Verses for Individuals, Children and Groups
Contents
1) Verses for Individuals
2) Verses in Times of Trouble or Adversity
3) Verses for Groups
4) Verses for Children
5) A Verse for the Dead
1) Verses for Individuals
Ancient Indian Verse
Then that path is reached, from
which those who reach it never return,
calling “I seek refuge only
in that Primal Person
from Whom hath come forth this
ancient current of the world.”
– The Bhagavad Gita
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd ; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures ;
He leads me beside the still waters ;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil :
for thou art with me ;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of mine enemies ;
thou anointest my head with oil.
My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life ;
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
– Psalms of David, Hebrew
Morning Verse (from the Gaelic)
I will kindle my fire this morning
in the face of the holy angels of heaven :
In the face of Raphael most beautiful ;
in the face of Uriel most gracious ;
in the face of Michael most mighty ;
in the face of Gabriel most gentle ;
I will bear no malice
I will bear no jealousy
I will bear no envy
I will bear no fear
of any that are under the sun ;
but the Holy Son of God shall shield me.
- from the Gaelic
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in the heavens
hallowed be your name
Your kingdom come
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors ;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the Evil ;
for yours is the kingdom and the
power, and the glory forever.
Amen.
– Matthew 6: 9-15
Quiet I Bear in Me
Quiet I bear in me
I bear within myself
the forces to to make me strong.
Now will I be imbued with
their glowing warmth ;
now will I fill myself
with my own will’s resolve ;
and I will feel the Quiet
pouring all through my being
when by my steadfast striving
I become strong
to find within myself
the source of strength
the strength of Inner Quiet.
– Rudolf Steiner
New Testament Verse
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made him ;
and without him was not anything made that was made.
In him was life ; and the life was the light of men.
And the light shineth in darkness ;
And the darkness comprehended it not
- Prologue of the Gospel of St John
Serenity Prayer
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change ;
the courage to change the things I can ;
and the Wisdom to know the difference ;
not my will, but your will be done.
– Reinhold Niebuhr
Third Step Prayer
Higher Power, I offer myself to you
to build with me and to do with
me as you will.
Relieve me of the bondage of self
that I may better do your will ;
take away my difficulties, that
victory over them may bear witness
to those you would help, of
your power, your love, and
Your way of life ; may
I do your will always.
– Alcoholics Anonymous
Prayer of Consecration
Before my mouth the threshold be guarded ;
A wall hinder my error from streaming around me.
All evil be taken from my words, and good will pour into them.
In the offering be borne the fire of love, creative of being
and the flame beget timeless existence
that the good endure.
Yes, so be it.
- From The Act of Consecration of Man
Communion service of The Christian Community
Movement for Religious Renewal
Prayer of Consecration
"One of the most important guidelines that the masters of wisdom and of the harmony of feelings communicate to pupils through a teacher is :
Learn to be silent and you'll get power ;
Give up power and you'll get will ;
Give up will and you'll get feeling ;
Give up feeling and you'll get knowledge.
A spiritual student must place these esoteric propositions before his soul in all work and action ; and then one day he'll experience that the four verses are true. One should note that the various forces can only be attained in sequence, so that one can never attain knowledge first and maybe then feeling and then will, and then power. For will arises from the renunciation of power, etc."
- Rudolf Steiner
Prayer of Consecration
Thou, O Christ, didst say to those walking with Thee :
'I stand at peace with the world ;
this peace with the world can be with you also, because I give it to you.'
Therefore make strong, O Christ, that in me
which wrests itself free from the load of sin
and in thinking and willing joins with You
that it stand at peace with the world
and unite with the world’s evolving
which can come to pass through You
in all cycles of time to come.
- From The Act of Consecration of Man
Communion Service of The Christian Community
Movement for Religious Renewal
A Verse of the Trinity
May the events that seek me
Come unto me
May I receive them
With a quiet mind
Through the Father's ground of peace
On which we walk.
May the people who seek me
Come unto me
May I receive them
With an understanding heart
Through the Christ's stream of love
In which we live.
May the spirits who seek me
Come unto me
May I receive them
With a clear soul
Through the healing Spirit's Light
By which we see.
- Adam Bittleston
"Meditative Prayers for Today"
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2) Verses in Times of Trouble or Adversity
New Testament Verse
Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me
For I am meek and lowly in heart
And I will give you rest unto your souls ;
For my yoke is easy
And my burden is light.
