Petition in Faith

When your problems rise up

To bog and depress,

And your spirit gives way to despair;

When your mind is a vent

To a burden's intent,

And your lips can't give voice to a prayer -

Turn away from the thoughts

That cause you distress,

They hinder the self in repair;

Trust God to provice

What the heartstrings conide;

With assurance, you're still in His care.

~ Roxie Lusk Smith

Omnipotent

Somebody listens to every prayer,

When you are ill and burdened with care,

When your soul is bent with its weight of woe,

Tell it to Someone who loves you so.

Someone will tell you that He understands,

He'll hold your heart in His gentle hands,

Just like a child when the father's near,

With God at your side, there's nothing to fear.

When days are long and nights have no end,

When things go wrong, there's always one friend.

Just lift your eyes and you'll see Him there,

With His gentle smile as He hears your prayer.

~ Nick Kenny

Contrast

Doubt cries, "It is impossible!

You can't, you can't go on!"

Faith softly whispers, "Yes, you can.

Just trust in God. Be calm."

Doubt cries, "Look down! Your path is steep

And rough with stones and briar!"

Faith gently says, "I'll take your hand..

It's beautiful up higher."

Doubt has not one thing to give

But "going back" alone;

Faith has God, eternal life,

And heirship to a throne!

And so, on unseen eagle's wings,

These feet of clay are borne.

While faith within me sings and sings,

We rise above the storm!

~ Alice Hansche Mortenson

Live By Faith and Not By Feelings

 

When everything is pleasant and bright
And the things we do turn out just right,
We feel without question that God is real,
For, when we are happy, how good we feel...
But when the tides turn and gone is the song
And misfortune comes and our plans go wrong,
Doubt creeps in and we start to wonder
And our thoughts about God are torn asunder-
For we feel deserted in time of deep stress,
Without God's presence to assure us and bless...
And it is then when our senses are reeling
We realize clearly it's Faith and not Feeling-
For it takes Great Faith to patiently wait,
Believing "God comes not too soon or too late."

~ Helen Steiner Rice

A Prayer for Faith

God, give me back the simple faith

that I so long have clung to,

My simple faith in peace and hope,

in loveliness and light -

Because without this faith of mine,

The rhythms I have sung to

Become as empty as the sky

upon a starless night.

God, let me feel that right is right,

that reason dwells with reason,

And let me feel that something grows

whenever there is rain -

And let me sense the splendid truth

that season follows season,

And let me dare to dream

that there is tenderness in pain.

God, give me back my simple faith

because my soul is straying

Away from all the little creeds

that I so long have known;

Oh, answer me while still I have

at least the strength for praying,

For if prayer dies from my heart

I will be quite alone.

~ Margaret E. Sangster

God's Promise

He never said the way would be
A straight and easy one for me.
He never meant that I should rest,
When work is what I do the best.
He never planned the best there is,
For me without my hand in His,
And never once did He ordain
I'd taste the joy but not the pain.

He never told me I would find
Contentment without peace of mind,
Nor did He issue a decree,
Compelling time to wait for me.
But He has promised life beyond
This fragile earth I walk upon,
And through the darkness of the night,
To be the Way, the Truth, the Light.

~ Grace E. Easley

Mystery Of Christ

The mystery of Christ is not to be solved

by lore of science, logic or reason,

or occult magic of the natural mind;

it is to be lived through the mind of spirit

by faith and grace, in peace and joy,

with good will and works for love of God and man.
 

~ Edward A. Gloeggler

Live In Faith

 

"Live in faith, knowing that far more

rewarding and longer enduring

than monuments, fame, or fortune,

are the acts of love, kindness, and

consideration The Almighty

privileges each of us to perform

every day of our lives."
 

~ Robert E.B. Fielder

Anchors

 

When sailing through the storms of doubt,

Discouragement, or pain,

I shall not fear the lashing wind,

Nor fury of the rain.

Three anchors hold my little craft;

I tested them with care;

There's one of faith, and one of hope,

And one of daily prayer.

With these to hold my ship secure,

What danger can betide,

I know that I shall reach at last

A harbor safe and wide.

 

~ Bess Samuel Ayres

In God We Are Secure

 

Faith

makes it wholly possible

to quietly endure

The violent world around us

for in God we are secure

 

~ Helen Stenier Rice

My Prayer

 

Oh! my Heavenly Father,

I come with humble prayer,

Not to beg for miracles ---

Just strength to not despair.

 

If I fail to see Your wisdom ---

Give me faith to never doubt it.

Help me bear the cross You send

And not complain about it.

 

~ Agnes Scopp

Faith

Oh, for a faith that will not shrink

Though battered by many a foe,

A faith that when standing near the brink

Of a valley dark below ---

Will buoy me up, and carry me on

To tasks as yet unknown;

A faith that will lead me through life's storms,

Then gently carry me home.

 

~ Nell McLean

Nothing Before, Nothing Behind

 

Nothing before,

nothing behind:

The steps of Faith

fall on the

 Seeming void

and find

The Rock beneath.

 

~ John Greenleaf Whittier