Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland |
Affirming the
Goodness of Creation
The heavens herald your glory, O God,
and the skies display your handiwork.
Day after day they tell their story,
and night after night they reveal
the depth of their understanding.
Without speech, without words,
without even an audible voice,
their cry echoes through all the world,
and their message reaches the ends of the earth.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Holding you is awe, Adonai,
is purifying;
it endures.
Your decrees are steadfast,
and all of them just.
They are more precious than gold,
than the purest of gold,
and sweeter than honey,
than honey fresh from the comb.…
May the words of my mouth
and the thoughts of my heart
be pleasing in your sight, Adonai,
my Rock and my Redeemer!
PSALM 19:1-4, 9-10, 14
Your wisdom made the heavens.
Your love is everlasting!
You spread the land out over the waters.
Your love is everlasting!
You made the great lights:
Your love is everlasting!
The sun to govern the day,
Your love is everlasting!
Moon and stars to govern the night.
Your love is everlasting!
PSALM 136:5-9
The grandeur, balance, and harmony of the Natural
Universe, in and of itself, gives testimony to a God-Creator who is ever-fresh,
ever-renewing, gratuitous, and beneficent—even overindulgent, delighting, and delightful in this
Self-expression, and imbued with humor and with unbounded, generous Love. You need only
go to a spot that holds a particular attraction for you, and enjoy it for a precious
moment—thinking of what it tells you about the Creator who made it for you. You can make this
journey in actuality, or you can travel in imagination. Isn‘t the psalmist right? Isn‘t the splendid
display that is the created world a testimony to the Source who produces it, ongoingly? Even in
the chaos of violent storms, natural disasters, and the messes of life, we can discover blessings:
God writing straight with crooked lines.
Begin your prayer times in Part 3 with these affirmations, which we call ―The Daily Dose,‖
because they so aptly summarize all that this book is about—using affirmations to inculcate in
the heart of the prayer a growing in Love in all of its forms. ―The Daily Dose‖ is a series of six
affirmations to use, each morning, and each evening, at the beginning of your prayer time, from
now on, for the rest of your life.
Affirming Prayers
on the Goodness of Creation
As we begin the twenty-first century, we are more aware than ever of our cosmic citizenship, the
sacredness of the earth, and the vastness of the universe. As members of a global village, we
can respond to the Spirit‘s invitation to experience the marvels of God‘s wondrous love in our
lives everywhere we turn in the world. Open yourself to the love in the heart of God for self and
creation.
Imagine yourself looking into a mirror or at God‘s creation and saying one or more of the
following affirmations.
I am joyous, free, and serene.
I am uplifted by the creative Spirit of God.
O God of living waters, saturate my heart.
Like the stars at night, I am robed in your luminous light.
I see your holiness shining in nature‘s colors.
I see miracles all around me.
God of all creation, I awaken to earth‘s gifts.
Divine Beloved, the earth is my home and your home.
Today I unite myself with all people on planet Earth.
I bless God for the harmony I experience with the sun, moon, and stars.
I dance for joy with the flowers, plants, and trees.
I taste with delight earth‘s abundance.
I play with you in the spring rain (autumn breeze, summer sunshine, winter frost).
All creatures great and small remind me of the Playful Creator.
This day I will sing with gratitude for the wonder of clouds, sky, birds, and animals.
Dear God, in every living thing, your heart beats.
O Passionate Lover, you kiss the Earth and awaken each new dawn.
Blessed are you, eternal Source of the cosmos.
O Holy One, I feel you pulsate in every blade of grass. In every bud and bulb. The earth is
pregnant with your glory.
Love divine, you are the breath of every living thing.
Gracious One, you are all around me. I fall in love with life.
I praise God for my pet, ______, whom I cherish.
The earth is holy ground, our great mother.
You can also create your own affirmations for the special places and creatures in your life.
Psalm Prayers
to Proclaim Nature‘s Beauty
Choose one of these Psalms which appeals to you today. Read it slowly, several times. Rest in
the sense of awe and wonder.
