Summer\u2019s here! The season of no school and swimming pools has finally arrived\u2014and with it, new opportunities to let the changing seasons change our rhythms and routines and, perhaps, draw us deeper into prayer and closer to God.<\/p>\n
In that spirit, here are six summer prayers you can keep handy and use and reuse to make these summer months even more special:<\/p>\n
1. \u00a0A Prayer of Thanks<\/strong><\/p>\n Abba, thank you for summer, Amen.<\/p>\n (A prayer by Bob Hostetler, used with permission.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n 2. \u00a0A Summer Gloria<\/strong><\/p>\n Glory be to God… Glory be to God… Glory be to God… (A prayer by Chick Yuill, used with permission.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n 3. \u00a0\u201cCome Summer With Me\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Come summer with me, Lord; Summer in my heart, Lord, And let others summer in my shade, Lord, Good God of every season and every day this week, Amen.<\/p>\n (A prayer by Fr. Austin Fleming who blogs at \u201cA Concord Pastor Comments.\u201d Used with permission.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n 4. \u00a0A Hymn of Praise<\/strong><\/p>\n All things bright and beautiful, Each little flower that opens, The purple headed mountains, The changing of the seasons, The tall trees in the greenwood, You gave us eyes to see them, (A hymn by Cecil F. Alexander, slightly revised. Public domain.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n 5. A Visual Prayer<\/strong><\/p>\n Watch and pray along with this\u00a0minute-and-a-half \u201cSummer Prayer\u201d from Guideposts:<\/em><\/p>\n 6. \u00a0A Psalm for Summer<\/strong><\/p>\n Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion; (Psalm 65, NIV)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summer\u2019s here! The season of no school and swimming pools has finally arrived\u2014and with it, new opportunities to let the changing seasons change our rhythms and routines and, perhaps, draw us deeper into prayer and closer to God. In that spirit, here are six summer prayers you can keep handy and use and reuse to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":31179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[393],"tags":[30,68],"ppma_author":[465],"class_list":["post-25086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seasonal-prayers","tag-prayer","tag-summer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nfor green grass
\nand honeysuckle,
\nleafy trees
\nrunning streams
\nbare feet
\nbalmy days
\nsinging birds
\nlaughing children
\nbaseball games
\ncookouts
\nsunshine
\nclear skies
\nthe smell after a summer rain
\nbeauty
\nand fecundity
\neverywhere
\nI turn.<\/p>\n
\nfor clear blue skies and sunny days
\nfor fresh green grass and leafy trees
\nfor vivid purple flowers and well-tended gardens
\nfor fluffy white clouds and gentle breezes
\nfor bright red buses and busy streets<\/p>\n
\nfor people stepping out with sandaled feet
\nfor children playing games with delighted squeals
\nfor picnics and street parties
\nfor street traders and market stalls
\nfor long days and short nights
\nfor open-topped buses and open-necked shirts.<\/p>\n
\nfor seasons
\nfor summer
\nfor sunshine<\/p>\n
\nsummer deep down in my soul;
\nrestore my faith in summer\u2019s time,
\nin rest, in joy, in play, in you…<\/p>\n
\nand dwell there
\nas if time would never end,
\nas if all time were children’s time, eternal time
\nwhen school is always out and joy is ever in\u2026<\/p>\n
\nand share whatever summer\u2019s peace is mine to give,
\nwhatever summer\u2019s light is mine to shed,
\nwhatever summer’s warmth is mine to share…<\/p>\n
\ncome summer with me, Lord, and let the child in my heart
\nspend this summer in your love…<\/p>\n
\nAll creatures great and small,
\nAll things wise and wonderful:
\nYou, Lord God, made them all.<\/p>\n
\nEach little bird that sings,
\nYou made their glowing colors,
\nYou made their tiny wings.<\/p>\n
\nThe river running by,
\nThe sunset and the morning
\nThat brightens up the sky.<\/p>\n
\nThe pleasant summer sun,
\nThe ripe fruits in the garden,
\nYou made them every one.<\/p>\n
\nThe meadows where we play,
\nThe rushes by the water,
\nTo gather every day.<\/p>\n
\nAnd lips that we might tell
\nHow great is God Almighty,
\nWho has made all things well.<\/p>\n
\nto you our vows will be fulfilled.
\nYou who answer prayer,
\nto you all people will come.
\nWhen we were overwhelmed by sins,
\nyou forgave our transgressions.
\nBlessed are those you choose
\nand bring near to live in your courts!
\nWe are filled with the good things of your house,
\nof your holy temple.
\nYou answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
\nGod our Savior,
\nthe hope of all the ends of the earth
\nand of the farthest seas,
\nwho formed the mountains by your power,
\nhaving armed yourself with strength,
\nwho stilled the roaring of the seas,
\nthe roaring of their waves,
\nand the turmoil of the nations.
\nThe whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
\nwhere morning dawns, where evening fades,
\nyou call forth songs of joy.
\nYou care for the land and water it;
\nyou enrich it abundantly.
\nThe streams of God are filled with water
\nto provide the people with grain,
\nfor so you have ordained it.
\nYou drench its furrows and level its ridges;
\nyou soften it with showers and bless its crops.
\nYou crown the year with your bounty,
\nand your carts overflow with abundance.
\nThe grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
\nthe hills are clothed with gladness.
\nThe meadows are covered with flocks
\nand the valleys are mantled with grain;
\nthey shout for joy and sing.<\/p>\n