Prayers of Famous Men

• “Bestow upon me, O Lord my God, understanding to know thee, diligence to seek thee, wisdom to find thee, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace thee.” - Thomas Aquinas
• Lord, Be Thou within me, to strengthen me; Without me, to keep me; Above me, to protect me; Beneath me, to uphold me; Before me, to direct me; Behind me, to keep me from straying; Round about me, to defend me. Blessed be Thou, O Lord, our Father, for ever and ever. -Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626)
  
  A bishop in the Church of England, Andrewes served as royal chaplain to Queen Elizabeth I and later to Kings James I and Charles I. He was fluent in 15 languages, and when the Hampton Court Conference convened in 1604, he was chosen as one of the translators of the proposed new English Bible. When the King James Version was published in 1611, his contribution could be seen in the Pentateuch and the historical books. “Lord, I renounce my desire for human praise, for the approval of my peers, the need for public recognition. I deliberately put these aside today, content to hear you whisper, “Well done, my faithful servant.” Amen
• May the grace of Christ our Savior, And the Father’s boundless love, With the Holy Spirit’s favor, Rest upon us from above. Thus may we abide in union With each other and the Lord, And possess, in sweet communion, Joys which earth cannot afford. - John Newton
• Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace; Where there is hatred, let me sow love; Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; Where there is sadness, joy. O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek To be consoled as to console, To be understood as to understand, To be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; It is in pardoning that we are pardoned; It is in dying that we are born to eternal life. - Francis of Assisi
• Make us choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be contented with half truth when whole truth can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when right and truth are in jeopardy. - Prayer said at West Point during chapel services

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