Christ is shepherd
over you,
Enfolding you on every side.
Christ will not forsake you, hand
or foot,
Nor let evil come near you.
--- Unknown Source
Twenty-Third Psalm
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
Even
though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff--they comfort me.
You prepare
a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with
oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all
the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
--- Psalms 23: 1-6
The Lord Is Thy Keeper
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills.
From whence cometh my help?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer
thy foot to be moved:
he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold,
he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper:
the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by
day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy
coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore.
--- Psalms
121: 1-8
God Is Our Hope
God is our hope and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will we not fear, though the
earth be moved,
and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof rage and swell,
and though the mountains shake
at the tempest of the same.
There is a river, the streams whereof make
glad the city of God,
the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
--- Psalms 46: 1-4
Prayer for Trust in Jesus
O Christ
Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help
us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we
shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.
---
St. Ignatius of Loyola
For All Who Suffer
That it may
please thee to visit the lonely; to strengthen all who suffer in mind, body, and
spirit; and to comfort with thy presence those who are failing and infirm, We
beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.
That it may please thee to support,
help, and comfort all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation, We beseech
thee to hear us, good Lord.
--- Book of Common Prayer 1979
Psalm
of Protection
The Lord is my light and my salvationwhom shall
I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my lifeof whom shall I be afraid?
When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh,
when my enemies and my
foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then will I
be confident.
--- Psalms 27: 1-3
For Times of Fear
Almighty God, the Refuge of all that are distressed, grant unto us
that, in all trouble of this our mortal life, we may flee to the knowledge of
Thy lovingkindness and tender mercy; that so, sheltering ourselves therein, the
storms of life may pass over us, and not shake the peace of God that is within
us. Whatsoever this life may bring us, grant that it may never take from us the
full faith that Thou art our Father. Grant us Thy light, that we may have life,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Books About Prayer and/or Meditation
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The Rev. Charles P. Henderson is a Presbyterian minister and
Executive Director of CrossCurrents.
He is the author of God and Science (John Knox Press, 1986).
A revised and expanded version of the book is appearing here. God and Science (Hypertext Edition,
2005).
He is also editor of a new book, featuring articles by world class scientists and theologians, and illustrating the leading views on the relationship between science and religion: Faith, Science and the Future (CrossCurrents Press, 2007).
Charles also tracks the boundry between the virtual and the real at his blog: Next World Design, focusing on the mediation of art, science and spirituality in the metaverse.