PSALM 8:1, 3–9
Adonai, Our God, how majestic is
your Name in all the earth!…
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you have set in place—
what is humanity that you should be mindful of us?
Who are we that you should care for us?
You have made us barely less than God,
and crowned us with glory and honor.
You have made us responsible
for the works of your hands,
putting all things at our feet—
all sheep and oxen,
yes, even the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, the fish of the sea
and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
Adonai, Our God,
how majestic is your Name in all the earth!
PSALM 29:1, 3–4
Give glory to Our God, your heavenly court,
give our God glory and strength!…
The voice of Our God resounds over the waters;
the God of glory thunders over the raging seas.
God‘s voice is powerful,
God‘s voice is full of majesty.
PSALM 50:1, 2, 4, AND 6
Adonai, Our God,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth….
God summons heaven and earth
to the trial of God‘s people….
The heavens affirm God‘s justice.
PSALM 66
Shout to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of God‘s Name—
give glorious praise!
Say to God,
―How awesome are your deeds!…
The whole earth worships you
and sings praises to you—
all creation praises your Name!‖
PSALM 90:1-2
Adonai, you have been our refuge
from one generation to the next.
Before the mountains were born,
you brought forth the earth and the world,
you are God without beginning or end!
PSALM 150:6
Let everything that has breath
praise Our God! Alleluia!
Affirming God in Creation
The following prayers affirm God‘s presence in creation. Choose one affirmation and develop
your own spontaneous prayer or select one or more to use for your prayer time.
Great Spirit,
I encounter you in four-legged and winged creatures.
Wonder of the Earth,
I see your face in the beauty of this world.
Bounteous Creator,
I give thanks for lakes and rivers,
trees and flowers, oceans and mountains.
Life Giver,
I meet you in the joy of life I see in _____
(name a favorite person).
Nurturing One,
I taste your goodness in the fruits and vegetables
that our land brings forth.
Life Spring of Vitality,
I soak in your refreshing waters.
Fragrance Divine,
I inhale the perfume of your sweetness
in the fragrance of the lilac and the rose
(or name your preferred flower).
Eternal Music,
glory to you for the melodious song of birds.
Dazzling Sun,
glory to you for your golden glow and
warm embrace of all beings.
Sustainer of Life,
glory to you for the turn of the seasons;
and for the way you synchronize budding and blossoming, seeding and rest,
in ongoing cycles of the seasons.
Gracious Lover,
I dance in delight with you in communion
with all creatures.
Rainbow of Life,
I bask in the many colors and hues of your creation.
Musician of the Spheres,
I hear your song in the voice of the trees and waters.
Tranquillity of the Ages,
I wrap myself in the stillness of the stars.
Affirmations From the Abode of God
Hear God‘s voice speaking to you as you contemplate nature, remembering that it is valid to see
God‘s presence in creations of Natural Beauty because of the omnipresence of God, who holds
all that is in existence.
I dwell in sunlight that warms the air.
I dwell in flowers as they dance in spring.
I dwell in the music of the whispering leaves.
I dwell in the rain that renews the grass.
I dwell in rolling of the ocean‘s waves, and in the living things that dwell in its depths.
I dwell in the majesty of mountain peaks, and in the sun-swept verdure of their valleys.
I dwell in the beauty of moon and stars.
I dwell in all creatures great and small.
I dwell in you! I dwell in each human heart.
(Think of each one as a dwelling of God.)
I am your Beloved God, and I make my home here, with you.
I dwell in the heart of the cosmos. All of Earth reflects me.
During Advent Season, I will share stories and prayer practices for healing and wholeness from Affirmations from the Heart of God with my blog readers. On Nov. 10th, I shared the introduction to the book on this blog as Part 1.
Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP, sofiabmm@aol.com
http://www.amazon.com/Affirmations-Heart-God-Bridget-Meehan/dp/0764807099
http://www.amazon.com/Affirmations-Heart-God-Bridget-Meehan/dp/0764807099
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