Part 12 - Prayer
The Lived Religion - Book 12 - Prayer
Chapter 1
1 True Elohim, by Whom the worthy are guided in all they undertake, Who rises as a beacon in the darkness for the lowly,
2 grant us, Your servants who put their trust in You, strength to overcome all the doubts and uncertainties, which rise in our hearts, like frightening shadows arising in the night,
3 let us sip the waters from the inexhaustible well of wisdom,
4 that we may not move along false paths to bring about our own destruction! for we cannot see the way in the enveloping darkness,
5 confusing voices shout this way or that, and we are bewildered, for we know not which one is right!
6 we are not men of great learning or high position,
7 we do not sit among princes, being among the lowliest in the land, yet it is we who carry the burdens of the people,
8 we feed the hungry and provide for the widow and orphan, ours are the aching backs and weary feet, ours the naked body and empty bowl!
9 those who are concerned with higher things sit at tables of bounty, those seemingly unworthy rejoice amid prosperity and plenty,
10 those who take are given more, while those who give are mocked,
11 we cannot ask to win, but we can ask to be made strong, if we struggle for strength!
12 we cannot ask to remain unhurt, but we do ask for courage, as we fight!
13 we cannot ask to be supported in weakness, but we can ask for the fortitude to endure!
14 we stand firm-footed, grim-faced to the foe!
15 the forces of wickedness encompass us about, but we will surge forward with closed ranks until we come to shabbat in the presence of Victory!
16 O Adon, Supreme Among Elohim, watch over us in the struggle, for we are Your children!
Chapter 2
1 According to Your Kodesh Word, my duty is to always protect those who walk with me and never deny my beliefs,
2 I shall be steadfast even under persecution, the tormentors' instruments will not open my mouth,
3 I undertake to bring at least one convert into the light,
4 I will not wilfully harm a wild creature or life of a plant,
5 my duty is to oppose all forms of disorder and torah-lessness,
6 it is to learn the purpose of life, and to try to understand the Design of The Supreme Elohim, Who laid all things out in orderliness,
7 I know I must always keep my thoughts clean, my words true and good, and my deeds manly,
8 I know there is a path of evil: It is the way of weakness and cowardice, which leads to self-destruction!
9 I will fight all forms of wickedness and evil, wherever I find them, and I know I cannot go manfully through life without opposition and struggle,
10 I know that all men are born mortal and all must die in body, but I believe I am a soul, with the potential of everlasting life!
11 if during the trials of life I am assailed by doubt, I will not remain passive before it!
12 I will never oppress any man for his belief, unless he first attack mine, even then, I will bear him with tolerance, until his oppression threatens to overwhelm me,
13 I will never agree to the conversion of men by force, even for their own good, for this is an evil thing,
14 my only arguments shall be example and common sense!
15 the faith I hold shall not be something imprisoned within my thoughts, but a Lived Religion, one expressed in deeds!
16 I give thanks for the knowledge that I am a living soul, but I know full well the grave responsibility I bear towards my future being!
17 I will not be a disgrace to Earth when I pass to the Greater Realm beyond!
18 I recognise that my soul and body compete for the satisfaction of their separate desires,
19 I know that each day the body dies a little, that every day it draws nearer to the dark shore,
20 therefore, I will follow the precepts of prudence, and each and every day will be a step forward in the awakening of my soul!
21 I shall not punish my true self for the sake of satisfying a decaying body.
Chapter 3
1 Supreme One, illuminate the hearts of Your people! and let them see the way ahead!
2 permit them to understand the meaning of life,
3 make their hearts fearful for the responsibility they carry with regard to the future state of their souls, to this end, help them towards achieving a humble ruach and a kindly heart,
4 grant them some glimpse of Eternity while here on Earth, so that they may better understand what lies before them,
5 bestow upon them the ability to make contact with the Fount of Wisdom and Truth, and let them draw near the Well of Holiness to sip its waters,
6 help them to make right judgments and guide their hearts, so they hold fast to the teachings which have gone before,
7 make them steadfast in the light, and, show them the falsity that glitters in the darkness,
8 when they come to the end of their journey, Supreme One, grant them immortality in the Region of Eternal Light!
9 incline towards them in mercy, for You can even mitigate the impress of wickedness upon their everlasting souls!
