best

loved

Prayers

& Words

of Wisdom

Compiled by Martin H. Manser

Associate Editor: Nicola L. Bull

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Introduction

Indexes

Author Index

Index of Bible References

Index of Titles and First Lines

Best-Loved Prayers and Words of Wisdom

Acknowledgements

Copyright

About the Publisher

Introduction

We live in an age that demands quick fixes to problems and immediate answers to difficulties. Alongside such a desire for instant solutions to major issues, another, deeper, desire surfaces from time to time. Such a longing recognizes that at least some of our difficulties can be resolved by looking at lasting, time-honoured values of human experience and wisdom such as faith in God through Jesus Christ, the importance of prayer, love and service, strength of character, integrity, loyalty and humility.

As we explore for ourselves what generations before us have discovered as the qualities of being human, we realize afresh we are not alone but many before us have trodden a similar path. Our task then is to stop and listen, to follow in their footsteps, to move in the direction they point us to, to apply the principles that underpinned their lives to our own way of living.

>We have had in mind two kinds of readers as we have compiled this collection of readings, prayers and quotations. First, those planning a gathering such as a wedding or a funeral who are looking beyond mere quick ‘sound bites’ to more profound wisdom. Secondly, those who are seeking for deeper meaning and purpose in life or who want inspiration above the ordinary daily routine.

Each reading is given an introduction which sets its background or gives interesting or helpful information. All the readings are arranged in alphabetical order of title (ignoring ‘A’ or ‘The’ at the beginning of a title). For ease of reference there are also indexes to help you locate a particular reading.

The voices of the speakers and writers quoted in these pages echo to us through the ages to say, ‘There is more to life than your present experience.’ Our desire is that we will all not only stop and listen but also respond to the message given here so that we will find the refreshment, peace and light for our own journey that we can then pass on to others.

