The Crisis
A man of low degree was sore oppressed,
Fate held him under iron-handed sway,
And ever, those who saw him thus distressed
Would bid him bend his stubborn will and pray.
But he, strong in himself and obdurate,
Waged, prayerless, on his losing fight with Fate.
Friends gave his proffered hand their coldest clasp,
Or took it not at all; and Poverty,
That bruised his body with relentless grasp,
Grinned, taunting, when he struggled to be free.
But though with helpless hands he beat the air,
His need extreme yet found no voice in prayer.
Then he prevailed; and forthwith snobbish Fate,
Like some whipped cur, came fawning at his feet;
Those who had scorned forgave and called him great--
His friends found out that friendship still was sweet.
But he, once obdurate, now bowed his head
In prayer, and trembling with its import, said:
'Mere human strength may stand ill-fortune's frown;
So I prevailed, for human strength was mine;
But from the killing pow'r of great renown,
Naught may protect me save a strength divine.
Help me, O Lord, in this my trembling cause;
I scorn men's curses, but I dread applause!'
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
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Father Unite Us
Today my prayer will be short and sweet for you Father has given me yet another day to stand with strength upon my feet. Father I ask only one thing in this short little prayer. I ask Father that you unite all the people of this earth as one. I ask Father that you help us to realize that we really are sisters and brothers, that we are covered by the blood of the lamb, that no one can come between us while we are holding your glorious hand. Father unite us so that we will grow strong and able to fight the enemy. Protect us Father while we stand as soldiers under your great umbrella. Let us find peace in this world Father. I leave it all to you Father for you are our great leader, you are the King, You have the ability to make great mountains crumble and to part the rough waters of the sea, you are the all knowing and the great almighty.
Father I leave this prayer for peace to you, knowing that you will know what to do.
I pray Father in the name of your precious son Jesus. Amen
Written: March 2,2008
poem by Melvina Germain
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Mother Moon II
Mother give me strength
Give me wisdom, give me will
Give me love, give me health
Let me know what is real
Tell me who to trust
Tell me what is fate
Give me the strength to love
And the maturity not to hate
Let me fall in love
Let me have true friends
Show me the real meaning
Of together until the end
Give me the power of prayer
Let me have a stable mind
Give me the strength to have patience
And the strength to be kind
Help me stand and fight
Don't let me run away
Give me the bravery to face my fear
And to face another day
poem by Tatianna Rei Moonshadow
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The Strength Within
The dark clouds are filling the skies.
The rain will soon settle in.
My sorrow then begins to rise.
Find strength within, find strength within.
All of the mountains are steeper ahead,
And I've struggled thust far I've been.
I calmly lower my head.
Find strength within, find strength within.
The world around me is dying.
Surrender is conquering a thousand men.
The life within me is crying.
Find strength within, find strength within.
I use to wonder when I'd walk my last mile,
Until I found Jesus, my friend.
Now there's a reason to smile!
I've found strength within, I've found strength within.
poem by Whitney Albright
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The Warrior's Prayer
Long since, in sore distress, I heard one pray,
'Lord, who prevailest with resistless might,
Ever from war and strife keep me away,
My battles fight!'
I know not if I play the Pharisee,
And if my brother after all be right;
But mine shall be the warrior's plea to thee--
Strength for the fight.
I do not ask that thou shalt front the fray,
And drive the warring foeman from my sight;
I only ask, O Lord, by night, by day,
Strength for the fight!
When foes upon me press, let me not quail
Nor think to turn me into coward flight.
I only ask, to make mine arms prevail,
Strength for the fight!
Still let mine eyes look ever on the foe,
Still let mine armor case me strong and bright;
And grant me, as I deal each righteous blow,
Strength for the fight!
And when, at eventide, the fray is done,
My soul to Death's bedchamber do thou light,
And give me, be the field or lost or won,
Rest from the fight!
poem by Paul Laurence Dunbar
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(V – 1988) Fighting Fate
Oh, things out of control we call real fate
For factors far unknown too decide our state!
But things there are we must not see as mere fate;
Such things if controlled can oh, alter our state!
No thunder or tyrant is ever such fate
If faced with courage and soon held to checkmate!
Oh, thou art the architect of thy own fate!
So fight well with will and thus safeguard thy state!
At times we may fall to some strange, cruel fate;
By them should never our will still abate!
With arrows of resolve and faith, fight thy fate!
Oh, give no space ever to stand or to wait!
So bow not or falter before any fate;
Oh, fear and despair will thy fate aggravate!
