Deepening Your Faith Journey
Beyond participating in worship services and community events, many find spiritual growth through regular scripture reading, prayer, and thoughtful resources. We offer various suggestions and links to support your personal faith journey.
Resources for Spiritual Growth
Scripture and Prayer:
Reading the New Testament, sometimes aloud, forms a strong foundation for spiritual development. Incorporating daily prayer, perhaps with a journal, can help you feel "rooted and grounded in love." Many Bibles also offer supplemental lists of texts by topic..
Recommended Books and Authors:
PCUSA Bookstore: Our national church's bookstore offers a variety of thoughtful and reasonably priced spiritual resources: https://www.pcusastore.com
John Baillie's A Diary of Private Prayer (1936): This Presbyterian classic is still in print and available for download: http://pmoser.sites.luc.edu/johnbailliearchive/Baillie%20Private%20Prayer.pdf
Contemporary Voices: Explore the Christian comments and prayers of Anne Lamott and Nadia Bolz Weber on Substack.
Ecumenical Authors: Henri Nouwen and Richard Rohr are excellent resources for a broader Christian perspective.
"Mr. Rogers": A quick online search will bring you wise sayings from this beloved Presbyterian minister, whose children's TV program, Neighborhood of Make-Believe, touched many lives.
Prayers
Grace Before Meals:
Saying grace before meals is a meaningful way to express gratitude to God and
cultivate a moment of reverence. It reminds us not to take anything for granted, especially our food.
We encourage families to write their own graces, but here are three examples:
A Prayer for Justice and Gratitude: Loving God, We thank you for the gifts of food and drink and pray that we may use the strength derived from them to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you” (Micah 6:8). We pray for those who have much less than we; may they be filled. In the name of your Son, our bread of life, Amen.
A Prayer for Stewardship and Community: Creator God, We live from the goodness of your earth. Help us to sustain it, and not waste your gifts. We live as a family, called to nurture each other with care and conversation as well as the food before us. Bless the chain of hands that bring this meal to us, and help us to have a table where no one is a stranger. In the name of the Great Shepherd, Amen.
The Selkirk (or Covenanters’) Grace. Often said at Robbie Burns Suppers and Scottish Presbyterian meals: “Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it; But we hae meat and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit."
Prayers For The Human Condition
Examples with some edits, from The Book of Common Worship
For Parents
Eternal God, before you generations rise and pass away. May we pass on the virtue and wisdom we have learned, and may we be united in care and commitment to our children, who are gifts from you.
On the spiritual journey of parenting, help us pay attention to growing pains and not dismiss unfounded fears. Give us friendship and support among our peers so that we maintain caring boundaries, and reasonable expectations, of our children and ourselves. May we complement each other equitably in both sacrifices and celebrations. And give us joy in the traditions of Christian faith so that our purposes in parenting are fulfilled, even in facing obstacles and limitations. Remembering the story of the child Jesus remaining in the Temple, help us to teach your ways with humor and grace, Amen.
For Those in Distress (from The Liturgy of St. Mark )
Almighty and everlasting God, the comfort of the sad, the strength of those who suffer, let the prayers of your children who cry
out of any tribulation come to you. To every soul that is distressed, grant mercy, grant relief, grant refreshment; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For those Mentally Distressed
Mighty God, in Jesus Christ you dealt with spirits that darken minds or set people against themselves.
Give peace to those who are torn by conflict, are cast down, or dream deceiving dreams. Give trust in medical care and appropriate medication to those enduring chemical imbalance. By your power, drive from our minds demons that shake
confidence and wreck love. Tame unruly forces in us, and bring us to your truth, so that we may accept ourselves as good, glad children of your love, known in Jesus Christ. Amen.
For the Middle-Aged
Eternal God, you have led us through our days and years, made wisdom ripe and faith mature. Give us a generative approach to
our “second half of life,” so we guide others and transform competition into colleagueship when possible. Show men and women your purpose for them, so that, when youth is spent, they may not find life empty or labor stale, but may devote themselves to dear loves and worthy tasks, with undiminished strength; for the sake of Jesus Christ the Lord.
