Sunday: A Prayer for Univeristy

Three years ago I began to see a spiritual director to work on my prayer life. I told her I was not good at prayer. She simply responded, "Griff you are not good or bad at prayer. You either prayer or you don't pray. Answer that question." It took some time for me to realize I did not pray because I did not know how to pray. She has taught me how to pray. 


One of the disciplines she gave me was using other people's prayers as my prayer. I found a book of prayers and allowed them to guide me, so that the prayers of another could become a prayer of my own. This has greatly enhanced my prayer time. 


This morning, I am praying this prayer as a collective for us, the congregation of University Baptist Church and the body of Jesus Christ. This prayer is from one of the my spiritual heroes, Saint Francis. 

          Lord, make us a instrument of your peace;

where there is hatred let us sow love,

where there is injury let us sow pardon,

where there is doubt let us sow faith,

where there is despair let us sow hope,

where there is darkness let us give light,

where there is sadness let us give joy. 

O divine master, grant that we may

not try to be comforted, but to comfort,

not try to be understood, but to understand,

not try to be loved, but to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in forgiveness that we are forgiven,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.