Grim panic and anguish will strengthen our fate;
They make us, oh, lick a time unduly late!
So well in advance to, oh, face any fate
Thou equip thyself and thus secure thy state!
Challenges of life are challenges of fate –
So meeting them well, oh, means living life great!
Prayer is Life
Prayer is life,
Life is prayer,
Prayer gives me strength,
Strength to face
All the problems
Of this world.
Prayer brightens my day,
It gives me sound sleep at night.
I abide in My Saviour,
And humbly I rest.
Prayer makes me strong
To defeat Satan.
Prayer continues unceasingly,
It does not stop
In the morning or at noon.
It goes on and on,
Until sleep shuts my eyes.
O, that blessed life
Of prayer,
I long for the
Sweet life.
poem by Aleyamma Jacob
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Lord Give Us The Strength
Lord Give Us The Strength.....,
To suppress our fears....,
Lord Give Us The Strength....,
To fight our tears....,
It's a rough, tough, world...,
Every day is a test...,
But powerful and proud...,
We’ll always do our best....,
Still more and more....,
We need your support....,
So Lord Give Us The Strength....,
Lord Give Us The Strength.
Lord Give Us The Strength.....,
To keep the faith….,
Lord Give Us The Strength....,
To conquer hate…,
It’s a harsh, cruel road…,
We travel through life…,
But we feel comfort….,
Guided by your light....,
Still on and on….,
We pray for your love....,
And to worship you....,
Is our sole intent......,
So Lord Give Us The Strength....,
Lord Give Us The Strength.
poem by Trade Martin
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Lonesome Heart
The mighty oak I see outside
It's roots are deep and long
It will live a hundred years
And bend when winds are strong
I sometimes feel I can't go on
Losing you is hurting me
I sometimes wish late at night
I had the strength of that old tree
The days my friends they stand by me
They tend to help me through
But then at night when darkness falls
Again I'm missing you
I try to fight but strength won't come
Soon I fall apart
Then the tears fall like rain
So alone is a lonesome heart
I sometimes wish I had the strength
To pick up and move along
But memories that I have with you
Streaches the nights so long
I sometimes wish I had the strength
So I would not fall apart
Missing you is against my will
So alone is a lonesome heart.
poem by Bill Simmons
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Give Me Strength
This is my prayer to thee, my lord---strike,
strike at the root of penury in my heart.
Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.
Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.
Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might.
Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.
And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.
poem by Rabindranath Tagore
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"Vengeance is Mine," Saith the Lord
Thou wouldst not be avenged if thou hadst but
Insight enough into the human heart,
Into its frailty and its cowardice.
Thou wouldst not be avenged if thou but sawest
How mad, how childish and how selfish are
The helpless ones, that did thee harm because
They thought--Ah! What then thought they! That perchance
You hated them, or trod them down, or took
Their sun away; and e'en for love will they
Destroy thee, meaning well with thee--so well,
That they as lief would see thee dead, not to
Belong to what they hate--thy work, thy friend,
Thy strong ambition, or the gift that God
Hath put into thy soul, that calleth thee
Away to other heights and other temples,
Then where they long have worshipped. They dislike
Thy road, they word, they call it strange and dark,
And they would lead thee back to where they started
So long ago with thee, and show the wrong
Thou doest quite unwittingly. A sigh,
A smile is all thine answer, but thy way
Is chosen; then the hue and cry is raised
Against thee, and thy staunchest friends will pile
With eager hands the wood on which to burn
Thy very soul, and not a tear will quench
That fire, not a hand will save thee, for
Thou art misunderstood, misjudged, despised,
And hated by the friends, who once believed
In thee as in their God. And what revenge
Could help thee? Falling back on thee, thy arm
Struck to the ground, thy heart a desert, not
Devastated to bloom again, but burnt
To lava by your heart's own flame of vengeance.
And if forgiveness be too great for thee,
Go past, turn not thy head, speak not a word
That cannot be recalled, and that will bar
The road for ever, that will cut the cloth
Between thy foes and thee. The present hour
Hath made that foe, who may come back to thee,
And see thy truth. Be great and say: I have
No foe! I smile, and they are nought! A breath
May lay them low, so low that they must call
To me for help! Then is thy vengeance ripe!
Give help with gentle pity. Feel that thou
Art ready with a well of living waters,
With flowers still more lovely than before.
Keep down the flames that make thee a volcano.
