St Margaret's Church Prestwich

Have you ever thought of joining us for Peregrini morning prayer? Peregrini prayer is based on five rhythms of grace.

• By God’s grace, we seek to be transformed into the likeness of Christ.
• By God’s grace, we will be open to the presence, guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.
• By God’s grace, we will set aside time for prayer, worship and reading the Bible.
• By God’s grace, we will endeavour to be a gracious presence in the world, serving others and working for justice in human relationships and social structure.
• By God’s grace, we will sensitively share our faith with others, participating in God’s mission both locally and globally.

We start with a story, a time to be still in the presence of God, a Bible reading and prayers – both traditional and contemporary.

You can find us on my face book page daily at 8.30am, and on the Parish Facebook page soon afterwards.

Recently during Peregrini morning prayer, I read the story of ‘the alphabet prayer’. Below are a couple of the prayers that I have received since then.

The Alphabet Prayer

There was once a woodcutter who had a prayer book full of prayers. Each night, before he went to bed, he prayed a prayer from the prayer book.

One day, he was working as usual in the forest. He worked hard all day. Evening came and the woodcutter decided to sleep I the forest. When it was time to go to sleep, the woodcutter realised that he had forgotten his prayer book. What should he do? The woodcutter didn’t know any prayers by heart. So, this is what he prayed.

Dear Lord,

I am a simple man. I am also a little forgetful, forgetful enough to have forgotten my prayer book. What is worse, I don’t know any prayers by heart. But you. O Lord, know all my prayers, even before I say them. So, this is what I will do: I will say all the letters of the alphabet. As I say then, please make a prayer out of them.

Then the  woodcutter said all the letters of the alphabet. And God, who knows all our prayers, took all the letters and made a beautiful prayer out of them.

My Alphabet Prayer – Carol Olive

Ask the Lord in prayer and it will be answered and may You

Bless all those who I meet this day.

Come! Follow me said Jesus and pray with me

Day by day

Ever nearer my God to thee.

Father I thank you for the blessings I receive,

Give us this day our daily bread,

Hallowed be your name, your Kingdom come

In every corner of the world.

Jesus, you are my hope and my foundation

Knowing you is all I need

Loving others as you have loved me

Now and always.

Offer you my thanks and praise and ask you to be part of my day.

Pray and praise the Lord always, I

Quietly find a space to be with the Lord and

Rest in His presence and His peace. I

Stay a while, be still and listen to that still small voice of calm.

Thank you, you are my rock on which I depend

U are the light beneath my feet, to guide me as I walk through the

Valley of the shadow of death I

Will fear no evil for you are with me always.

Xylophones, trumpets and cymbals will ring out in praise for

Your world, your creation, your people everywhere.

Zealous, Loving God look down on me your servant now and forever. Amen

Alphabet Prayer (Descriptions of God)

Abba – Daddy, you are always looking out for us.

Bread of life – bread of life, both physically and spiritually.

Creator – designer of our beautiful world.

Divine – holy God, beyond our imagination.

Emmanuel- God with us.

Friend- someone we can turn to.

Guide – Guiding us through the storms of life.

Holy Spirit – ever with us.

Immortal- invisible, God, only wise.

Jesus -redeemer of the world.

King of kings – Lord of all.

Light of the world – shining in the darkness.

Mother – like a mother hen, you care for us.

Name above all names- all encompassing.

Omnipresent- God present everywhere and always.

Prince of peace – bringing peace to our troubled world.

Quickening of Spirit – helping us to decern tight from wrong.

Resurrection – Jesus, risen conquering Son.

Shepherd – the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Teacher – source and fount of knowledge

Understanding – you know us through and through.

Victorious – conquering sin and death.

Word- the word made flesh dwelt among us.

Xenodochial – friend of strangers.

Yahweh – Lord God.

Zealous – ardently active.

Why not have a go at writing your own prayer.

Every blessing,

Deborah