Best Loved Prayers and Words of Wisdom

best

loved

Prayers

& Words

of Wisdom

Compiled by Martin H. Manser

Associate Editor: Nicola L. Bull

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Introduction

Indexes

Author Index

Index of Bible References

Index of Titles and First Lines

Best-Loved Prayers and Words of Wisdom

Acknowledgements

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

We live in an age that demands quick fixes to problems and immediate answers to difficulties. Alongside such a desire for instant solutions to major issues, another, deeper, desire surfaces from time to time. Such a longing recognizes that at least some of our difficulties can be resolved by looking at lasting, time-honoured values of human experience and wisdom such as faith in God through Jesus Christ, the importance of prayer, love and service, strength of character, integrity, loyalty and humility.

As we explore for ourselves what generations before us have discovered as the qualities of being human, we realize afresh we are not alone but many before us have trodden a similar path. Our task then is to stop and listen, to follow in their footsteps, to move in the direction they point us to, to apply the principles that underpinned their lives to our own way of living.

>We have had in mind two kinds of readers as we have compiled this collection of readings, prayers and quotations. First, those planning a gathering such as a wedding or a funeral who are looking beyond mere quick ‘sound bites’ to more profound wisdom. Secondly, those who are seeking for deeper meaning and purpose in life or who want inspiration above the ordinary daily routine.

Each reading is given an introduction which sets its background or gives interesting or helpful information. All the readings are arranged in alphabetical order of title (ignoring ‘A’ or ‘The’ at the beginning of a title). For ease of reference there are also indexes to help you locate a particular reading.

The voices of the speakers and writers quoted in these pages echo to us through the ages to say, ‘There is more to life than your present experience.’ Our desire is that we will all not only stop and listen but also respond to the message given here so that we will find the refreshment, peace and light for our own journey that we can then pass on to others.

