Becoming stuck or stale is not something anybody strives for. Especially, we desire liveliness in our spiritual matters. That’s why we need prayers for spiritual growth. It does not happen without the Holy Spirit. Otherwise our faith will become dead and we don’t want that, do we?

Prayers for spiritual growth

I have collected a few prayers for spiritual growth. Which one is your favourite? I felt that I could have written many of these prayers yet they were written hundreds of years ago. Prayers for spiritual growth are always relevant and so needed.

The Universal Prayer (attributed to pope Clement XI, 1649-1721)

Lord, I believe in you – increase my faith.
I trust in you – strengthen my trust.
I love you- let me love your more and more.
I am sorry for my sins – deepen my sorrow.
I worship you as my first beginning. I lone for you as my last end, I praise you as my constant helper, and call on you as my loving protector.
Guide me by your wisdom, correct me with your justice, comfort me with your mercy, protect me with your power.
I offer you, Lord, my thoughts – to be fixed on you; my words – to have your for their theme; my actions – to reflect my love for you my sufferings – to be endured for your grater glory.
I want to do what you ask of me – in the way you ask, for as long as you ask, because you ask it.
Lord, enlighten my understanding, strengthen my will, purify my heart, and make me holy.
Help me to repent of my past sins and to resist temptation in the future. Help me rise above my human weaknesses and to grow stronger as a Christian.
Let me love you, my Lord and my God, and see myself as I really am – a pilgrim in this world, a Christian called to respect and to love all whose lives I touch, those in authority over me or those under my authority, my friends and my enemies.
Help me to conquer anger with gentleness, greed with generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me to forget myself and reach out to others.
Make me prudent in planning, courageous in taking risks. Make me patient in suffering, unassuming in prosperity.
Keep me, Lord, attentive in prayer, temperate in food and drink, diligent in my work, firm in my good intentions.
Let my conscience be clear, my conduct without fault, my speech blameless, and my life well-ordered.
Teach me to realize that this world is passing, that my true future is the happiness of heaven, that life on earth is short, and the life to come eternal.
Help me prepare for death with a proper fear of judgment, and a greater trust in your goodness.
Lead me safely through death to the endless joy of heaven.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Prayer by Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626)

I believe that you created me;
let not the work of your hands be despised.
I believe that I am after your image and likeness:
let not your own likeness be defaced.
I believe that you saved me by your blood:
let not the price of the ransom be squandered.
I believe that you proclaimed me a Christian in your name:
let your namesake be scorned.
I believe that you hallowed me in rebirth:
let not that consecration be despoiled.
I believe that you engrafted me into the cultivated olive tree:
let not the limb of your mystical body be cut out.
Amen

Prayer by Thomas à Kempis (1379-1471)

Grant me, most sweet and loving Jesus,
to rest in you above all creature, above all health and beauty, above all glory and honor, above all power and dignity, above all skill and shrewdness, above all riches and talents, above all joy and exultation, above all fame and praise, above all hope and promise, above all merit and desire, above all gifts that you may shower on me , above all joy or tribulation that my mind may feel or receive. And grant me to rest in you above angels and archangels, above all the heavenly host, above all things visible and invisible, and above all that you are not, my God. For you, My God, are above all.

Prayer by Martin Luther (1483-1546)

Behold, Lord, an empty vessel that needs to be filled. My Lord, fill it. I am weak in the faith, strengthen me. I am cold in love; warm me and make me fervent that my love my go out to my neighbor. O Lord, help me. Strengthen my faith and trust in you.
With me, there is an abundance of sin; in you is the fullness of righteousness. Therefore I will remain in you, from whom I can receive, but to whom I may not give.

Prayer by Thomas Aquinas (1225-74)

Make me, O my God,
humble without pretence,
cheerful without levity,
serious without dejection,
grave without moroseness,
active without frivolity,
truthful without duplicity,
fearful of thee without despair,
trustful of thee without presumption,
chaste without depravity,
able to correct my neighbor without angry feeling,
and by word and example to edify him without pride,
obedient without gainsaying,
patient without murmuring.

Prayer by Bridget of Sweden (1303-73)

Lord, show me the way
And make me willing to walk therein.

Prayer by David Livingstone (1813-73)

O Lord, I am yours. For what seems good in your sight,
and give me complete resignation to your will.

Here our prayers, Lord

We are yours, Lord.
Do with us what needs to be done.
Heal what needs healing,
renew what needs renewing.
Pour out grace upon grace, Lord.
May your will be done,
nothing else, nothing less, nothing more.
In Jesus’ precious name,
Amen

Q4U: Which one of these prayers for spiritual growth is your favorite?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you invite the Holy Spirit to ignite holy fire in you!

Image courtesy of creationswap.com, design by  Mari-Anna Stålnacke.