10 indeed, Supreme One, I have brought about much sorrow and suffering in my days, the burden of my manhood has weighed down heavily upon me,
11 but, O Supreme Elohim, I have never robbed the widow or fatherless, or struck at the helpless and those without protection,
12 I have not mocked the afflicted, or stood aside in fear when wickedness was being done,
13 I have slain no man,
14 when I served any man, I served him well,
15 I have never deserted a friend in distress, or violated the sanctity of another man's home,
16 yet, Supreme One, in my life I have done much else to be condemned, and therefore, cannot know my standing before You,
17 Almighty Abba, I cannot say, as others do, that I have no doubts, for indeed I am often torn with conflicting thoughts,
18 I do not doubt Your existence, for I have been granted a manifestation of its reality,
19 but I am full of doubts about my relationship with You!
20 then, too, there is so much I cannot understand, yet others turn to me for guidance,
21 when I make an error affecting only myself, I do not complain about the consequences, but should I guide others into error, my heart will be torn apart!
22 Adonai of My Heart and Abba of My Soul, incline towards me a little! for of myself I cannot reach You!
23 enlighten me, so that I may lead others into the light!
24 however I stand in Your eyes, do not consider me too unworthy to plead for Your people!
25 guide me, Supreme One, what shall I do for Your people?
26 death and destruction I do not fear, not even everlasting nothingness, but I do fear being inadequate for my task,
27 Supreme One, give me confidence and strength! I ask no more, if I cannot find these with You, I can find them nowhere.
Chapter 4
1 Amid my youth, O Creator, You seemed close, yet I could not understand You, for the teachings of others wished to enclose You in a box,
2 now, though You appear further away, I see more clearly, and have glimpsed Your nature,
3 when I could not understand You in one place, I sought You in another,
4 I looked for You where there was more light!
5 O Great One, hidden within the Eternal Silence, shining as a beacon of pure light to men! lighten our darkness and our fear-shadowed hearts!
6 lift the veil just slightly, that we may understand something of Your greatness!
7 we are not uninstructed, and know we can be granted no more than a glimpse of Your Glory, for to receive more would be too awesome for the frail constitution of man,
8 this is why the ignorant doubt, for their very ignorance spawns the frailty which inhibits their enlightenment!
9 O Great One, grant that the ruach within us may be helped to cleanse itself of the besmirching foulness spawned by our thoughts,
10 remove from us every trace of that which may pollute, and let us know Timeless Splendour in glory!
11 many great men have praised You in error, not knowing what was good for them, they sought to attain the things which fed the flesh alone,
12 O Great One, show such as these the error of their ways, giving them not the good things of life unworthily,
13 but make them better men that they may be worthy of their blessings,
14 You have loved us with an exceedingly great love! having compassion on our many failings and weaknesses, knowing that men are but frail creatures prone to go astray,
15 O El of Elohim, for the sake of our fathers who placed their trust in You, to whom You gave the Mitsvahs of Life, be merciful to us!
16 instruct and guide us along the paths we should follow,
17 lead us through the many entanglements of earthly life, so we may finally come to shabbat in Your safekeeping!
18 when the sky blushes in the dawning I will lift up my voice in gladness! and when it reddens in the evening I will not remain silent!
19 I will pluck strings and send sweet musical sounds rising to my Adon! and my breath will fill pipes with tunes to His Glory!
20 I will raise my voice! and my hands will move with the music!
21 the season of first gathering to the full time of harvest, the season of sowing to the season of fruitfulness, all pass away as the kiss of the wind on the waters,
22 the Decrees of Adonai are fulfilled in the moadim, and the days of labour pass one into the other;
23 I will be joyful in the fullness of ruach! at the beginning and at the end of the moadim I will rejoice, and sing songs of praise with a full heart!
24 and I will shun the hypocrisy of those with moving lips;
25 O Great One, protect me! O Abba, save me! hear the words of my heart!
26 I was one who tried to be ever mindful of what was right and what was wrong,
27 I chose what I thought was right, and shunned that which I thought was wrong,
28 I listened to those who were wiser than I, and helped those who were less privileged, can man do more?
29 may you, my friends, find Eternal springs of strength and courage welling up in your souls at the time of your testing!
30 we, your brothers, go our destined way, and we shall not likely meet again in this earthly likeness,
31 may your future amid the Fountain of Light be glorious and beautiful!
32 and may you span the great gulf of the Eternal years in splendour of form and ruach!
33 I commend you to the care of the Great Adonai, may He protect you and keep you from evil.