Prayers of our brother Johannes,
which show us how we should pray
Entirely toward You, Father, entirely toward You!
Heavenly Father, You light of love in our hearts. This light of Yours gives rest and peace. In this light of truth we find fulfillment, for in it even Your power of consolation has been transformed into certainty of life in You.
This ray of Your divine light already opens the gate to new life for us, and also to the coming paradisiacal Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Your ray of light shows us the way, and now, in the quiet of our heart, even our last worldly desire melts away; sorrow and resentment vanish, so that we feel the warmth of Your love within us and, in the deep stillness of our heart, already sense Your gentle smile as our own. In this way our eyes are opened to perfect life in fellowship with You, Jesus Christ, You who prepare us for this eternal bliss at Your heart.
My most loving Father, I too feel myself seized in my heart by Your luminous ray of grace, and in it You give me security and gladness, as well as the knowledge of the work of love still to be done for my neighbors. You grant me a view into the future life on Earth, guided by Your divine love both within myself and in the life of the family and the community, as well as of our people and of the loving fellowship of the peoples throughout the whole Earth.
I must fight again and again to retain this spiritual good from You, my Father. For if I do not remain faithful to this path of Yours and turn to worldly matters, turning away from You in my thoughts, shadows, fears, and discontent very quickly enter my mind—the vapors of the spirits of the lower world. But returning to You, Father, in prayer, and blessing these spirits, to whom You may give a clear sign for their awakening—this joins me anew to You, while my trust in You grows and my love loses its boundaries: Father, I will remain faithful to You forever; Father, now it is no longer I who live, but You live in me.
And once again Your holy words in the heart of Jakob Lorber awaken my longing: “Truly, whoever at any time finds bodily death in My name out of love for his neighbor has seized eternal life for himself with great heroic force and has become completely one with Me.”
Dear Father, just as the soul of Jesus fought and triumphed in the Garden of Gethsemane in the great struggle for the future and life of us all, so I too want to triumph in the small struggle of my soul for my eternal life at Your heart, whatever obstacles You may allow along this path. Jesus, You my light, You my truth, my strength and my life: lead me wholly to You. Father, I love You. Amen in my heart, Father, amen.
* * *
Jesus Christ, gracious Father, fill my heart with the light of Your love. May all worries and doubts and every worldly impurity be completely dissolved by Your divine warmth and vanish forever. And from this awakening heart of love, good Father, also give me a calm, clear consciousness, so that in this gentleness Your fatherly will may now become alive within me: the knowledge of Your divine plan for me. And strengthen me in this knowledge by protecting me from disturbances and distractions from the dark world, so that in purity and truthfulness I may recognize Your will and write it down.
Father, here too let only Your divine will be done, the assent that comes from Your holy fatherly Spirit. Father, stand by me! I love You, Father, above all things, and may this love alone be my life. From this love it is simple—and yet a great joy—to love my neighbors as well, even those who want nothing to do with me, though this still remains especially difficult for me.
Deep calm and peace now fill my mind and flow into my heart. My breathing becomes calm and deep. Joy awakens, and the spirit of love spreads farther and farther, far beyond my sphere. Father, I am ready. Father, I am Yours. Amen.
* * *
Pentecost—You, Our Savior, Comforter, Caller
Heavenly Father, today we, Your children, remember the sending forth of Your Holy Spirit, through which You gave Your disciples at that time the power to heal and work miracles, and through which we, Your present-day children and disciples on Earth, are being led in a wonderful way—though one still mysterious to us in many respects—out of this cold and stormy darkness of our time, toward You, to the warm, radiant heart of our Father and Savior.
Thus for us who have opened our hearts wide to You, You are the guide who leads us out of this spiritless course of worldly events as the Savior of our lives; for those brothers and sisters who still believe in You amid doubts and fears, may You be the Comforter who comes to us in the world on this day; and for the many others who do not believe in You at all, may You be the Caller in the wilderness.
All of us, this entire humanity, are on the roaring sea of our world in ships, gathered together according to the disposition and strength of faith of the brothers and sisters. And just as Your disciples then saw You sleeping in their little boat threatened with sinking, so even now we do not yet experience the full strength of Your bodily miraculous power within us, and for that reason we might believe that You were sleeping… But, divine Father, Your teaching has opened our eyes; Your holy words in the hearts of Your writers today and throughout all ages have finally awakened us, so that we who believed You slept now place complete trust in Your sure guidance of our threatened little boat and in You as our helmsman and Savior from every distress, You who lead us home into the harbor of security and warming sunlight.
Gracious Father, spread Your arms over this roaring sea of the world, and remember those brothers and sisters in distant lands whose hearts are ready for what is good, true, and full of light, but who are kept in darkness by their rulers and are therefore denied access to Holy Scripture and to the knowledge of Your redeeming death on the cross, Your resurrection, and the sending of Your Holy Spirit. Remember them, Father, so that they too may receive the grace that we are permitted to receive: to take a place at Your richly laid table already here in earthly life. May Your call into the wilderness therefore not fade away without effect, You most loving Father of us all. May Your holy will be done always, and now here as well. Amen.
* * *
Heavenly Father in my heart, how I thank You now for Your “Stop, this far and no farther!”