Martin H. Manser

Nicola L. Bull

Indexes

Author Index

Aidan, StSt Aidan’s prayerAndrew of CreteCrying to GodAndrewes, LancelotBlessing and honourAnonymousConfessionAll other loveAs the sun setsBelief in the unseenDare to believeDedicating all to GodFood for allFor the churchGathered in God’s granaryGod in all thingsGuard meHoly desireAn island prayerLife be in my speechThe Lord goes with youLove, and go onLoving CommunionMay God shield usMotorist’s prayerMy coloursThe new yearPrayer for mournersProtect our journeyRisking loveSolomon’s wisdomTime is preciousTraditional Gaelic prayerAnselm, StHave mercy on meAquinas, ThomasFood for the faithfulAristidesEpistle to DiognetusAugustine of Hippo, StAlleluiaAn evening prayerWhat do I love?Baillie, JohnEvening prayerBarclay, WilliamPrayer for humilityBasil of CaesareaMarks of a ChristianBass, Dorothy CTime as giftBaxter, RichardDaily seeking after GodMeek and lowlyBeecher, Henry WardSteer by the BibleBenedict of NursiaThe help of GodBernard of ClairvauxLike a reservoirO little BethlehemBetjeman, JohnTake warningBlake, WilliamThe LambBonaventureJourney into GodBonhoeffer, DietrichHelp me to prayThanking GodBright, WilliamDeliver us from cold heartsBrontë, AnneLast linesBrooks, PhillipsLooking through the BibleBrowne, R E CharlesWhat is prayer?Browning, Elizabeth BarrettHow do I love thee?Bryan, William JenningsImmortalityThe miracle of the radishBunyan, JohnPilgrim’s ProgressWho would true valour seeCalvin, JohnObedienceCarey, WilliamExpect great thingsChadwick, SamuelPrevailing prayerChambers, OswaldDiscipleshipNot to criticiseChesterton, G KThe donkeyChrysostom, JohnRicher than all menClare, JohnNature acknowledges GodClement of AlexandriaBeautyGod’s first BibleColeridge, MaryLord of the windsColonna, VittoriaThe CrossColumba, StSafe in God’s handCommon Worship, 2000Gloria in ExcelsisLoving God above all thingsCounsell, MichaelThank GodCranmer, ThomasAccept our sacrificeCropper, MargaretJesus’ handsCroucher, RowlandGo with the LordCyprianEncouraging wordsDavenant, JohnJustification of believersde Blois, LouisSelf-willde Foucauld, CharlesAbandonment to GodDickens, CharlesAt ChristmasDimitrii of Rostov, StIllumine our darknessDolben, Digby MackworthI asked for peaceDonne, JohnDistractionsKeep us, LordNo man is an islandDostoevsky, FyodorDon’t be afraidDoyle, StephenThe end of a pilgrimageEdwards, JonathanSigns of conversionElliot, JimA good exchangeErasmus, DesideriusThe way, the truth and the lifeFee, GordonThe gathered churchFénelon, FrançoisDying dailySpiritual trialsForsyth, P TProblem solvingFox, GeorgeThe bright morning starFrancis of Assisi, StCanticle of the SunThe prayer of St FrancisShare the gospelShout joyfullyYou are holyGibran, KahlilMan’s purpose is to be happyThe nature of loveSpeak to us of prayerGregory of NyssaSeeing GodGrellet, StephenDoing good todayHale, MatthewObserving the Lord’s DayHenry, MatthewMan’s equalSeeing more of GodHenson, Herbert HensleyChrist’s ladder to heavenHerbert, GeorgeLove bade me welcomeTrinity SundayHillyer, William HurdMy Master’s faceHopkins, Gerard ManleyGod’s grandeurIgnatius of Loyola, StPutting love into practiceServing GodJohn XXIII, PopeDying wellJonson, BenHymn to God the FatherJulian of NorwichAll manner of thing shall be wellThe Lord’s meaningPray anywayPraying and trustingKempis, Thomas àImitating ChristNot reading, but doingRich in graceStrengthen me, O GodWe cannot avoid temptationKen, ThomasGlory to God the TrinityPraise God, from whom allblessings flowKennedy, G A StuddertWhen Jesus came to BirminghamKierkegaard, SørenReading God’s wordKipling, RudyardIfKolbe, MaximilianBe prepared for trialsLatimer, HughLatimer’s last wordsLawrence, BrotherThe presence of GodLewis, C SThe apologist’s evening prayerCourageThe importance of ChristianityListening to that other voiceLove is as hard as nailsLewis, H ElvetFreedom from fearLincoln, AbrahamGod’s best giftLongfellow, SamuelKeep us through winterLuther, MartinBless our mealComfort for bereaved parentsConversionGod’s wordWise menManser, MartinEaster DayWhen you feel depressedMarshall, PeterSlow us downMason, JohnThe pearl of great priceMcCheyne, Robert MurrayBe of good cheerThe gift of the sunMerton, ThomasInto the desertA stolen bookMeyer, F BConfessing our helplessnessMilner-White, EricTeach us to prayMoltmann, JürgenFriendshipMoody, Dwight LThree ways to lookMorrison, Charles CThe churchMother TeresaLove begins at homeServingSmile at someoneMurray, AndrewGod’s glory revealedMagnify God’s gloryNee, WatchmanGod’s means of deliveranceNewbigin, LesslieUnderstanding the gospelNewton, JohnAmazing graceNiebuhr, ReinholdBound in this bundle of lifeNightingale, FlorenceLife is a hard fightNolte, Dorothy LawHow children learnNouwen, HenriCaring friendshipA Christmas prayerOrigenBeyond our understandingNecessary for understandingOwen, JohnThe work of the SpiritPacker, J IGod knows mePascal, BlaiseEnlightenment faithThe God of ChristiansMan is but a reedPaton, AlanPrayer for peaceStand up and be countedPatrick, StFor guidanceI arise todayPenn, WilliamA Quaker prayerPink, A WCircumstancesPolycarpPolycarp’s prayerQuoist, MichelForgetting myselfI want to loveThe telephoneRaleigh, WalterThe service of GodRomero, OscarGod’s church will never perishRossetti, ChristinaBeing fruitful againJourneying in faithLord, seek usRyle, J CHumilityThirst relievedSchweitzer, AlbertThe soulScotus, John DunsHappy and peacefulShaw, GilbertThe Holy SpiritShnorhali, NersesA morning prayerSmith, Hannah WhitallGod cannot failSmith, Wilbur MThe resurrection of ChristSpurgeon, Charles HaddonBeware anxietyThe Bible is a vein of pure goldLive on the Lord JesusStevenson, Robert LouisThe best thingsStott, JohnOpening the door to ChristThe Word of GodStringfellow, WilliamNo mere religionSundar, SinghConversion to ChristTaylor, JeremyChristian humilityDifferent giftsFollowing Jesus ChristTaylor, John VernonLove’s self-openingTemple, WilliamResting-placesTeresa of AvilaFriendship with GodLet nothing disturb theeThompson, FrancisThe hound of heavenThurman, HowardPeace of mindWhat makes you come alive?The work of ChristmasTournier, PaulConviction of sinTozer, A WChrist’s second comingGod speaksTrapp, JohnWorldly foolishnessTucker, AliceChurch musicTutu, DesmondEasterTyndale, WilliamTrust in the favour of GodTyndale’s last wordsVery, JonesThe prayervon Hügel, FriedrichPersistenceWashington, GeorgeObserve good faithWatson, ThomasWarm your heartsThe world in the heartWatts, IsaacChrist has the keysJoy to the worldWeatherhead, LeslieGod of truth, deliver usWesley, CharlesChrist, the Lord, is risen todayVain repentanceWesley, JohnCovenant with GodI felt my heart strangely warmedOnly sinners need forgivenessWesley, SusannaLoving God above all thingsWillis, Love MariaFather, hear the prayer we offerWinslow, OctaviusThe religion of joyZwingli, UlrichConfidence in Christ

