FINDING GOD
By Learning How To Pray
By Barbara Clearbridge, M.Div.
Reviews, Table of Contents,
Index of Page Headings, & Excerpts
Reviews
“Clearbridge has reached into many corners, including her own heart, to gather valuable resources for the committed believer and the spiritual seeker. Meditative exercises, words of guidance, and inspirational quotes will help the reader find prayer, and find God.”
Rev. Walter John Boris, President,
The Interfaith
“A sensitive approach to the worship experience. May it aid all those who read it in their search and their reaching for the divine.”
Rabbi Neil Brief Ezra-Habonim, The
“This gentle, compassionate woman has written a wise and warm book of instruction for those who are timid about beginning to pray or just don't know where to start. The generally non-sectarian nature of the suggestions may be used by anyone who seeks to grow spiritually. The offerings identified with specific religions are thoughtfully chosen to support and encourage. I highly recommend this beautiful book to beginners, and to those with mature prayer lives as well.”
Diane Johnson, Ph.D., Psychotherapist
This book is available at selected bookstores and by
mail order. For an Order Form you can
print, click here.
Table of Contents
Talking About God
Praying Alone
How? Why? When? Dear...Who? Theologies, Spirituality, & Religion Mudras & Kanjis Where? Finding Your Life Purpose Helpers Ancient History What (or Who) is God? Praying Together Ceremonies & Rites
Atonement & Mercy Help! Thank You! Bliss Praying for Others What Happens Next? Index of Prayers & Page Headings Sources, Thanks & Acknowledgments About the Author
Affirmations/Celebrations/Songs Afternoon Prayer The act of praying All my Ancestors who have power for good in my life Ancient History animals, trees, stone As its web a spider emits and draws in Aspects of God’s Mercy The act of praying At our meeting in Delhi Atonement Be aware of your words Be still and know that I am God Beloved God of Joy Beloved Source of all, I pause in the midst of this day Betterment Prayers & Affirmations Bliss Bridges But what are angels, Mummy? Contemplation for Marking the Year Cosmos Meditation Daily Prayers Evening Meditation Evening Prayer Finding Your Life Purpose For all that has been, thanks Forgive me, God, for I have sinned The fruit of silence Garden Blessing God, Help Me to Find You God is rooting for you Good morning, Earth! Good morning, Gaia! Gracious God, give me the ability to perceive you Have you ever been so frightened Heal me of bad luck Heal me of poverty Heal me of wrong trust Healer’s Prayer Heavensong Help me, above all, to do no harm Help me, God How do I begin How does one pray I am God’s by day, I am God’s by night I arise, shine, for the light has come I ask that You provide I bend my knee, worship and give thanks to God I had to abandon I like to imagine that God is a cloud rolling over I pray that my real needs are met I pray to be treated kindly I pray today for awareness I shall remember God when I am with my children i thank You God for most this amazing I think the most important question I wish you If talking to God is difficult for you In one salutation to thee, my God Increase my strength Invoking A Deity It can be frightening to find God Just as the hand, held before the eye Let me be a blessing to everyone Let me be a voice of peace today whenever I speak Let my thoughts be gentle Lord, I ask that the pleasures sustain me through the pain Lord, the air smells good today May all beings be happy and at their ease! May all I say and all I think May I be humble and forgiving to all May my blessings have power May the light of the sun take root in me! May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Meal Meditation Morning Prayers Mudras & Kanjis My bed has four little corners my soul sings quietly today O Grandmother O Lord, Thou art in the little pebbles Obstinate are the trammels October 2nd Oh Kind Dei Oh loving, vast God of all! Originally Other Helpers Our Lord, bestow on us endurance Our Lord, forgive us our sins Our Lord, in You we have placed our trust Our Lord, let our hearts not deviate from the truth Our Lord, perfect our light for us Our people used to live on the edge of survival Panic Prayer Praise to God, who brings the evening twilight Prayer Before Sleep Prayer of Confidence Prayer of Thanks Prayer to Introduce a Child To The Cosmos ( Prayers & Affirmations Prayers & Contemplations on Waking Prayers for Healing Prayers for Healing After Trauma Prayers for Help Prayers of Penitence Prayers on First Going Outside Praying for Others Praying together Reach up, up— Sacred Space The same stream of life The shape of my life today Silence is vital Solitude Some say God is like the ocean Song of the Sky Loom Stand barefoot in the dirt The sun rises Talking About God Teach me how to pray The lesson I learned then Their great Mother Spirit was to them Theologies, Spirituality, & Religion This is my prayer to thee, my lord Thy will, not mine, be done Uproot the dominion of arrogance in me Was God ever explained to you We're here—thousands strong What feelings do the names of God bring to you? What happens next? When you were told about God as a child Where I sit is holy Why do we pray? With joy do I cook! Working Together with God You refresh me with your living waters You cause the wind to blow and the rain to fall Your body is of God Introduction This is a workbook with prayers, poems, meditations, ideas to ponder,
stories, and quotations. I hope it helps you. Feel free to write to me with
suggestions and comments. I wish you godspeed!* * godspeed: A wish of success to one setting out on a journey or
undertaking
In order to be as neutral as possible in referring to God, standard English pronouns cannot be used, as they assign gender. Many languages have genderless pronouns—please substitute the ones you prefer.
