A Prayer for Times of Change

Editor’s note: Times of change and transition can upset our hearts and minds more than we realize. A new school year, a new job, a new home… Change can be both good and difficult! What better time than to lean into prayer and depend upon God to be our Rock and our hope. Enjoy this excerpt from A Prayer for Every Occasion.

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It is well and good, Lord,
if all things change,
provided we are rooted in You.
~St. John of the Cross (1542–1591)

Help me to accept that change is part of life,
to welcome the newness each change brings,
and to embrace the gifts and joys of each season.
I trust Your guiding hand, God.
Help me adapt and
have a willing, adventurous spirit.
May I look for the valuable opportunities
You’re giving me in this situation
and make the most of them.
May I say yes to wherever You lead,
being glad and grateful to be on
a journey of discovery and growth with You.
~C. M.

Lord, I am disoriented and unsettled in the midst of change.
Steady my heart and be my constant. I thank You for Your word to me:
“The mountains may move and the hills disappear,
but even then my faithful love for you will remain.”
Surround me now with Your unfailing love.
You are my refuge, my strong tower, my foundation.
You are my heart’s home forever,
no matter where I am or what happens around me.
Help me sense Your nearness, guidance, and love throughout this season of change,
and may I grow closer to You as I depend on You more.
~C. M., quoted material from Isaiah 54:10 NLT

Be present, O merciful God, and protect me...
As I am fatigued by the changes
and the chances of this fleeting world,
I rest in Your eternal changelessness;
through Jesus Christ,
who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

~Leonine Sacramentary (5th C.)

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ASKING FOR HELP

God, You are the source of all that is worth having.
Every good gift in this world comes from You!
You are a generous Father,
providing what we need
and delighting in showering blessings on us.
As we think of You even giving up Your Son for us,
may we never assume You’d hold back Your generosity.
Jesus taught us to knock, ask, seek,
and persist!
So we ask You now to give us
what we need and hope for—
as it pleases You.
We worship the One on the throne
and open up our hands to receive from the Giver of life.
We say that You’re good,
we need You,
and we’re glad to rely on You.
Help us to honor You as we steward whatever You give,
hold loosely whatever we have,
and always love You, the Giver, more than the gifts.
~C. M.

O Lord, to be turned from You is to fall,
to turn to You is to rise,
and to stand in Your presence is to live forever.
Grant us in all our duties Your help,
in all our perplexities Your guidance,
in all our dangers Your protection,
and in all our sorrows Your peace.
~St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430), Adapted

We ask not for wealth, reputation, honor, or prosperity; we pray
for a calm and peaceful spirit,
for every opportunity of leading a holy life,
and for circumstances that are most free from temptation.
We pray for Your preserving grace.
~Henry Thornton (1760–1815)

Dear Lord Jesus, I shall have this day only once; before it is gone,
help me to do all the good I can,
so that today is not a wasted day.
~Stephen Grellet (1773–1855)

Teach me, O Father, how to ask You silently for Your help moment after moment...
If I am uneasy or troubled, enable me,
by Your grace,
quickly to turn to You.
May nothing come between me and You today.
May I will, do, and say just what You,
my loving and tender Father,
would have me will, do, and say.
~Edward Bouverie Pusey (1800–1882), Adapted

• O Lord, send down Your grace to help me, that I may glorify Your name...

Grant me humility, love, and obedience...
Implant in me the root of all blessings:
the reverence of You in my heart.
~St. John Chrysostom (C. 347–407)

God, I need You every hour.
I ask You to meet my needs
as I offer up my hopes and dreams to You.
~C. M.

Excerpted with permission from A Prayer for Every Occasion by Carrie Marrs, copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

Lord, we don’t always handle change well. It shakes us up and rattles our bones to have everything around us change. Help us to rely upon You, hand our worries over to You, and follow You every step of the way. ~ Devotionals Daily