Let lovely warmth be all their strength. For thou
Art called upon to love and not to hate,
To help and not to punish, as thine eyes
Are far too weak to see the consequence
Of human anger. Even the volcano
Is aimless, powerless, like Fate itself,
And thou canst not be Fate. Ah! Be thou then
A human heart amongst poor human hearts!
poem by Carmen Sylva
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Freedom (1960's)
To stand forth in strength;
The strength of wisdom,
The strength of knowledge,
The strength of power,
The strength to stand tall,
The strength to say nay,
The strength to be proud,
To be strong, able and wise,
Down this road true freedom lies...
poem by Karl Stuart Kline
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A Prayer For My Friends
I pray for all my friends,
I pray for the one who love defends.
I pray for those who warmed my heart,
I pray for that one who keeps apart.
I ask our Lord to send them all health,
I ask my God to bring them all wealth,
I ask my Angel to protect them from a fall,
To listen to: for whom the bells toll.
I would love your cup to be always full.
I would love your life to be always beautiful.
I would love you all dark clouds to avoid.
I would love you never to be annoyed.
Let friendship be the best treasure!
Let love to be the best measure!
Let your Motherland be always the dearest!
Let all my friends be the nearest!
My friends are all around the world.
I would love them all in waltz to whirl.
I am sure my prayer everyone will find.
We are all on this Earth are bind.
My blessings are for all my dear friends.
I am welcoming to my prayer the all the lands.
poem by Larisa Rzhepishevska
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My Strenght
Bear faith and strength will come
Seek it and strength will come
Sing, Sing
It’s with strength you belong
I listened as an angel sang her song
Take heed now
My weakness has been your strength
But no more!
For sure!
Take heed now
My kindness you abused at length
But no more!
For sure!
Take heed now
I stopped believing in me
Topped up with your deceiving
I flopped thinking
I was not worthy of receiving
But no more!
For sure!
Behold a stranger came and walked my way
Bringing along her golden sunrays
I found my strength at long last
I found my strength at long last within me
I found my strength at long last to be free
I found my strength at long last, you see!
You are now a thing of the past
‘You, ’ I sing. ‘Are merely an outcast’
Copyright 2006 - Sylvia Chidi
poem by Sylvia Chidi
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Love Make Me Strong
(terry britten/sue shifrin)
Theres no power capable of
Coming between us--dividing our love
To be faithful I have sworn
Together we can weather the storm
Our tomorrows are ticking away
Our hands are tied--were victims of fate
In my darkness I will pray
For destiny to send me your way
Love make me strong
Give me the strength to carry on
Love make me strong
A tower of strength to lean upon
Love make me strong
The seven seas wont keep us apart
Not with an ocean of love in my heart
My devotion will see me through
Cause nothings gonna keep me from you
Love make me strong
Give me the strength to carry on
Love make me strong
A tower of strength to lean upon
Love make me strong
Oh its a sad sad story
True lovers forced to part
Shot down in all its glory
Youll hear the sound of broken hearts
My devotion will see me through
Cause nothings gonna keep me from you
Love make me strong
Give me the strength to carry on
Love make me strong
A tower of strength to lean upon
Love make me strong
Oh oh love make me strong
Love make me strong, make me strong
Love make me strong
song performed by by Olivia Newton-John
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Strength of man
The strength of man is not found in his hands.
A hand is equal in strength to a salesman's shallow stand.
The man who is strong with or without hands is
The man that will not drown when put on shallow ground.
poem by Jeff Rushton
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An Unwritten Tragedy
Ho, ye that thirst beside the running stream!
Love is a running stream, whose waters flow
Upon the earth, and who would drink thereof
Must bend him earthwards. There was such an one
Who lay upon his belly in the mire
And was not ashamed. Because he deemed it well
That love, which is the strength of weaker things,
Should make of Man a child. And, while he lay
And summer winds were drowsing in his ears,
The river of his love went rippling by.
And thus he lived, and thus he might have died,
Deaf to his fellows' scorn, and held it gain
To lie a living corse unburied there
Among the reeds of Time and hidden in
From the world's stare. But Fate was watching him
With envious eyes; and he had merited
In truth much retribution at her hand.
--Alas that I should have such spite to tell!
She took her vengeance at the fountain head,
And made a desolation in the land.
And how he dreamed and half outwitted Fate,
Because his mind was single in his love;
And how she took the pitiless winds in pay
And set a wrack of clouds upon their back;
And how, because she could not master him,
She turned the waters of his love away;
And how that man arose up from his lair,
Foul with the ooze and with a beard grown grey
Through his long shame; and how he turned and fled
From the sun's face to dwell among the tombs,
I would relate. And, if in simple words
How some have learned the nakedness of truth,
The carelessness of God, Man's cruelty
And their own folly, it would be a tale
To chill the lust of Youth and bend the knees
Of Manhood's pride before the strength of Fate
Which conquers all;--And this I think would be
The sum of human tragedy on Earth.
