Jesus New Prayer of Jesus (Year 2013) written by Merton Lee

Extracted from Merton Lee's new book : When Bad Things Happen to Good People  (God Explains Life's Mysteries, Problems and Wisdom)
Available at  Amazon.com  Kindle ebook

Wisdom

Once there was a young evangelist who was always anxious about the future.  He worried that he might not have the strength to preach the next day.

One night he dreamed that he met Jesus while he was walking alone.  He was returning home after attending a church gathering.  He told Jesus about his anxieties.

Jesus consoled him and said that He understood his anxieties.  He offered the following advice.   First, He told the young man to repeat His words from “John 14:27” whenever he felt anxious:  “Peace I leave you.  My peace I give to you.”  This would calm him, enabling him to experience tranquillity and sustenance from God.

Second, Jesus told the young man to repeat these words whenever he lacked confidence:  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)  This would remind him that God would always provide him with strength whenever he needed it.  He ought to remind himself that God is all-knowing, all-good and all-powerful, that God is the Creator of this universe.  He may feel weak, but God is forever strong. 

Third, Jesus advised the young man to let go of his worries by learning to live one day at a time, one moment at a time, in the strength of God.  Jesus informed him that he could deepen his faith in God by affirming these words whenever he experienced doubts: “What God decides for me is for my long-term good and for my eternal best.  He is mainly concerned about my love for Him, my love and compassion for the people I interact with, and my sincerity to assist the needy.  As long as I love God, as long as I am sincere in helping others for worthwhile purposes, I have done good for the day. It is alright that I am not the best performer.  Love, sincerity, honesty, humility and compassion are much more valuable in the eyes of God.” 

Fourth, Jesus advised the young man to pray every morning the following prayers. They will remind him that life in this world is temporary, that only God can fulfil his spiritual needs by providing him with love and peace.  Jesus lifted his right hand and gently moved it.  The words of these prayers appeared across the sky:-

Saint Teresa’s prayer :

Lord, please make me realize that

You are always with me.

Your love for me is constant.

Please make me understand

that nothing can disturb me,
nothing can make me afraid.

Please make me realise

that all things in the world are passing,

all things in the world are temporary.
Only You and Your love are eternal.
As You are forever with me, I do not lack anything.
You are sufficient for all my needs.

Saint Francis’ prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace:

where there is hatred, let me bring Your love,

where there is injury, let me bring Your pardon,

where there is discord, let me bring Your harmony,

where there is doubt, let me bring faith,

where there is despair, let me bring hope,

and where there is darkness, let me bring light.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace:

Grant that I may seek to console than to be consoled,

that I seek to understand than to be understood,

that I seek to love than to be loved.

For it is by forgetting the self that one finds;

it is by giving that one receives;

it is by forgiving that one is forgiven;

it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

          A new prayer from Jesus

          (written by Merton Lee):

Dear God, please make me realize that You are the Creator of this cosmos.  All events are ultimately under Your control.  You are my eternal strength and stronghold.  Although I may feel weak, You are forever strong.  I can rely on Your strength, wisdom and compassion.

Please make me realize my real identity as Your child.  I contain Your individualized spiritual essence which is my soul. My soul comes from You.  I am always connected to Your love.  You are always inside me in the form of spiritual essence and pure consciousness.

Please make me realize that my body is temporary, but my soul is eternal.  It is timeless.  It is always wholesome, pure and intact.  Nothing can affect it. Nothing can impair it.  Thus, my life on earth is a journey, a pilgrimage to Your Holy Kingdom.  You will decide whether I will live one day more or less on earth.  When You decide that it is time to bring me home, my soul will return to Your kingdom to enjoy eternal harmony.   

One of the attributes of my soul is pure consciousness.  I can experience pure consciousness when I am mentally still and tranquil.  I can learn meditation to experience tranquillity and inner peace.  This enables me to realize the priceless gifts which You have given to me, namely my spiritual essence as well as the gifts of wisdom, understanding, compassion, love and peace.  Please help me to share these gifts with others and help me to awaken them to Your gifts.

May I submit to the guidance of Your Hands and the Holy Spirit day by day.   May I rely on Your decisions which are always for my eternal best. Please help me to remain humble, upright and God-reliant during moments of triumph or defeat, happiness or sorrow, clarity or confusion, strength or affliction.  May I be very grateful and realize the preciousness of Your gifts.  They are the foundation of healthy self-esteem and inner peace.  Your gifts are sufficient for all my needs.  I do not need to chase after external success and worldly recognition.  I can let go of selfish motives and self-seeking desires.  I can rise above the need to impress others. 

Please guide me to choose simplicity, non-attachment and prudence. Please inspire me to be conscientious, kind and helpful.  Please make me realize that You are my genuine lifelong Employer.  I cannot become jobless.  I am always employed by You. I am always Your instrument to do good.  I am serving God by performing little acts of kindness, by extending an encouraging word to others day by day.  In this way I have done good in my lifetime. I have not lived in vain.

Please make me realize that my life purpose is to become spiritually aware and mature, that I am Your partner on earth to manifest dynamic moral goodness.  Please guide me to serve You with humility and contentment day by day, so that I can live my life at my own pace, learning useful skills and knowledge to contribute to the well-being of my loved ones and others. 

Please make me realize that I might have died yesterday.  Thus, help me to treasure each new day.  Help me to regard each new day as Your bonus gift to me.  Every day is a bonus for me to show my love for You, to show my love and appreciation to my family and to the people around me.  Please make me realize that the people around me are seeking for love and acceptance.  Please guide me to extend compassionate words and deeds to others day by day, so that I can do something beautiful for You.  Thank you very much, God.