I use these:
ze: it, her, him ze’s: its, her, hers, his Ze: God Ze’s: God’sHow does one pray?
What is prayer?
There are several kinds of prayer:
Under which category are each of
these?
Healing
ritual
contemplation
lamentation
repentance
blessing
Daily Prayers
Even though you don’t know what
you’re doing, or to Whom you’re speaking, or why, or how—begin anyway. Begin
a daily practice of talking to God. Introduce yourself. If you start a
dialogue, it is likely that you will receive an answer.
When the soul sings, all of
creation answers!
God, help me to find you
I wish to have my eyes opened
my heart is ready
I am patient
but impatient, too!
I am ready for mystery
I am ready to not know
I wish to wonder
I know there is more to life
but don’t know where to look, or how
help me!
[Now in silence, receptive, sit or walk in a peaceful place. Listen and
look. 10 minutes at least! Morning and evening.]
Gracious God
give me the ability to perceive you
diligence to seek you
eyes to behold you
wisdom to meditate upon you
and a life to proclaim you
—adaptation of a prayer of St. Benedict
How do I begin?
Reach up, up—pray through the
top of your head!
Daily Prayers
With joy do I cook!
With joy do I eat!
With joy and thankfulness do I
cleanse the kitchen and let it rest!
[Invent a prayer for whatever task you are doing.]
Silence is vital.
Make friends with silence.
Set aside regular times to sit or walk in silence.
Nearly everyone requires silence to find God.
prayer begins and ends with
silence
The act of praying
doesn’t mean that something called
God hears you and obeys by granting your request (or demand).
In an act of prayer, you reach out
of your usual rather-small self. You consciously link to the astoundingly-large
creative force, you resonate in harmony with it. You commune. You access the
common power. You touch God.
This changes you.
The situation you are in may not
change. Often Godpower surges through you into the situation and it does
change. Often, it doesn’t matter whether it changes or not, because it will
feel different to you because you have changed.
Prayer on First Going Outside
The sun rises
and as it does,
I feel the hope rise
within me.
Thank You
for once again
making all things possible.
Have you ever been
so frightened
that you yelled out—or thought—“Oh God!”
Have you ever experienced such an
intensity of joy that you yelled out—or thought—“Oh God!”
Have you ever seen such beauty that
you gave thanks for its existence? Or for your own?
Why?
Prayer for Help
Help me God, to lie down in peace and to rise up full of life.
Spread over me your peace.
Direct me through your good counsel.
Shelter me with your protecting love.
Guard my going out and my coming in.
Help me to have knowledge, understanding, and discernment.
Draw me near to your service.
Help me to cope with grief and suffering.
Lord, you are the staff and trust of they who suffer.
May I feel your everlasting peace.
-- paraphrased from Jewish prayer
my soul sings quietly today
as i do daily things
driving, washing, planning, talking
i hear my soul burbling joyfully underneath
i smile
people ask me why i’m cheerful
with the state of the world the way it is
i do grieve for the state of the world
but the state of my soul
is singing
©2002, revised 2008, by Barbara Clearbridge
This book is available at
some bookstores. You
can also purchase it by mail order: For
an Order Form you can print, press here.
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