--But who am I to stay the wings of Death
And pluck a feather out and write such things?
poem by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt
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The Love Sonnets Of Proteus. Part III: Gods And False Gods: LXXVII
WHO WOULD LIVE AGAIN?
Oh who would live again to suffer loss?
Once in my youth I battled with my fate,
Grudging my days to death. I would have won
A place by violence beneath the sun.
I took my pleasures madly as by force,
Even the air of heaven was a prize.
I stood a plunderer at death's very gate,
And all the lands of life I did o'errun
With sack and pillage. Then I scorned to die,
Save as a conqueror. The treasuries
Of love I ransacked; pity, pride and hate.
All that can make hearts beat or brim men's eyes
With living tears I took as robes to wear.
--But see, now time has struck me on the hip.
I cannot hate nor love. My senses are
Struck silent with the silence of my lip.
No courage kindles in my heart to dare,
No strength to do. The world's last phantoms slip
Out of my grasp, and naught is left but pain.
Love, life, vain strength!--Oh who would live again?
poem by Wilfrid Scawen Blunt
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Communion
Lord, I have knelt and tried to pray to-night,
But Thy love came upon me like a sleep,
And all desire died out; upon the deep
Of Thy mere love I lay, each thought in light
Dissolving like the sunset clouds, at rest
Each tremulous wish, and my strength weakness, sweet
As a sick boy with soon o’erwearied feet
Finds, yielding him unto his mother’s breast
To weep for weakness there. I could not pray,
But with closed eyes I felt Thy bosom’s love
Beating toward mine, and then I would not move
Till of itself the joy should pass away;
At last my heart found voice,—‘Take me, O Lord,
And do with me according to Thy word.’
poem by Edward Dowden
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A Beggar's Prayer
Precious Lord;
I have much to ask,
and you have much to do;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I know my place is humble,
and you are the King of Kings;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I'm certain that I am unworthy,
of your mercy and saving grace;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I walk the road that I choose,
and stumble most of the time;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I want to walk your path,
and help others along the way;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I ask for your guidance,
in setting my feet back straight;
But Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for I know not what to do.
I turn to you O Lord,
with open arms and bleeding heart;
Because Lord,
I need your Mighty strength...
for You alone know what to do.
poem by George Aul
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Save A Prayer
Dear lord, jesus, buddah, allah or can I just call you joe
Ive got a lot of things to tell you and some things I gotta know
Im tired of hearing talk about this worlds about to end
If we can die together then cant we all be friends
I gotta know
Hey, I gotta know
So mister can you tell me, gotta know
Baby can you tell me, gotta know
Whoa oh oh I gotta know
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I gotta know
Baby can you help me, gotta know
I gotta know
Did you ever feel like you were drowning,
Did you ever feel betrayed by a kiss?
Did you ever feel like you needed somebody,
Would you feel alone in a world like this?
Did you ever feel like you needed shelter,
Did you ever laugh when you wanted to cry?
Did you ever dream about evolution,
Dont you ever feel like your living a lie?
Oh, whoa, too many children grow up blind to the truth.
I say, oh oh, oh, oh,
Say a prayer for me,
Ill save a prayer for you.
Did you ever feel like you were helpless,
Did you ever feel like an open wound?
Did you ever feel that there aint no forgiveness,
Did you ever feel that close to the.truth.
Oh whoa, the world closed their eyes on the blinding truth.
I say, oh, oh, oh, oh , say a prayer for me,
And Ill save a prayer for you
Ill save a prayer for you, Ill save a prayer for you,
Ill save a prayer.... for you, for you, for you.
Ill save a prayer.
Did you ever feel like you need shelter,
Did you ever feel like you lived through the flood?
Did you ever feel a lust for survival, did you ever feel, feel, feel?
The world keeps turning.
Rooms still burning.
Theres too many hearts that havent found a home.
This trains on the tracks and the worlds on my back,
Save a prayer for me and Ill save one for you.
No one to blame , but its hard to explain,
Why too many souls are feeling so alone.
Youve got to hold on if its all you can do.
Save a prayer for me, Ill save a prayer for you.
Ill save a prayer for you, Ill save a prayer for you,
Ill save a prayer....
For you, for you, for you.
song performed by by Bon Jovi
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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