Archive
songs for prayer + formal prayers
These links are scattered on by blog, but wanted them easy to access. I added the following to the bottom of my PRAYER page. I hope they help you pray!
FORMAL PRAYERS:
- Prayer for God’s Will — by Thomas Merton
- Prayer for the Grace of Letting Go
- B.A.P.T.i.S.M. = different forms of prayer
- 5 Finger Prayer = a way to pray petitions & intercessions
- Litany of the Blessed Sacrament — full prayer
SONG FOR PRAYER:
- “Pray” by Kendall Payne — soft, Christian contemporary (personal humbling prayer)
- “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe — soft, Christian praise & worship (heaven)
- “This is a Call” by Thousand Foot Krutch — medium, Christian rock (effectiveness of prayer)
- “Gone” by TobyMac — medium, Christian hip-hop (bad dating relationship)
- “Leaving 99” by Audio Adrenaline — soft, Christian rock (parable of Lost Sheep)
- “Replace Me” by Family Force 5 — hard, Christian rock (submitting to God’s Will)
- “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot — medium, Christian rock (sin, shame, forgiveness)
- “Meant to Live” by Switchfoot — medium, Christian rock (finding purpose)
- “Somewhere I Belong” by Linkin Park — hard, (feeling & healing)
- “Rise Today” by Alter Bridge — very hard, (finding purpose)
- “Pjanoo” (Original Mix) by Eric Prydz — instrumental, trance
- “Birth of an Angel” by Armin van Buuren — instrumental, trance
prayer is trust, not clarity + Mother Teresa + Kendall Payne
I was looking for a video of Kendall Payne performing her song “Pray” to go along with my post last February. I was not disappointed! Here is a video of per performance at a church.
She tell the story of a man asking Mother Teresa to pray for him. Check it out …
A great song by Kendall Payne (one of my favorite Christian vocalist) that focuses on what real prayer is all about, appropriately titled “Pray” from her latest album, “Grown.” Light guitar, soft vocals, profound meaning, worth posting:
I will pray for you now, for you have been my faithful friends,
While the road we walk is difficult indeed.
I couldn’t not ask for more than what you’ve already been,
Only that you would say these prayers for me.
May your heart break enough that compassion enters in,
May your strength all be spent upon the weak.
All the castles and crowns you build and place upon your head,
May they all fall, come crashing down around your feet.
May you find every step to be harder than the last,
So your character grows greater each stride.
May your company be of humble insignificance,
May your weakness be your only source of pride.
What you dooo unto others,
May it all be done to you.
May you meeeet the One who made us,
And see Him smile when life is through.
May your bleeessings be many,
But not what … you hoped they’d be.
And when you looook upon the broken,
May mercy show you what you could not see.
May you never be sure of any plans you desire,
But you’d learn to trust the plan He has for you.
May your passions be tried and tested in the holy fire,
May you fight with all your life for what is true.
I have prayed for you now all my dear and faithful friends,
But what I wish is more than I could ever speak.
As the way wanders on I’ll long to see you once again,
Until then, would you pray these prayers for me?
Oh, that you would praaay for me.
Pjanoo + SJVCS music video
I found this song a couple weeks ago and every time I listen to it, I picture a music video of seminary life here at St John Vianney College Seminary. It’s like a flying video camera visiting dormlife, meals, Mass, communal prayer, sports, fellowship, studies, staff, manual labor, social trips and the beautiful grounds. It changes each time I listen, but the only thing that doesn’t change is the elevation of the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance by Fr Michael (rector) during our Wednesday Holy Hours … that happened at the 4 minute mark in the song. I just had to post it … it keeps me focused!
This is “Pjanoo” (Original Mix) by Eric Prydz. Enjoy and be holy!
CCD: Christian music
APOSTALIC WORK — Today in 10th grade CCD class, we tried to review some things we’ve discuss so far by adding some discussion on application. We used some mainstream Christian songs and studied their lyrics to bring a Christian perspective to practical life issues. Here are the songs we used …
Life, sin, shame, forgiveness … “Dare You to Move” by Switchfoot
Heaven … “I Can Only Imagine” by MercyMe
Effectiveness of prayer … “This is a Call” by Thousand Foot Krutch
Dating relationships … “Gone” by TobyMac
Parable of the Lost Sheep (Mt 18:10-14) … “Leaving 99” by Audio Adrenaline
rapping priest, Fr Stan Fortuna
Here in South Florida, down the street from my home parish, was a concert featuring Fr Stan Fortuna C.F.R., the “rapping priest.” The evening concert was today @ St. Boniface Catholic Church (8330 Johnson Street, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024) from 8pm until 11pm. Tickets were $10.00 per ticket. — I didn’t get a chance to go, but I’m sure he was great … I’ve seen him a couple of times already … blessing all he encounters.
Here are some You Tube video with him, if you don’t know him. Lost of video on You Tube … just search “Fr Stan Fortuna.” They don’t really do him justice … you need to see him live.
(video) “When God Ran” by Phillips Craig & Dean
On our first day of Holy Week break, our rector, Fr Michael, sent an email with a You Tube video link. It features clips from The Passion of the Christ movie to the Phillips Craig & Dean song “When God Ran.” — a powerfully good focus for reflection for entering Holy Week.
“Though he was in the form of God, Jesus did not deem equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself and took the form of a slave, being born of human estate, and it was thus that he humbled himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!
“Because of this, God highly exalted him and bestowed upon him the name above every other name, so that at Jesus’ name every knee must bend in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth, and every tongue proclaim to the glory of God the Father: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!” — Philippians2:6-11
Leeland songs + poverty
I stumbled upon some great videos by a newer Christian group called Leeland. They’re very deep, passionate and “present.” I also saw them in concert last year at an Aquire the Fire youth conference. I fresh and renewing sound to the Christian mainstream.
