doing right *

and teaches his way to the lowly.

9 All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness *

to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

10 For your Name’s sake, O Lord, *

forgive my sin, for it is great.

11 Who are they who fear the Lord? *

he will teach them the way that they should choose.

12 They shall dwell in prosperity, *

and their offspring shall inherit the land.

13 The Lord is a friend to those who fear him *

and will show them his covenant.

14 My eyes are ever looking to the Lord, *

for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

15 Turn to me and have pity on me, *

for I am left alone and in misery.

16 The sorrows of my heart have increased; *

bring me out of my troubles.

17 Look upon my adversity and misery *

and forgive me all my sin.

18 Look upon my enemies, for they are many, *

and they bear a violent hatred against me.

19 Protect my life and deliver me; *

let me not be put to shame, for I have trusted in you.

20 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, *

for my hope has been in you.

21 Deliver Israel, O God, *

out of all his troubles.

26 Judica me, Domine

1 Give judgment for me, O Lord,

for I have lived with integrity; *

I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.

2 Test me, O Lord, and try me; *

examine my heart and my mind.

3 For your love is before my eyes; *

I have walked faithfully with you.

4 I have not sat with the worthless, *

nor do I consort with the deceitful.

5 I have hated the company of evildoers; *

I will not sit down with the wicked.

6 I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, *

that I may go in procession round your altar,

7 Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving *

and recounting all your wonderful deeds.

8 Lord, I love the house in which you dwell *

and the place where your glory abides.

9 Do not sweep me away with sinners, *

nor my life with those who thirst for blood,

10 Whose hands are full of evil plots, *

and their right hand full of bribes.

11 As for me, I will live with integrity; *

redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me.

12 My foot stands on level ground; *

in the full assembly I will bless the Lord.

Fifth Day: Evening Prayer

27 Dominus illuminatio

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom then shall I fear? *

the Lord is the strength of my life;

of whom then shall I be afraid?

2 When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, *

it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who

stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army should encamp against me, *

yet my heart shall not be afraid;

4 And though war should rise up against me, *

yet will I put my trust in him.

5 One thing have I asked of the Lord;

one thing I seek; *

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days

of my life;

6 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord *

and to seek him in his temple

7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe

in his shelter; *

he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling

and set me high upon a rock.

8 Even now he lifts up my head *

above my enemies round about me.

9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation

with sounds of great gladness; *

I will sing and make music to the Lord.

10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call; *

have mercy on me and answer me.

11 You speak in my heart and say, “Seek my face.” *

Your face, Lord, will I seek.

12 Hide not your face from me, *

nor turn away your servant in displeasure.

13 You have been my helper;

cast me not away; *

do not forsake me, O God of my salvation.

14 Though my father and my mother forsake me, *

the Lord will sustain me.

15 Show me your way, O Lord; *

lead me on a level path, because of my enemies.

16 Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries, *

for false witnesses have risen up against me,

and also those who speak malice.

17 What if I had not believed

that I should see the goodness of the Lord *

in the land of the living!

18 O tarry and await the Lord’s pleasure;

be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; *

wait patiently for the Lord.

28 Ad te, Domine

1 O Lord, I call to you;

my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry; *

lest, if you do not hear me,

I become like those who go down to the Pit.

2 Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, *

when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.

3 Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the

evildoers, *

who speak peaceably with their neighbors,

while strife is in their hearts.

4 Repay them according to their deeds, *

and according to the wickedness of their actions.

5 According to the work of their hands repay them, *

and give them their just deserts.

6 They have no understanding of the Lord’s doings,

nor of the works of his hands; *

therefore he will break them down and not

build them up.

7 Blessed is the Lord! *

for he has heard the voice of my prayer.

8 The Lord is my strength and my shield; *

my heart trusts in him, and I have been helped;

Therefore my heart dances for joy, *

and in my song will I praise him.

10 The Lord is the strength of his people, *

a safe refuge for his anointed.

11 Save your people and bless your inheritance; *

shepherd them and carry them for ever.

29 Afferte Domino

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods, *

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his Name; *

worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;

the God of glory thunders; *

the Lord is upon the mighty waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice; *

the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendor.

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; *

the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *

and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.

7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;

the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe *

and strips the forests bare.

9 And in the temple of the Lord *

all are crying, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood; *

the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.

11 The Lord shall give strength to his people; *

the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Dear God we pray that we will season our prayers with love and care and take time in mindful silence and not be in a rush, rush, rush but a hush, hush, hush.

We pray for the least of these and those who continue to face discrimination of any kind.

We pray for rain in all areas affected by drought in our country and around the world.

We pray for our Family Members who are mourning losses of any kind and we pray that we may step up and be sources of comfort and compassion.

We pray this night for all those who work in the overnight hours especially our law enforcement personnel, Emergency and fire response agencies, and most especially those who work in the mortuary and hospice ministries.

We pray this night for those who are near and dear to us and who touch our hearts daily remembering especially______________

We add any of our special prayers, of petition, thanksgiving, remembrance, and celebration : Especially and with love for _________________

We pray for our Family Members who travel that they may be surrounded by Your protection God.

We pray for all the troubled places in the world and that listening hearts and cool minds may be lead to do justice, love, mercy and walk humbly with You O God.

We pray this night that we may rest in the assurance of your everlasting mercy, forgiveness, and love and that we may awaken tomorrow to sing your praises and shine your light to a broken world. Amen.

Or these:

Gracious God we thank you for everything!

We thank you for our lives and all that is in them.

We thank you for showing us how to love others simply by just the gift of a warm heart and smile.

We thank you for the gift of your Son Jesus who taught us what was really important and to love everyone with tender and inclusive heart.

We thank you for calling us to be peacemakers and Children of God. May we make peace in this fragile and broken world.

We thank you for water and waters of life that are coursing through our veins. May we use water wisely.

We pray for all of us who are the least of these at some time or other.

We pray for all who are ill and especially our family members who are chronically ill. We pray for all who are ill in body, mind, and spirit.

We pray for all of us who are caregivers may we have the courage to say "No" and find respite. We pray that caregivers may learn to take care of themselves.

We pray for all who are ministers and those who may not know that they are.

We pray for sound governance and a return to the ability to govern without hardness of heart and division.

We pray for all who have died and those who are in mourning.

We pray especially for our animal family members and their owners. We pray especially those who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

We add our prayers and those for whom we have been asked to pray for__________________

We lift up these our prayers in the Name of Jesus who taught us to love, include, and invite all to the table, the table of love. Amen.

From 40 days: A Season of Prayer in the Desert:

Pray for courts of justice

Almighty God, who sittest in the throne judging right: We humbly

beseech thee to bless the courts of justice and the magistrates

in all this land; and give unto them the spirit of wisdom and

understanding, that they may discern the truth, and impartially

administer the law in the fear of thee alone; through him who shall

come to be our Judge, thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

A Prayer attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is

hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where

there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where

there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where

there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to

be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is

in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we

are born to eternal life. Amen.

From A New Zealand Prayer Book

The alternative to the Lord's Prayer

Eternal Spirit,
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples
of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love,
now and for ever. Amen

Song of Simeon Nunc Dimittis

Praise be to God, I have lived to see this day.

God’s promise is fulfilled, and my duty done.

At last you have given me peace,

for I have seen with my own eyes

the salvation you have prepared for all nations -

a light to the world in its darkness,

and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory be God, sustaining, redeeming, sanctifying,

as in the beginning, so now, and for ever.

Amen.