Martin H. Manser

Nicola L. Bull

Indexes

Author Index

Aidan, St | St Aidan’s prayer
Andrew of Crete | Crying to God
Andrewes, Lancelot | Blessing and honour
Anonymous | Confession
| All other love
| As the sun sets
| Belief in the unseen
| Dare to believe
| Dedicating all to God
| Food for all
| For the church
| Gathered in God’s granary
| God in all things
| Guard me
| Holy desire
| An island prayer
| Life be in my speech
| The Lord goes with you
| Love, and go on
| Loving Communion
| May God shield us
| Motorist’s prayer
| My colours
| The new year
| Prayer for mourners
| Protect our journey
| Risking love
| Solomon’s wisdom
| Time is precious
| Traditional Gaelic prayer
Anselm, St | Have mercy on me
Aquinas, Thomas | Food for the faithful
Aristides | Epistle to Diognetus
Augustine of Hippo, St | Alleluia
| An evening prayer
| What do I love?
Baillie, John | Evening prayer
Barclay, William | Prayer for humility
Basil of Caesarea | Marks of a Christian
Bass, Dorothy C | Time as gift
Baxter, Richard | Daily seeking after God
| Meek and lowly
Beecher, Henry Ward | Steer by the Bible
Benedict of Nursia | The help of God
Bernard of Clairvaux | Like a reservoir
| O little Bethlehem
Betjeman, John | Take warning
Blake, William | The Lamb
Bonaventure | Journey into God
Bonhoeffer, Dietrich | Help me to pray
| Thanking God
Bright, William | Deliver us from cold hearts
Brontë, Anne | Last lines
Brooks, Phillips | Looking through the Bible
Browne, R E Charles | What is prayer?
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett | How do I love thee?
Bryan, William Jennings | Immortality
| The miracle of the radish
Bunyan, John | Pilgrim’s Progress
| Who would true valour see
Calvin, John | Obedience
Carey, William | Expect great things
Chadwick, Samuel | Prevailing prayer
Chambers, Oswald | Discipleship
| Not to criticise
Chesterton, G K | The donkey
Chrysostom, John | Richer than all men
Clare, John | Nature acknowledges God
Clement of Alexandria | Beauty
| God’s first Bible
Coleridge, Mary | Lord of the winds
Colonna, Vittoria | The Cross
Columba, St | Safe in God’s hand
Common Worship, 2000 | Gloria in Excelsis
| Loving God above all things
Counsell, Michael | Thank God
Cranmer, Thomas | Accept our sacrifice
Cropper, Margaret | Jesus’ hands
Croucher, Rowland | Go with the Lord
Cyprian | Encouraging words
Davenant, John | Justification of believers
de Blois, Louis | Self-will
de Foucauld, Charles | Abandonment to God
Dickens, Charles | At Christmas
Dimitrii of Rostov, St | Illumine our darkness
Dolben, Digby Mackworth | I asked for peace
Donne, John | Distractions
| Keep us, Lord
| No man is an island
Dostoevsky, Fyodor | Don’t be afraid
Doyle, Stephen | The end of a pilgrimage
Edwards, Jonathan | Signs of conversion
Elliot, Jim | A good exchange
Erasmus, Desiderius | The way, the truth and the life
Fee, Gordon | The gathered church
Fénelon, François | Dying daily
| Spiritual trials
Forsyth, P T | Problem solving
Fox, George | The bright morning star
Francis of Assisi, St | Canticle of the Sun
| The prayer of St Francis
| Share the gospel
| Shout joyfully
| You are holy
Gibran, Kahlil | Man’s purpose is to be happy
| The nature of love
| Speak to us of prayer
Gregory of Nyssa | Seeing God
Grellet, Stephen | Doing good today
Hale, Matthew | Observing the Lord’s Day
Henry, Matthew | Man’s equal
| Seeing more of God
Henson, Herbert Hensley | Christ’s ladder to heaven
Herbert, George | Love bade me welcome
| Trinity Sunday
Hillyer, William Hurd | My Master’s face
Hopkins, Gerard Manley | God’s grandeur
Ignatius of Loyola, St | Putting love into practice
| Serving God
John XXIII, Pope | Dying well
Jonson, Ben | Hymn to God the Father
Julian of Norwich | All manner of thing shall be well
| The Lord’s meaning
| Pray anyway
| Praying and trusting
Kempis, Thomas à | Imitating Christ
| Not reading, but doing
| Rich in grace
| Strengthen me, O God
| We cannot avoid temptation
Ken, Thomas | Glory to God the Trinity
| Praise God, from whom all
| blessings flow
Kennedy, G A Studdert | When Jesus came to Birmingham
Kierkegaard, Søren | Reading God’s word
Kipling, Rudyard | If
Kolbe, Maximilian | Be prepared for trials
Latimer, Hugh | Latimer’s last words
Lawrence, Brother | The presence of God
Lewis, C S | The apologist’s evening prayer
| Courage
| The importance of Christianity
| Listening to that other voice
| Love is as hard as nails
Lewis, H Elvet | Freedom from fear
Lincoln, Abraham | God’s best gift
Longfellow, Samuel | Keep us through winter
Luther, Martin | Bless our meal
| Comfort for bereaved parents
| Conversion
| God’s word
| Wise men
Manser, Martin | Easter Day
| When you feel depressed
Marshall, Peter | Slow us down
Mason, John | The pearl of great price
McCheyne, Robert Murray | Be of good cheer
| The gift of the sun
Merton, Thomas | Into the desert
| A stolen book
Meyer, F B | Confessing our helplessness
Milner-White, Eric | Teach us to pray
Moltmann, Jürgen | Friendship
Moody, Dwight L | Three ways to look
Morrison, Charles C | The church
Mother Teresa | Love begins at home
| Serving
| Smile at someone
Murray, Andrew | God’s glory revealed
| Magnify God’s glory
Nee, Watchman | God’s means of deliverance
Newbigin, Lesslie | Understanding the gospel
Newton, John | Amazing grace
Niebuhr, Reinhold | Bound in this bundle of life
Nightingale, Florence | Life is a hard fight
Nolte, Dorothy Law | How children learn
Nouwen, Henri | Caring friendship
| A Christmas prayer
Origen | Beyond our understanding
| Necessary for understanding
Owen, John | The work of the Spirit
Packer, J I | God knows me
Pascal, Blaise | Enlightenment faith
| The God of Christians
| Man is but a reed
Paton, Alan | Prayer for peace
| Stand up and be counted
Patrick, St | For guidance
| I arise today
Penn, William | A Quaker prayer
Pink, A W | Circumstances
Polycarp | Polycarp’s prayer
Quoist, Michel | Forgetting myself
| I want to love
| The telephone
Raleigh, Walter | The service of God
Romero, Oscar | God’s church will never perish
Rossetti, Christina | Being fruitful again
| Journeying in faith
| Lord, seek us
Ryle, J C | Humility
| Thirst relieved
Schweitzer, Albert | The soul
Scotus, John Duns | Happy and peaceful
Shaw, Gilbert | The Holy Spirit
Shnorhali, Nerses | A morning prayer
Smith, Hannah Whitall | God cannot fail
Smith, Wilbur M | The resurrection of Christ
Spurgeon, Charles Haddon | Beware anxiety
| The Bible is a vein of pure gold
| Live on the Lord Jesus
Stevenson, Robert Louis | The best things
Stott, John | Opening the door to Christ
| The Word of God
Stringfellow, William | No mere religion
Sundar, Singh | Conversion to Christ
Taylor, Jeremy | Christian humility
| Different gifts
| Following Jesus Christ
Taylor, John Vernon | Love’s self-opening
Temple, William | Resting-places
Teresa of Avila | Friendship with God
| Let nothing disturb thee
Thompson, Francis | The hound of heaven
Thurman, Howard | Peace of mind
| What makes you come alive?
| The work of Christmas
Tournier, Paul | Conviction of sin
Tozer, A W | Christ’s second coming
| God speaks
Trapp, John | Worldly foolishness
Tucker, Alice | Church music
Tutu, Desmond | Easter
Tyndale, William | Trust in the favour of God
| Tyndale’s last words
Very, Jones | The prayer
von Hügel, Friedrich | Persistence
Washington, George | Observe good faith
Watson, Thomas | Warm your hearts
| The world in the heart
Watts, Isaac | Christ has the keys
| Joy to the world
Weatherhead, Leslie | God of truth, deliver us
Wesley, Charles | Christ, the Lord, is risen today
| Vain repentance
Wesley, John | Covenant with God
| I felt my heart strangely warmed
| Only sinners need forgiveness
Wesley, Susanna | Loving God above all things
Willis, Love Maria | Father, hear the prayer we offer
Winslow, Octavius | The religion of joy
Zwingli, Ulrich | Confidence in Christ

