Summer’s here! The season of no school and swimming pools has finally arrived—and with it, new opportunities to let the changing seasons change our rhythms and routines and, perhaps, draw us deeper into prayer and closer to God.
In that spirit, here are six summer prayers you can keep handy and use and reuse to make these summer months even more special:
1. A Prayer of Thanks
Abba, thank you for summer,
for green grass
and honeysuckle,
leafy trees
running streams
bare feet
balmy days
singing birds
laughing children
baseball games
cookouts
sunshine
clear skies
the smell after a summer rain
beauty
and fecundity
everywhere
I turn.
Amen.
(A prayer by Bob Hostetler, used with permission.)
2. A Summer Gloria
Glory be to God…
for clear blue skies and sunny days
for fresh green grass and leafy trees
for vivid purple flowers and well-tended gardens
for fluffy white clouds and gentle breezes
for bright red buses and busy streets
Glory be to God…
for people stepping out with sandaled feet
for children playing games with delighted squeals
for picnics and street parties
for street traders and market stalls
for long days and short nights
for open-topped buses and open-necked shirts.
Glory be to God…
for seasons
for summer
for sunshine
(A prayer by Chick Yuill, used with permission.)
3. “Come Summer With Me”
Come summer with me, Lord;
summer deep down in my soul;
restore my faith in summer’s time,
in rest, in joy, in play, in you…
Summer in my heart, Lord,
and dwell there
as if time would never end,
as if all time were children’s time, eternal time
when school is always out and joy is ever in…
And let others summer in my shade, Lord,
and share whatever summer’s peace is mine to give,
whatever summer’s light is mine to shed,
whatever summer’s warmth is mine to share…
Good God of every season and every day this week,
come summer with me, Lord, and let the child in my heart
spend this summer in your love…
Amen.
(A prayer by Fr. Austin Fleming who blogs at “A Concord Pastor Comments.” Used with permission.)
4. A Hymn of Praise
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful:
You, Lord God, made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
You made their glowing colors,
You made their tiny wings.
The purple headed mountains,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning
That brightens up the sky.
The changing of the seasons,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
You made them every one.
The tall trees in the greenwood,
The meadows where we play,
The rushes by the water,
To gather every day.
You gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.
(A hymn by Cecil F. Alexander, slightly revised. Public domain.)
5. A Visual Prayer
Watch and pray along with this minute-and-a-half “Summer Prayer” from Guideposts:
6. A Psalm for Summer
Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
(Psalm 65, NIV)
