It’s so easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day worries and to-do lists and never-ending chores that we lose sight of the wonders all around us. And yet, wonder is a gateway to worship.
When I take a moment to really pay attention, especially to the natural world of God’s creation all around me, there is so much wonder surrounding me every moment! Awakening to that wonder around me can spark a need for worship so intense that I’m tempted to drop to knees right there and life my hands in praise to God.
In today’s prayers, I focus primarily on the vast array of wonders of God’s creation, but these are hardly the only wonders available to us! There are many other wonders of technology, of God’s goodness to us, of art, of architecture, and more that can all spark wonder. I also focused primarily on sight and sound in these prayers, but there are also many wonders in taste, scent, touch, and more (like love or healing), as well.
Please feel free to adapt these prayers to include the sources of wonder that speak most to you. Instead of repeating the same seven with each week, you could create your own set of four lists to make each week unique. Or simply substitute your favorite wonders for the ones I’ve included. The key is to spark your own personal sense of wonder in whatever way you need to.
The prayers below are designed for use with an Anglican rosary. They include a mix of verses from the Psalms, a prayer from The Book of Common Worship (Presbyterian), and prayers that I created myself. I hope they re-ignite your own sense of wonder in God’s goodness and creation as you pray.
| Cross: | Your ways, God, are holy. What god is as great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; You display Your power among the peoples. (Psalm 77:13-14) |
| Invitatory bead: | God of the Cosmos, your love reaches beyond space and time. We are astonished by Your vast creation—innumerable galaxies surrounded by dark matter, elegant structures and staggering variety, the interplay of matter and energy, the pull of gravity and the speed of light—all showing Your wisdom and glory, O God! We are dust and stardust, made in Your image. We are part of the creation You are making new. Let our awe increase, like Your ever-expending universe, until we find ourselves lost in wonder, love, and praise, through Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega. Amen. (from The Book of Common Worship) |
| Cruciform beads: | The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, You call forth songs of joy. (Psalm 65:8) |
| Week bead 1: | Re-awaken in me, O Lord, a sense of wonder in the light and warmth the sun faithfully shines down on us, the beauty of sunsets and sunrises as our planet steadily turns, the regular waxing and waning of the moon’s soft glow, and the unfathomable spread of the stars in the night’s sky. I breathe in wonder and breathe out praise. |
| Week bead 2: | Re-awaken in me, O Lord, a sense of wonder in the splendors of the earth, the majesty of mountain peaks, the austere beauty of the desert, the prolific life of the tropics and jungles, and the abundance of the plains. I breathe in wonder and breathe out praise. |
| Week bead 3: | Re-awaken in me, O Lord, a sense of wonder in the life-giving waters of our world, from the vast depths of the oceans to the babbling of brooks and streams, the roar of waterfalls, the meandering rivers, and the quiet ripples of ponds. I breathe in wonder and breathe out praise. |
| Week bead 4: | Re-awaken in me, O Lord, a sense of wonder in the majestic soaring size of trees, the abundance of green plants that feed us, the beauty of flowers to color our world, and the quiet, fuzzy softness of mosses underfoot. I breathe in wonder and breathe out praise. |
| Week bead 5: | Re-awaken in me, O Lord, a sense of wonder in the beauty of butterflies, the majesty of lions, the soaring grace of owls, the playfulness of dolphins, the twittering sound of songbirds, and the deep bonds with beloved pets. I breathe in wonder and breathe out praise. |
| Week bead 6: | Re-awaken in me, O Lord, a sense of wonder in the joyful laughter of a child, the wisdom grown over a lifetime in our elders, the fresh newness of a newborn infant, the way a genuine smile brightens someone’s entire face, and the heart-felt connection that grows out of true friendship. I breathe in wonder and breathe out praise. |
| Week bead 7: | Re-awaken in me, O Lord, a sense of wonder in the way my heart beats without my conscious direction, the delight of air filling my lungs, the way my body moves to do the things I need it to do, my body’s ability to turn food into energy, and how my senses tell me about Your world. I breathe in wonder and breathe out praise. |
| Invitatory bead: | Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things You planned for us. None can compare with You; were I to speak and tell of Your deeds, they would be too many to declare. (Psalm 40:5) |
| Cross: | Awaken me continually, O Lord, to the wonder of your creation and the glory of Your presence in and around me at every moment. May this wonder cause my soul to sing Your praises now and forever. Amen. |
Sources of prayers used above:
Invitatory bead: https://highlandspresbyterynj.org/2020/07/24/prayers-for-wonder-and-awe/
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