Index of Bible References

Genesis 17:7–9A people for GodExodus 33:18–23Moses and the glory of the LordNumbers 6:24–26A blessing1 Samuel 16:7God sees the heart1 Kings 19:9–12God speaks out of silence2 Chronicles 7:14The Lord’s promise to SolomonPsalm 1Delight in the LordPsalm 8The majesty of the creator GodPsalm 23The Lord is my shepherdPsalm 95:1–7Let us make a joyful noisePsalm 100Make a joyful noisePsalm 121Lord, you never sleepPsalm 127The blessings of home and childrenPsalm 139All-knowing GodProverbs 17:17At your sideEcclesiastes 3:1–8A time for everythingIsaiah 41:10Do not fearIsaiah 53The suffering servantMatthew 5:3–12Blessed are they ...Matthew 6:25–34Do not worryMatthew 7:1–5Look to your own faultsMatthew 7:7–8; 21:22Ask and you will receiveMatthew 11:28–30My yoke is easyMark 10:14–16Jesus blesses childrenLuke 1:46–55Mary’s songLuke 10:25–37The Good SamaritanJohn 3:1–8Being born againJohn 14:1–3The father’s dwelling-placesActs 9:1–19On the Damascus roadRomans 5:3–5Suffering leads to hopeRomans 8:14–17Children of GodRomans 8:31–39Who will separate us from the love of Christ?Romans 11:33–36Unknowable God1 Corinthians 13:1–13The gift of love2 Corinthians 1:3–4God of consolationEphesians 2:10Made for good worksEphesians 4:1–6UnityEphesians 6:13–18God’s armourPhilippians 4:4–9Rejoice in the LordColossians 1:15–18Christ above everything1 Timothy 6:6–8Gain in godlinessJames 1:5–6Ask God for wisdomJames 1:27What is religion?1 Peter 2:9A chosen people1 John 3:2What we will beRevelation 22:1–5New heaven and new earth

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