God Is Our Hope
God is our hope and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved,
and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof rage and swell,
and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same.
There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God,
the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
-- Book of Common Prayer 1979
From Death to Immortality
From the unreal lead us to the Real,
From darkness lead us to Light.
From death lead us to immortality.
--Upanishads
Prayer for Those Affected by the Tsunami Disaster
Father/Mother Creator,
Please heal those who have been affected by this quake and tidal wave. Let those who have died now be in peace and in happiness.
Please comfort the peoples affected by this disaster. Bring their communities together in love, in prayer, and help them care well for each other.
Let the world community pray and assist the people who were affected by this disaster with much compassion and show their caring in practical and abundant ways.
Let those affected by this earthquake and tidal wave rebuild better than before. Let them be strong. May good come out of this time of sorrow.
Bless the earth. Bring peace and harmony to the lands, to the sky, to the waters... If there be a need for the earth to release its tensions in the future, let it do so in a way that is gentle and harms no one. Let the waters return to their natural ebb and flow. Let the earth be calm.
Peace, Peace, Peace... Be calm. Be still. Let the healing begin...
-- Beliefnet member WhiteHeron
Prayer for Those Whose Loved Ones Are Missing
Loving God, the hope and protector of all humankind; bless those whose loved ones are missing. The agony of not knowing whether someone is living or dead is a daily torture. The uncertainty of life's future relationships hangs in limbo. Hope rides a roller coaster. Yet each day must be lived. Give unto your people the blessing of your grace that they may face each day with courage and hope. Guard their families from further danger and harm and hold them in the blessing of your love. Amen.
-- Vienna Cobb Anderson, from "Prayers of Our Hearts" c 1991 Vienna Cobb Anderson. Reprinted with the permission of the author.
Cure For All Sorts of Pains
I seek protection for my soul in the Lord of the earth and the Lord of the heavens. I seek protection for my soul in the One in whose name no sickness can hurt. I seek protection for my soul in the One whose name is Blessed and a Cure.
U`idhoo nafsee birabbil-ardhi wa rabbis-samaa' U`idhoo nafsee billadhee laa yadhurru ma`a-smihi daa' U`idhoo nafsee billadhee-smuhu barakatun washifaa'
--Imam Ar Ridha(as), Duas.org
Meditation in Affliction
Assailed by afflictions, we discover Dharma
And find the way to liberation. Thank you, evil forces!
When sorrows invade the mind, we discover Dharma
And find lasting happiness. Thank you, sorrows!
Through harm caused by spirits we discover Dharma
And find fearlessness. Thank you, ghosts and demons!
Through people's hate we discover Dharma
And find benefits and happiness. Thank you, those who hate us!
Through cruel adversity, we discover Dharma
And find the unchanging way. Thank you, adversity!
Through being impelled to by others, we discover Dharma
And find the essential meaning. Thank you, all who drive us on!
We dedicate our merit to you all, to repay your kindness.
--Gyalwa Longchenpa
Prayer for Those Who Mourn
Exalted and honored, adored and acclaimed be Your name, O Holy One, blessed are You, whose glory transcends all praises, songs, and blessings voiced in the world, and let us say, Amen.
Grant abundant peace and life to us and to all Israel, and let us say, Amen.
May You who establish peace in the heavens, grant peace to us, to Israel, and to all the earth, and let us say, Amen.
May God comfort you among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.
--from the Jewish Kaddish for Mourners
Make Me Brave for Life
God, make me brave for life: oh, braver than this.
Let me straighten after pain, as a tree straightens after the rain,
Shining and lovely again.
God, make me brave for life; much braver than this.
As the blown grass lifts, let me rise
From sorrow with quiet eyes,
Knowing Thy way is wise.
God, make me brave, life brings
Such blinding things.
Help me to keep my sight;
Help me to see aright
That out of dark comes light.
-- Author Unknown
Prayer of Comfort
Grant unto us, Almighty God, in all time of sore distress,
the comfort of the forgiveness of our sins.
In time of darkness give us blessed hope,
in time of sickness of body give us quiet courage;
and when the heart is bowed down, and the soul is very heavy,
and life is a burden, and pleasure a weariness,
and the sun is too bright, and life too mirthful,
then may that Spirit, the Spirit of the Comforter, come upon us,
and after our darkness may there be the clear shining of the heavenly light;
that so, being uplifted again by Thy mercy,
we may pass on through this our mortal life
with quiet courage, patient hope, and unshaken trust,
hoping through Thy loving-kindness and tender mercy
to be delivered from death into the large life of the eternal years.
Hear us of Thy mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord - Amen.
--George Dawson
Prayer for Freedom From Suffering
May all beings everywhere plagued
with sufferings of body and mind
quickly be freed from their illnesses.
May those frightened cease to be afraid,
and may those bound be free.
May the powerless find power,
and may people think of befriending
one another.
May those who find themselves in trackless,
fearful wilderness--
the children, the aged, the unprotected--
be guarded by beneficent celestials,
and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.
-- The Buddha
Prayer for Bereaved Parents
God, you sacrificed your son so that we and our children would transcend physical death. We know that you grieved when he was crucified and that you grieve over all the atrocities done by men -- especially in your name. You know and understand grief as you know and understand all. You know best how to comfort these parents. Lift their hearts up to you and fill them with your peace. Your understanding is beyond our human comprehension, but give them the knowledge and faith to endure even that which they can't understand. Let them be aware of you always God, and help them to remember that your Love is Life that can never really be taken away.
--Beliefnet member anacleo7
Honoring the Dead
From the dawn of your birth
To the sunset of your death
I honor you.
From the missions you completed
To your duties left undone
I honor you.
From the seasons of your being
Through the cycle of your life
I honor you.
From your time beyond the veil
Lie your entrance back again
May the angels support you
May my healing love reach you
From this moment until the end of time
So Mote It Be.
-- Silver RavenWolf
Do Not Lose Heart
Therefore we do not lose heart.
Though outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
For our light and momentary troubles
are achieving for us an eternal glory
that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,
but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary,
but what is unseen is eternal.
-- 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (New International Version)
