5 Poems About Prayer

5 Poems About Prayer

Prayer is defined as solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressed to God or another deity.

Prayer has been part of human history since the earliest times, with some of the oldest literature, such as the 26th-century BC Kesh temple hymn, considered a form of prayer. It evolved across different cultures and religions, including ancient Egyptian, early Christian, and Hindu traditions, playing a central role in spiritual and cultural life and providing comfort, solace, and a connection to the divine. 

Origins and early history
Ancient origins: What is considered to be one of the earliest forms of prayer is found in the 26th-century BC Kesh temple hymn, which is a liturgy addressed to deities. Additionally, the ancient Egyptian Pyramid Texts contain spells and incantations addressed to the gods.

Biblical earliest mention: In the Bible, the first mention of people praying is in Genesis 4:26, which says, "At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord". This is considered to be the first time people addressed God after the Fall.

Early Christian prayer: Early Christians devoted themselves to prayer, a practice central to their faith from the beginning. They prayed the Lord's Prayer, which was taught to them by Jesus and became a foundational prayer. By the 2nd century, Christians began praying in a specific direction, facing east.

In this blogpost are 5 prayer poems to boost your spirit and heal your soul. 

King David
Pslams 86

 Bow down thine ear, O Lord, hear me: for I am poor and needy.

Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.

Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.

Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.

For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them.

But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.

Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

These Inward Trials

I asked the Lord, that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of His salvation know,
And seek more earnestly His face.

T’was He who taught me thus to pray
and He I trust has answered prayer,
but it has been in such a way
it almost drove me to despair.

I hoped that in some favored hour
At once He’d answer my request,
and by His love’s constraining power
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

Instead of this, He made me feel
the hidden evils of my heart;
And let the angry powers of hell
Assault my soul in every part.

Yea more, with His own hand He seemed
Intent to aggravate my woe;
Crossed all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

‘Lord, why is this?’ I trembling cried,
‘Wilt thou pursue Thy worm to death?’
‘This in this way,’ the Lord replied,
‘I answer prayer for grace and faith.

These inward trials I employ
From self and pride to set thee free;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy,
That thou mayst seek thy all in Me.’

John Newton

A Mother's Love Prayer

© 

Published by Family Friend Poems January 2019 with permission of the Author.

Lord, help me be the Mother
You've chosen me to be,
One parent with a loving heart,
The mother of my three.

Give me wisdom and courage.
A righteous and faithful leader I'll be,
So I may live through you, Lord,
An example of good I may be.

Teach me patience and understanding,
Grant me compassion and kindness too,
So my daughters may desire a tender heart,
Being kind, forgiving, and true.

Help me show them the way to salvation,
Lord, and the value of their souls,
So they may sustain love, hope, and faith,
That will lead them on their pathway home.

Remind me to hold them tightly
And tenderly let them go
So they might feel my comfort and love
When at times they may feel alone.

And in our body's absence, Lord,
I'm praying they may know
The only need that they would have
Is what I've instilled in their heart and soul.

Jac Judy A. Campbell. "A Mother's Love Prayer. more by Jac Judy A. Campbell

A Prayer For You

Published by Family Friend Poems May 2018 with permission of the Author.

I lifted you to the Lord today
as I spent some time in prayer.
I asked God to be near you
and your burdens help you bear.

I could feel the Father smile
each time I called your name
because I talk to Him quite often
and my prayers are the same.

I pray that God will protect you
every minute of every day.
And to always direct your path
and guide you on your way.

I pray that God will give you joy
and shower you with His peace.
I pray He will smile down on you
so His blessings will not cease.

I pray God's love will keep you
So you won't waver in your faith.
And may His presence surround you
as He covers you with His grace.

Lenora McWhorter. "A Prayer For You." Family Friend Poems, May 10, 2018. https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/a-prayer-for-you

A Letter To God

Shannon Michelle Haynes

Dear God,
Can you hear me?
Can you please take my hand?
I need your loving arms around me-
I need to know you understand.

I’m feeling angry and helpless,
Even lonely and sad.
Am I wrong? Is Satan winning?
I know he wants me so bad!