The first video/song is Leeland’s “Tears of the Saints“ with a collage of today’s poverty [dedicated to Karl Marx, spokesman for the poor, & Contemporary Philosophy class]. The video (and included lyrics) was put together by a Baptist minister. There are others on YouTube, but I like this one.
The second video/song is Leeland’s “Sound of Melodies“ — simply a great sound.
This last video is Leeland in concert with a moment of Scripture & “How Great Thou Art.” — indeed.
Group 1 Crew + Forgive Me (song)
It looks like Thursdays are going to be my YouTube & christian music post day. I’m not a huge Christian hip-hop fan, but when I hear something good, it’s worth noting (especially if it can hold its weight with greats like TobyMac, Grits & KJ-52). I saw newcomer Group 1 Crew perform at the Winter Jam Christian Music Festival at UM last month and I still can’t get 4000 people singing this chorus out of my head. This is “Forgive Me.” [Lyrics at LyricsMode.com]
Behind the Song:
“This song was birthed after a deep time of prayer in which we discovered the need for understanding how God viewed us in the light of his forgiveness. So many times as humans we like to place humanistic qualities on God simply because we can’t comprehend how He can love such unlovable creatures…and yet He still does. This song gives every listener the courage to believe that with God, it’s never too late to be forgiven. When you embrace this grace He’s made available to us, there’s nothing you ever need to fear. No valley in your life is permanent…” – Group 1 Crew
biggest Catholic secret + Modern Day Moses (song)
In Contemporary Philosophy class, our latest discussions have always come back to the treatment of the poor and ignored people in society. Karl Marx‘s Communist Manifesto seems to over-emphasize the poor in his philosophy while Adam Smith‘s The Wealth of Nations seems to minimize them. Fr Santos constantly compared & contrasted Communism with Captitalism with Catholic Social Teaching. He also reminded us of the Catholic Church’s greatest kept secret, the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church that highlights the social teachings of the Church. It’s a great read and good for spiritual reading. [text available on Vatican website here]
As I was seaching YouTube, I also found a video for a song that fits my reflections today. It’s another song by Kendall Payne (one of my favorite Christian vocalist). It’s not that well known, but is probably my favorite of hers to date. It’s off her first album Jordan’s Sister, called “Modern Day Moses.” Here’s the lyrics:
a modern day Moses, waking the streets
with shouts of glory, blistered feet
he’s met the maker, he’s met the reason he’s alive
and he’s on fire inside
a modern day mother, living in the slums
feeding the hungry, making sure the race gets run,
always asking if we fought with steady feet
she fights on her knees
let my people go (4x)
a modern day Martin in a world of civil words exchange
but dreaming bigger, thinks maybe he could make a change
he’s heard the stories, he wants some of his own
and he’s not alone. (no, no, no ...)
[chorus]
(bridge)
the time is not the moments here,
walk in faith or stand in fear
change the course of history,
did you ever think, no one ever though
— who would have believed?
a modern day Me, what have i become, what can i be?
if there is greatness out there to be achieved
i want to be more than someone who just passes through this life
i want to stand up for what is right
[chorus]
The YouTube video (above), featuring Kendall Payne’s song Modern Day Moses, is just a collage of scenes from 7th Heaven of people that the Camden family has helped over the years. I’ve never been a big 7th Heaven fan, but charity is a great running theme for this post, so it’s ok here! 🙂
FF5 + Replace Me (song)
While drivin’ around today in my mobile stereo, I kept replaying a song by the Christian rapcore group Family Force 5 called “Replace Me.” I kept singing/screaming the chorus that echoed what seminary formation feels like, so far … to be formed into what God wants … “crush me, tear me, break me, mold me, make me what You want me to be.” — Here’s the lyrics:
My Batteries died sometime ago (wuh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh)
I gotta heart-shaped box where they must go (wuh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh)
Corrosion’s building everyday
My flesh is leading me astray that’s why I started to decay and I will slowly rot away but I can’t feel that anyway
This heart it wants to beat, These lungs they want to breathe
These eyes they want to see, Gotta mouth that wants to sing …
Desperation, Needing You, Every last breath, I scream for You
Shatter me into a million pieces … Make me new
Crush me, tear me, break me, mold me, Make me what You want me to be
I am Yours for You to use, so take and replace me with You
Needing more than just a jump start to get me through
My disconnection is now the issue…..
(rap) I miss my First Love bad and its driving me mad
Just like a mixed up crazy person out of his head
Its been a long long time I’ve been on the decline
I do an a-bout face so I can be replaced, 180
This heart it wants to beat, These lungs they want to breathe
These eyes they wants to see, Gotta mouth that wants to sing
(des, des, des) [chorus]
One for the body, Two for the soul,
Three to get ready, Now go go go
Replace me with You!!!
(replace me with You!)
Desperation, Needing You, Every last breath, I scream…
[chorus]
— I also added the song (on YouTube) above, but BE WARNED … it’s pretty hardcore for all you John Michael Talbot fans 🙂
SJVCS Seminary Life Album
July '09 -- hospital chaplains @ IPF
Easter '09 -- Miami SJVCS friends
the Son always finds a break in let the clouds
Feb '09 -- school vocation talks @ AMHS
Feb '09 -- cold breakfast with brothers (Matias, Fenly & Randy), now at SVDP and Imad (at SJVCS)
Superbowl '09 -- eating great @ SJVCS
Sept '08 -- Worklist Coordinators?
St Raphael Chapel mural @ SJVCS
Sept '08 -- retreats @ SJVCS
"It's not easy being green"
Catholic Kermit 
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