For the Aged
O Lord God, look with mercy on all whose increasing years bring them isolation, distress, or weakness.
Provide for them homes of dignity and peace; give them understanding helpers and the willingness to accept help; and, as their strength diminishes, increase their faith and their assurance of your love. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
For the Bereaved
O merciful God, you teach us in your Holy Word that you do not willingly afflict or grieve your children. Look with pity on the sorrows of N., your servant, for whom we pray. Remember him/her, O Lord, in mercy.
Strengthen him/her in patience, comfort him/her with the memory of your goodness, let your presence shine on him/her, and give him/her peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Lonely
God of comfort, companion of the lonely: be with those who by neglect or willful separation are left alone. Fill empty places with present love, and long times of solitude with lively thoughts of you. Encourage us to visit isolated men and women, so they may be cheered by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who walked among us as a friend, and is our Lord forever. Amen.
For the Oppressed
Look with compassion, O God, upon the people in this land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion of the abundance of this land; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
For the Outcast
God of grace, created in your image, no one is beyond the reach of your love, or outside your limitless mercy. Move us toward those the world despises and people reject, so we may venture to follow Christ, and risk showing his love. If we have felt shame or dishonor, re-build our confidence in you, and help us resist the power of others to hurt us. Stand with those who are outcast; strengthen them in peace; encourage them by your presence; and use them to build on the cornerstone of Christ, until differences are honored and respected, and all people together give you glory. Amen.
For the Retired
Your love for us never ends, eternal God, even when by age or weakness we can no longer work. When we retire, keep us awake to your will for us. Give us energy to enjoy the world, to attend to neighbors whom busy people neglect, and to contribute wisely to the life of the church. If we can offer nothing but our prayers, remind us that our prayers are a useful work you want, so that we may live always serving Jesus Christ, our hope and our true joy. Amen.
For the Sexually Confused
God of creation, you made men and women to find in love fulfillment as your creatures. We pray for those who deny physical love, who are repelled by flesh, or frightened by their daydreams. Unmask your veiled image in us, O Lord, and show us who we are, so that we may affirm each other bodily in covenants of love, supported by Jesus Christ our Lord, who became incarnate for our sakes. Amen.
At a Time of Tragedy
God of compassion, you watch our ways, and weave out of terrible happenings wonders of goodness and grace. Surround those who have been shaken by tragedy with a sense of your present love, and hold them in faith. Though they are lost in grief, may they find you and be comforted; through Jesus Christ who was dead, but lives and rules this world with you. Amen.
For Travelers
The world is yours, mighty God, and all people live by your faithfulness. Watch over those who are traveling, who drive or fly, or speed through space. May they be careful, but not afraid, and safely reach their destinations. Wherever we wander in your spacious world, teach us that we never journey beyond your loving care, revealed in Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
For the Unemployed
Gracious God, we remember before you those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of work. Be with those whose self-esteem has been damaged by market forces, trade wars, technological change, and disinvestment. Guide the people of this land so to
use our wealth and resources sustainably that all persons may find suitable and fulfilling employment, protections in the workplace, and receive just payment for their labor; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Spiritual Retreats
Taking time away from your routines, if you are able, can “re-charge” and deepen one’s connection to God. This can be done almost anywhere there are limited distractions, and some even like periodic “silent retreats.”
There are also many Christian camps and conference centers configured specifically for spiritual pilgrims (and many national and state parks can re-connect us to God’s wilderness!).
There are three national conference centers of the Presbyterian Church (USA) which offer a very wide range of spiritual and natural resources, sometimes for extended visits:
Conference center in the Tri-state metropolitan area developed by Presbyterians and Quakers:
Kirkridge Retreat & Study Center, Bangor, PA - which happens to be near the Appalachian Trail.
In Times of Spiritual Emergency
Just as with physical health, there are times when spiritual "first aid" is needed.
If you are experiencing a spiritual emergency, please call our pastor’s emergency number for support.
While live-streaming can keep us connected, there is no substitute for in-person participation in worship
and fellowship with other Christians. We encourage you to join us in person whenever possible.