- Matthew 11 : 28-30
In World Tribulation, Times of Trial
In world tribulation, times of trial,
if we can nurture in the soul's
deep, inmost core the strength
to sense the power of spirit beings,
such heart-striving will keep
life's reins within our grasp
- Rudolf Steiner
Evening Verse
I carry my sorrows into the setting sun,
Place all my worries into her radiant womb,
Purified in love, transformed into light,
They return as helping thoughts,
As strength for self-sacrificing deeds.
- Rudolf Steiner
Verse in Moments of Danger
In North and South and East and West
In all worlds high and low ;
In movement and in stillness
In speaking and in silence
My best qualities surround me.
This is my own verse as it grew from a very short verse or prayer for moments of sudden danger, given by Rudolf Steiner : simply "My best qualities surround me"
3) Morning and Evening Verses for Children
The pace of these verses is dignified ; the tone reverent, but also with quiet joy. At best the child learns the verses from hearing them, and says them along with the parent or adult. Older children (e.g., ages 12 to 14) can say them on their own. These two verses are appropriate for ages up to 14.
Morning (on waking)
The light of the sun
brightens the day
when dark night is gone.
The life of the soul
now is awakened
from restful sleep.
O thou my soul
Give thanks to the light ;
in it shines forth
the power of God ;
O thou my soul
be strong for deeds.
– Rudolf Steiner
Evening (bedtime)
My heart gives thanks
that my eye may see
that my ear may hear
that waking I may feel
In mother and father
in all dear people
in stars and clouds
God’s light
God’s love
God’s life ;
which, while I sleep
shining
loving
bestowing grace
protect me.
– Rudolf Steiner
Working With a Verse
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4) Verses for Groups
These may be read - but at best are spoken together.
The Heart is the Key of the World
The heart is the key of the world and of life.
We live in our helpless condition
in order to love, and be obliged to others.
Through imperfection we become ripe for the influence of others,
and this outside influence is the aim.
In illness we must be helped by others and only others can help us.
From this point of view, Christ surely is the key of the world.
- Novalis
“Verse for America “
May our feelings reach
To our hearts inmost core,
And seek to unite in love
with human beings of like aims
With those spirits who, full of grace, look down
on our earnest heart felt striving
strengthening us from realms of light
and illuminating our love
- Rudolf Steiner
Twelve Step Program Verse
I put my hand in yours
and together we can do
what we could never do alone.
No longer is there a sense of hopelessness ;
no longer must we each depend
on our own unsteady willpower.
We are all together now,
reaching out our hands
for a power and strength greater than ours ;
and as we join hands
we find love and understanding
beyond our wildest dreams
- Alcoholics Anonymous
A Christian Creed
An almighty divine being, spiritual-physical, is the ground of existence of the heavens and of the earth who goes before his creatures like a Father.
Christ, through whom human beings attain the re-enlivening of the dying earth existence, is to this divine being as the Son born in eternity.
In Jesus the Christ entered as man into the earthly world.
The birth of Jesus on earth is a working of the holy Spirit who, to heal spiritually the sickness of sin within the bodily nature of mankind, prepared the son of Mary to be the vehicle of the Christ.
The Christ Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate the death on the cross
and was lowered into the grave of the earth.
In death he became the helper of the souls of the dead who had lost their divine nature ; then he overcame death after three days.
Since that time he is the Lord of the heavenly forces on earth and lives as the fulfiller of the fatherly deeds of the ground of the world.
He will in time unite for the advancement of the world with those whom, through their bearing, he may wrest from the death of matter.
Through him can the healing Spirit work.
Communities whose members feel the Christ within themselves may feel united in a church to which all belong who are aware of the health-bringing power of the Christ ;
they may hope for the overcoming of the sickness of sin
for the continuance of man’s being and
for the preservation of their life destined for eternity.
- Creed of The Christian Community
Movement for Religious Renewal
This Creed is read during the communion service of The Christian Community, the Act of Consecration of Man ; but is very definitely also for use by individuals.
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5) A Verse for the Dead
I was united with you
Stay united with me
So shall we speak together
In the language of eternal Being
So shall we work together
Where deeds find their fulfillment
So shall we weave in the Spirit
Where human thoughts are woven
In the Word of eternal Thought
- Rudolf Steiner
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Working With a Verse
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