Hi,
My name is Seth David Clark and I'm so glad that you are here to pray along with me and along with the ancients.
Saint John Chrysostom said,
Prayer is a refuge for those who are shaken,
An anchor for those tossed by waves,
A walking stick for the infirmed,
A treasure house for the poor,
A stronghold for the rich,
A destroyer of sicknesses,
A preserver of health.
Prayer keeps our virtues intact and quickly removes all evil.
So let us go to prayer with the ancient believers right now.
As we approach God,
Let us also come to grips with who we are and what the gift of breath is in us.
So I invite you to slow your breathing.
I invite you just to slow down.
Set your intention and set your mind on God and the things above.
Think about all of the wonderful gifts you have.
Find within yourself gratefulness towards the divine.
Gifts you had in the past,
The things you have now,
And the very fact that God is with you in this moment.
And let us pray with the ancients now.
This is a prayer of Clement of Rome.
With your heart set on God,
Pray with me.
We beseech you master to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us.
Have mercy on the lowly.
Raise up the fallen.
Appear to the needy.
Heal the ungodly.
Restore the wanderers of your people.
Feed the hungry.
Ransom our prisoners.
Raise up the sick.
Comfort the faint-hearted.
And I'll read it again for us.
Let us remember that God is here with us as we pray this prayer.
We beseech you master to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us.
Have mercy on the lowly.
Raise up the fallen.
Appear to the needy.
Heal the ungodly.
Restore the wanderers of your people.
Feed the hungry.
Ransom our prisoners.
Raise up the sick.
Comfort the faint-hearted.
I'll read it one more time.
And after I read it this time,
See what words struck you in a special way.
See if there's one idea or concept or phrase that stuck out that you want to take into this extended time without words.
So after I read,
Have that concept,
Have that truth resonate in your whole body and soul and spirit as you set your mind and affections on God.
For the last time we read and we pray,
We beseech you master to be our helper and protector.
Save the afflicted among us.
Have mercy on the lowly.
Raise up the fallen.
Appear to the needy.
Heal the ungodly.
Restore the wanderers of your people.
Feed the hungry.
Ransom our prisoners.
Raise up the sick.
Comfort the faint-hearted.
Amen.
And may you now take these few moments to be without words in your ears,
But maybe words in your heart,
Or maybe not,
As you spend some more time with your God.
Amen.
Amen.
You
