Daily Prayers

A Morning Prayer

God, you have given me a new day.
I will make all I can of it.
I have air in my lungs.
I have [a lunch in the] refrigerator.
There is coffee somewhere in the world, and I'm going to find it.
I work for the Creator of the universe.
What can mere humans do to me?
What can the weather do to me?
[What can campers do to me?]
I am a servant God.
I will accomplish what I can.
I will forget about yesterday's problems.
I will learn yesterday's lessons.
I will prepare for tomorrow without worrying about it.
I am in this day.
I am in this moment.
God, you have given me a new day.
I will make it all I can of it.
Amen.



A Five-Minute Break Prayer

God, my door is closed. [at least mentally]
My lights are off. [at least mentally]
[Hopefully] no one is going to bother me for the next five minutes.
It's just you and me.
I'm listening, God.
Speak to me. Say something, please.
I am your servant, and I'm listening.
Calm my nerves.
Give me strength.
Make me into the servant you want me to be.
I will go where you send me.
I will do what you tell me.
Amen.


An [End of Day] Prayer

I have finished another day.
I haven't completed everything that was expected of me.
I haven't accomplished everything I'd hoped.
But then there is tomorrow.
I have spent another day as a servant of the Creator of the universe.
I go where I'm called (usually).
I do what I'm told (mostly).
You have a plan, right, God?
You have it all laid out in front of you, right?
I made it through this day.
The [camp] did not burn down.
The universe did not implode.
All those horrible things I convinced myself would happen, did not.
This is a long-term thing, God.
Someday I will look back on these days and understand what your plan was.
In the meantime...
Give me patience.
Give me strength.
Give me rest, please give me rest.
Take my baggage, God.
Take my worries and my cares.
Let me feel your presence as I rest.
Give me peaceful dreams.
Wake me in the morning as this can all start again.
But for right now, just a little peace.
Amen

[brackets added by me]
Adapted From:
The Book of Uncommon Prayer: Prayer and Worship Services for Youth Ministry
by Steven Case