Will I ever know freedom?
Will I always be bound? 
How does he enter 
When Your love’s all around?

When I can’t fight these feelings,
It helps to write them all down.
Then I find myself kneeling
With my face to the ground.

Thank You, God, once again
For lending an ear,            
And that you not only listen,
But you care enough to hear.

Please help me, dear Jesus,
To find the strength deep within,
To fight these inner demons
That try to lead me to sin.

Please help me to smile
When what I wanna do is weep,
And please stay with me tonight.
Now I lay me down to sleep.

With all my heart,
I love You!          
Amen

I hope you enjoyed this 5 poems about prayer. Is there a poem I should add to the list? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below

In Time’s Swing by Lucy Larcom

In Time’s Swing by Lucy Larcom

In Time's Swing

by Lucy Larcom

Father Time, your footsteps go
Lightly as the falling snow.
In your swing I'm sitting, see!
Push me softly; one, two; three,
Twelve times only. Like a sheet,
Spread the snow beneath my feet.
Singing merrily, let me swing
Out of winter into spring.

Swing me out, and swing me in!
Trees are bare, but birds begin
Twittering to the peeping leaves,
On the bough beneath the eaves.
Wait,—one lilac bud I saw.
Icy hillsides feel the thaw.
April chased off March to-day;
Now I catch a glimpse of May.

Oh, the smell of sprouting grass!
In a blur the violets pass.
Whispering from the wildwood come
Mayflower's breath and insect's hum.
Roses carpeting the ground;
Thrushes, orioles, warbling sound:—
Swing me low, and swing me high,
To the warm clouds of July.

Slower now, for at my side
White pond lilies open wide.
Underneath the pine's tall spire
Cardinal blossoms burn like fire.
They are gone; the golden-rod
Flashes from the dark green sod.
Crickets in the grass I hear;
Asters light the fading year.

Slower still! October weaves
Rainbows of the forest leaves.
Gentians fringed, like eyes of blue,
Glimmer out of sleety dew.
Meadow green I sadly miss:
Winds through withered sedges hiss.
Oh, 't is snowing, swing me fast,
While December shivers past!

Frosty-bearded Father Time,
Stop your footfall on the rime!
Hard you push, your hand is rough;
You have swung me long enough.
"Nay, no stopping," say you? Well,
Some of your best stories tell,
While you swing me—gently, do!—
From the Old Year to the New.

The Seasons by E.F Hayward

The Seasons by E.F Hayward

The Seasons

by E. F. Hayward

I love to watch the seasons change;
As Summer takes the throne from Spring,
So wonderful sublime and strange,
Each one its own sweet songs does sing.

It seems each one, in turn, is best;
Is gifted with some special grace;
Yet Summer fades, as have the rest,
And Autumn boldly takes its place.

This of the Four I hold most dear,
Would be content to have it stay;
But Winter comes to close the year,
And Autumn scenes must pass away.

Just so our lives; our childhood days
Are filled with joy, that's ne'er forgot;
And he is wise who simply says,
"I love them all," and murmurs not.

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,
And Mourners to and fro
Kept treading - treading - till it seemed
That Sense was breaking through -
And when they all were seated,
A Service, like a Drum -
Kept beating - beating - till I thought
My mind was going numb -
And then I heard them lift a Box
And creak across my Soul
With those same Boots of Lead, again,
Then Space - began to toll,
As all the Heavens were a Bell,
And Being, but an Ear,
And I, and Silence, some strange Race,
Wrecked, solitary, here -
And then a Plank in Reason, broke,
And I dropped down, and down -
And hit a World, at every plunge,
And Finished knowing - then -
The Brain — is wider than the Sky

The Brain — is wider than the Sky

The Brain — is wider than the Sky —
For — put them side by side —
The one the other will contain
With ease — and You — beside —

The Brain is deeper than the sea —
For — hold them — Blue to Blue —
The one the other will absorb —
As Sponges — Buckets — do —

The Brain is just the weight of God —
For — Heft them — Pound for Pound —
And they will differ — if they do —
As Syllable from Sound —

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