I had not considered the small everyday tasks and matters worth placing under Your guidance and protection, so that I kept stumbling even in brief and insignificant encounters with people whom I did not consider worthy of blessing or goodwill because of their behavior or appearance. Good Father, through the stones on my path that I have struck against, You have now taught me that I, and all of us who want to be Your children, should remain joined to You in love even in the smallest things, encounters, and thoughts, and from this love extend it to our fellow human beings, who are all our brothers and sisters, and to all creatures visible and invisible; for we all come from You, and we are all on the way back to Your fatherly heart, each on his own path.
And so, for some time now, I have been permitted to experience Your wonderful protection and help in these small things and to feel the depth of Your word: “Whoever is set over little and guides and guards it carefully will one day be set over much.” And I now feel this prompting of Yours as an invitation to Your supper, so that I cleanse my heart more and more of shadows and hope to become worthy to take my place at Your table.
Gracious, dearest Father, guide us who have recognized You, who love You as the almighty Father, and who follow Your teaching, in Your divine love even through the necessary daily matters of the world, so that we may bless them too and carry them out in love even among those people who reject us or are even hostile toward us. Dear Father, pour out Your blessing upon these brothers and sisters, so that we may become one together in love for You and for one another. Into this consciousness You have now led me, and I thank You with all my heart. Father in heaven, Father in my heart, may Your will be done now and always, and I wish to follow this divine will of Yours forever. Amen, You our Father. Amen.
* * *
Your Will Be Done
“Your will be done,” I used to say with ease,
when worry, grief, distress, and pain were far from me.
I often said it to the Lord in prayer,
when I pleaded for guidance in my life.
But then came times of pain and anguish,
and I kept asking myself: “Why must it be so?
Why does the Lord lead me through valleys of night?
Where is the sun that used to smile?”
But the Savior made my heart so still.
I could say to Him: “O Lord, only Your will!
Only let me see Your love at all times,
and do not be far away with Your comfort, dear Father.”
The more I spoke with the Savior in prayer,
the more I pleaded with Him from my heart,
the quieter it gradually became—my word went to Him:
“Your will be done,” I said upon my knees.
Your will be done when the sun smiles on me,
Your will be done even in the darkest night,
Your will be done when friends are far from me,
Your will be done even in distress and pain.
Make my heart still, that it may always say:
I am always ready, Savior, to follow You.
I ask You from my heart to let me see one thing:
Your will, my Father, be done always.”
* * *
Prayer of Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace,
that I may love where there is hatred;
that I may forgive where there is offense;
that I may unite where there is strife;
that I may speak the truth where there is error;
that I may bring faith where doubt threatens;
that I may awaken hope where despair torments;
that I may kindle light where darkness reigns;
that I may bring joy where sorrow dwells.
Lord, let me strive
not to be comforted, but to comfort;
not to be understood, but to understand;
not to be loved, but to love.
For whoever gives himself receives;
whoever forgets himself finds;
whoever forgives is forgiven;
and whoever dies awakens to eternal life.
* * *
Poems from our heavenly Father through a sister in faith
Little children, never need you grieve,
love will tame the enemy.
Only begin within your own heart,
seek first your own weaknesses.
Then no one will break the rod
over sister or brother—
only leave the helm to Me.
I am your good Father Jesus Jehovah,
who sees you, who loves you deeply and intimately,
who gladly forgives you in the Son.
Come in faith and humility; let your disposition be to love Me,
that brings you true blessing and gain.
Deep must your humility be; become childlike and small before Me.
Then deep prayers rise from the pure ground of the heart!
Where such a heart is found,
My Spirit joins itself to it.
I will surely grant this little child an answer to prayer, for I Myself caused the plea to sink deep into its heart.
Your dear Father Jesus
* * *
My love—who can measure it? Only souls that forget themselves. Only those souls that possess Me through the longing of their hearts, in whom sparks of love flash for Me.
They are little children who constantly long to be in My fatherly presence, animated by My good Spirit. Their will stands under My rule, no matter where the wind may blow them.
Again and again I still call: Come, come to My loving fatherly heart. Here alone is the place of refuge for the wounded heart and every pain of the soul.
Whoever has ever felt this fatherly love of Mine falls down before Me in worship and praise. Full of humility, amid tears of gratitude, the heart is moved, for it has felt its own lowliness.
My dear child now wants to wish for nothing more. Every longing is stilled; its heart is filled with deep peace. The bright morning star has risen within it and shines forth—it is My Christ-light, which pierces every darkness.
Souls, come; do not delay in striving for this light alone, for from it alone all true life awakens and grows. My faithful child, who has truly immersed itself in the light of My love,
is sealed through the new birth. The door to delight in evil is bolted shut. My good fatherly Spirit from eternity to eternity wills that it be blissful and not forget its noble childship.
Have you now recognized yourself in this way? Are you still joyful despite life’s trials? Then in these times now rich in testing I will prepare you as My fighter and as a faithful witness.
Little children, take note: My love keeps what it promises. My true child is sealed! This seal is the soul’s pledge that never breaks, because My love is reflected in it.
Dear little children, your good Father Jesus does not grow weary of calling you again and again: Love Me and serve Me with joy.
* * *