Index of Bible References

Genesis 17:7–9 | A people for God
Exodus 33:18–23 | Moses and the glory of the Lord
Numbers 6:24–26 | A blessing
1 Samuel 16:7 | God sees the heart
1 Kings 19:9–12 | God speaks out of silence
2 Chronicles 7:14 | The Lord’s promise to Solomon
Psalm 1 | Delight in the Lord
Psalm 8 | The majesty of the creator God
Psalm 23 | The Lord is my shepherd
Psalm 95:1–7 | Let us make a joyful noise
Psalm 100 | Make a joyful noise
Psalm 121 | Lord, you never sleep
Psalm 127 | The blessings of home and children
Psalm 139 | All-knowing God
Proverbs 17:17 | At your side
Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 | A time for everything
Isaiah 41:10 | Do not fear
Isaiah 53 | The suffering servant
Matthew 5:3–12 | Blessed are they ...
Matthew 6:25–34 | Do not worry
Matthew 7:1–5 | Look to your own faults
Matthew 7:7–8; 21:22 | Ask and you will receive
Matthew 11:28–30 | My yoke is easy
Mark 10:14–16 | Jesus blesses children
Luke 1:46–55 | Mary’s song
Luke 10:25–37 | The Good Samaritan
John 3:1–8 | Being born again
John 14:1–3 | The father’s dwelling-places
Acts 9:1–19 | On the Damascus road
Romans 5:3–5 | Suffering leads to hope
Romans 8:14–17 | Children of God
Romans 8:31–39 | Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Romans 11:33–36 | Unknowable God
1 Corinthians 13:1–13 | The gift of love
2 Corinthians 1:3–4 | God of consolation
Ephesians 2:10 | Made for good works
Ephesians 4:1–6 | Unity
Ephesians 6:13–18 | God’s armour
Philippians 4:4–9 | Rejoice in the Lord
Colossians 1:15–18 | Christ above everything
1 Timothy 6:6–8 | Gain in godliness
James 1:5–6 | Ask God for wisdom
James 1:27 | What is religion?
1 Peter 2:9 | A chosen people
1 John 3:2 | What we will be
Revelation 22:1–5 | New heaven and new earth

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